Bright City, Shattered

Available in: paperback & ebook
Genre: Mystery, Retrofuturism
Release date: June 30, 2025
Publisher: Polymath Press

Click here of a list of content warnings

Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Grief
Minor: Suicide ideation (mentioned), Gaslighting, Loss of a limb (mentioned)

Reine just started her job as head of security at Clean Crystal Corporation (C3) when Isaline, a brilliant technician and the CEO’s niece, is found dead in the crystal’s Core Room. Chief Executive Max Caldwell and Detective Inspector Novau are convinced Isaline was murdered by another employee, dismissing theories of a safety accident. They claim the crystal, powering Bright City’s clean energy, is harmless. But Reine, haunted by Isaline’s fear when she warned her away from the crystal, suspects otherwise.

Isaline knew something, and Reine is determined to uncover the truth. The problem is: she needs her job at C3 to support her family, and Max Caldwell won’t tolerate Reine’s eagerness to investigate Isaline’s death as a potential accident.

A retro-futurist vision of life in an isolated metropolis, Bright City, Shattered is a gripping mystery of lies, loyalty, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

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Artwork commissioned for Bright City, Shattered, representing the protagonist and some key elements of the story.

Artist: Morgan Wodring