I was interested in this book because it is SF and mystery combined. The story is set in the future and the POV, Jack Stein, is a psychic investigator (he picks up vibes, and has dreams). He is a typical down and out, solitary, noir-ish character.

The setting is an interesting outgrowth of a trend today, the gated community. It becomes so insular that everything needed is encapsulated in it, and with the advent of nano-tech, it becomes a growing and self-perpetuating entity. There are echoes of the City of Levels in the Chung Kuo series.

It is called the Locality and it has degrees of innovation and newness which correspond to price. There is New, where everything is shiny and fresh, and up to the minute in trends. Then there is Middle where the older New has been displaced, and finally Old where everything is falling apart, poorly maintained and soon to be re-absorbed. Stein lives on the Old side of Middle because its what he can afford. Of course he can hop the trans for the parks and shops of New when he needs a break. The Locality programs 'outside scenes' so that no one ever has to think about reality.

Jack is hired by a big company to look into the disappearance of a group of miners on a far away planet. The problem being that they are not sharing everything or really cooperating in the search for the miners and the truth.

There are multiples players, all with their own hidden agenda, and Jack has to figure out what happened, why, who did it, and who is blocking the investigation.

There are interesting side characters, and Jack picks up a teenage ward when a crony of his is killed. Billie adds a good touch to the story.

Jack looks into various metaphysical and mathematical theories to explain the vanishing of the miners. It is interesting, but doesn't bog down the story.

I liked the writing, the setting, and the characters. I have the rest of the series and will continue reading. ( )

Jack Stein, Psychic Investigator. It's a great hook, and Caselberg brings in some wonderful ideas over the course of his debut novel Wyrmhole.

Stein is hired to investigate the disappearance of a miner. He's also hired to learn more about a lost handipad (PDA) that comes into his possession. Naturally, the cases are related, leading him into a web of business deals and betrayals.

I wanted this book to be more than it was. I never felt all that connected to the protagonist, or to any of the characters, really. The plot also felt a bit forced. Of Stein's psychic abilities, Caselberg writes, "Things didn't happen by chance to Jack Stein. Coincidence was always loaded. Events seemed to coalesce around Jack." Unfortunately, that means the plot relies pretty heavily on these coincidences, which strains the credulity of the reader.

One of the most fascinating concepts for me was the Locality, the self-contained city which constantly rebuilds itself, leaving the old portion to fall into decay and ruin. Thematically, it was a powerful symbol, in addition to being a downright nifty idea. I hope he does more with it in future books.

I did finish the book, and I was relatively satisfied at the end. As a first novel, it's not bad, and Caselberg clearly has a great deal of potential. I just don't think this book completely fulfills that potential. ( )