In A Policy of Lies by Astrid Amara, Levi Kaszeri is a journalist who has dedicated his life to revealing the truth about the massacre that took the lives of his family fifteen years ago. He blames one of the largest corporations in the universe and plans to get his revenge by exposing their role in the genocide. Dr. Tiergan Seoras runs a free clinic in a seedy district of the colony. When Levi is attacked one night while chasing a lead on his story, Tiergan rescues him and patches him up, and a relationship between the two is born. As Levi’s continued investigation leads him closer to the truth he seeks, it also draws him back to Tiergan’s clinic. He begins to wonder: Is Tiergan in league with the corporation that killed his family? The key appears to be hidden somewhere in Tiergan’s clinic. Levi continues to dig for answers, but when the truth is finally revealed, he realizes that the issue is bigger than he could possibly imagine and could very well lead to the death of both Levi and his lover.

A Policy of Lies is a science fiction story that reads like a thriller. There is a feeling of tension throughout the story that builds at a pace guaranteed to keep the reader hanging in suspense until the very end. The heroes are an imperfect but engaging pair, and one can’t help but root for them both even though their relationship cannot possibly survive their situation. An air of mystery surrounds Tiergan, who describes himself as a good doctor but a terrible person, and Levi struggles with the emotional fall-out that his investigation is causing him as well as a lack of self-confidence. The supporting characters are also well-developed and are crucial to the progress of the plot and not just stuck in the story as filler. With a combination of action and suspense as well as strong characterization, A Policy of Lies is well worth reading.

Reviewed by: Whitney