Elements of the dystopian novel have been cleverly interwoven with crime fiction and murder mystery. The book focuses upon Detective DuSalle, former constable of the Western Quad in Chandler City, as well as Constable Chloe Warren, one of the city's young trainees. Throughout, DuSalle is put into compromising positions, trusting nobody. His and Chloe's stories merge in a surprising way. The story is set in an intergalactic world in a period which follows the feudal reign of the Stellar Sovereignty in Chandler City. Chandler City is one of thirty colonial outposts which were sent into deep space by the former Planetary Unity Alliance. Theirs is a world 'created by robotic hands', which is sheltered from the toxic atmosphere of the rest of the planet. This Chained City?is clever and gripping. Thompson has built up a believable world, a possible future for polluted planets and the population at large.