Metal Sky [Paperback]

Jay Caselberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2004

Two years after the events of Wyrmhole, Jack is a professional P.I. on a case to track down a missing artifact-a tablet made of a metal that cannot be identified. But when the woman he's working for disappears and his lead suspect turns up dead, Jack's investigation will lead him into the clutches of a shadowy political organization that knows the secret of the tablet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Roc (September 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459997
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459992
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,285,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jay Caselberg was born in a country town in Australia and then traveled extensively while growing up. In 1996, he started writing with a passion. For nearly the next two years, he wrote full time and garnered his first few publications writing as James A. Hartley. In 1998, he rejoined the workforce. Since then, he has continued to write and publish, both as Jay Caselberg and James A. Hartley. He currently still works in the IT consulting industry on international projects. He writes across many genres, both at short story and novel length, crossing the boundaries of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, and the Literary, generally with a dark edge. He is currently based in Germany. You can find him at http://www.jaycaselberg.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sam Spade in Outer Space, November 18, 2004

By 

M. Eckler "scifi dog" (philly pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Metal Sky (Paperback)

I do agree with the previous reviewer, however, i didn't find it quite as annoying, more amusing. i mean if they can make the magnificent seven, aka seven samuri, then this is no worse. the alien culture is a bit different from maltese falcon, but down to the dead captain on the couch? at least he never called the "lost item" a "dingus". can't complain, it was a fun read, i didn't buy the book because i wanted to be intellectually challenged, i just wanted a nice scifi/detective story, in this it did serve the purpose.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good SF/mystery story, July 15, 2006

By 

Paul Lappen (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Metal Sky (Paperback)

Private investigator Jack Stein has set up shop in the town of Yorkstone. It's a town on the move, literally (it really is a moving town), and it's a programmable town. For instance, one change the furniture in a room just by telling your computer. Jack's appointment book is empty, until Bridget Farrell walks into Jack's office. She is a very beautiful woman who knows how to use her beauty. She asks Jack's help in finding a metallic tablet inscribed with ornate symbols.

Farrell had a colleague/competitor in the field of obtaining rare objects, a man named Talbot. Unfortunately, he got too close to the business end of an energy weapon, and is now very dead. The Yorkstone police are now very interested. A rich industrialist named Landeman is also interested in the tablet.

Jack is a psychic investigator; he works from hunches or "feelings" gained from objects, other people or dreams. He meets Talbot in his dreams and is told to go to a planet called Mandala. A major archaeological dig is underway, uncovering what was a major city. In his dreams, Jack sees the city as it was a millennia ago. But he is no closer to discovering the answers to his growing list of questions.

Back in Yorkstone, Billie, Jack's teenage "ward" and an expert information finder, learns that the object is made of a metal unknown to science, and probably came from Mandala. It could be an object of great power, or the key to some advanced civilization. Jack begins to piece it all together; a potentially "huge" object like this would be worth a lot of money to some people.

This works really well as a mystery story and a science fiction story. It's just weird enough, and it also has echoes of famous tales like The Maltese Falcon. Either way, it's worth reading.

4.0 out of 5 stars troubling, October 20, 2004

By 

vegimatic "veg" (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Metal Sky (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading the book, but******PLOT SPOILER***** Jay took the whole story from the Maltese Falcon, right down to having him rough up the henchman!!! I mean, is this legal? This is one of the most famous movies there is. The only difference was in the interaction of him and Billie. It was as if Sam Spade was set in the future doing the Maltese Falcon all over again. Is this even allowed? Its a total ripoff of the most famous P.I. story there is!! Hopefully he got permission. Still entertaining, but troubling.