Jean le Flambeur is a man of many identities, crimes, and heists as he is a master thief who is the stuff of legends. He has been out of commission since serving time in the Dilemma Prison where games are played in an endless cycle of life and death. The monotony is enough to drive Jean nuts but it’s broken when Mieli and her benefactor break him out of prison. This isn’t an act of kindness but part of a larger plan that they have for him regardless of Jean’s opinion.
As the plan begins to unfold, Mieli takes Jean to Mars. Time is king on Mars where it is treasured more than gold and the minutes are counted literally because when time is up the person just drops. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t die before your time. When a local chocolatier is murdered, wonder boy Isidore Beautrelet is called to solve the case which leads to something much bigger – to investigate Jean himself.
Complicated yet simple the The Quantum Thief has all the trappings of the future with multiple existences, thinking ships, and shared memories, but it also intertwines the basic stories of Jean, Mieli, and Isidore. This science fiction novel is the first in an intriguing new series by Hannu Rajaniemi.