TH1RTE3N by Richard K. Morgan

Just reached the end of THIRTEEN by Richard K. Morgan. OPTCS: 08009. Strong characters frame this novel. Set in the same universe as the Kovacs books, but after MARKET FORCES, this is a much more conventional story: Genetic variant Carl Marsalis is the perennial outsider putting his life on the line for hire. But deep down he just wants to belong. When he meets Sevgi Ertekin he begins to fit in. The saga of Carl's bonding with Sevgi takes place over the course of a month during a manhunt for another genetically enhanced person. The solution to the mystery reveals a tangled web that comes upon the reader unexpectedly. There are many precursors to the Kovacs stories in this novel, and sometimes feels like a variation on the same theme; rugged highly trained assassin puts his skills to use in unexpected ways, and learns a few things about humanity and about himself. Another winner from Morgan.