Ferriman's Law [Paperback]

Lee Zion (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2001

Detective Ferriman is relaxing on vacation for having put the leaders of a notorious crime ring behind bars. But one night he staggers drunkenly back to his hotel room and finds an underage girl in his bed, naked and strangled. With the local authorities out to pin the murder on him, Ferriman must find out who really killed her, and who's behind the plot to frame him. As the body count rises, he must struggle to stay one step ahead of the authorities, without becoming the next victim.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dark... wickedly funny. A fine job. Bravo! -- Ray Bradbury, author, The Martian Chronicles

About the Author

Lee Zion was born in Brooklyn, New York, and got his degree in Cinema from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He then entered the Navy in 1990, shortly after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served as a military journalist for five years, after which he went on to write for several newspapers throughout California. Currently, he reports on transportation, environmental and agricultural issues for the San Diego Business Journal. His favorite activities include walking, reading, going to the movies and designing acrostic puzzles while riding the train to work. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two cats, and has recently completed his second novel, Ferriman's War.

Cover art by Vic Lee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corp; 1 edition (February 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738850608
• ISBN-13: 978-0738850603
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,778,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Zion breathes new life into an old genre, June 20, 2001

By 

Thomas M. Sipos (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ferriman's Law (Paperback)

FERRIMAN'S LAW treds old literary ground: the sci-fi noir. The most famous example of this genre/style is the film, BLADE RUNNER, based on Philip K. Dick's DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? L. Neil Smith's libertarian sci-fi noir, THE WARDOVE, would be another example.

What all have in common is a traditional hard-boiled noir detective in a futurist setting.

Yet in other respects, FERRIMAN'S LAW differs. BLADE RUNNER was dark; FERRIMAN'S LAW not nearly so. Dick's books feature his unique metaphysical/spiritual sensibility, unlike FERRIMAN'S LAW. THE WARDOVE is heavy on political philosophy, again, unlike FERRMAN'S LAW.

Instead of darkness, metaphysics, or politics, Zion's sci-fi gumshoe book packs a sharp satirical bite. The dialogue is lean, moves fast, and is very funny. Fans of sci-fi noir should enjoy Zion's fresh slant on this old genre/style.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sci-fi mystery novel?, April 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ferriman's Law (Paperback)

A fun and exciting mystery that takes LOTS OF liberties with the genre, because it also goes sci-fi on you. It's like reading a Raymond Chandler knock-off that takes place on another planet, and that takes some getting used to. But the book is a great read, a real page turner, especially in the later chapters when things get really hairy. The story is about Ferriman, a cynical detective in the future, and he's after the people who are trying to frame him for murder. Of course, he keeps getting in over his head, and the only thing that can help him out are his "laws." (Like law #8: Always carry your gun. The day you leave it behind is a day you might not live to regret...) The plot is clever, and there's a lot of dark, cynical humor in the book. If you're a hard-core sci-fi fan, the book might be a little disappointing because there really isn't that much sci-fi in it. In a lot of chapters, the book might as well take place in Cleveland! But for mystery buffs, this is a great read with lots of twists and real suspense. The last chapter hints at a sequel; I hope there'll be many more.

5.0 out of 5 stars BUCK ROGERS, SAY HELLO TO SHERLOCK !, May 25, 2010

By 

DENNIS DE ROSE "DETERMINED D" (Middletown , NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ferriman's Law (Paperback)

Lee Zion can sure write a fast-paced mystery of the inter-gallactic future. Ferriman is an overweight future gumshoe who takes a lot of ribbing but gives back just what he gets and more. Throw in a few super pretty hookers, a few more cops and some dangerous bad guys, mix them up and out comes a fuuny, quick-read mystery of the sort not considered all that common.

I really enjoyed this unusual light mystery with all the ray guns and future crime fighting gadgetry. The book mentions the next title in the series, "Ferriman`s War". Alas, I don`t see it in print. What happened L. Z.? Time to dust off the cobwebs and crank out another light-hearted future whodunit..... Need some help?
Thanks for this one!