What Lies Through The Smoke by C. C. Ford, released in 2025, is a debut novel that introduces readers to a world of dieselpunk vibes, a term I had never even heard before reading this book (in contrast to steampunk). The easiest comparison I can make is that it feels a little like Blade Runner mixed with a hard-boiled noir, with a hint of dystopian fiction like Snow Crash. It is gritty, smoky, industrial, and full of towering skyscrapers, blimps, hoverbikes, corrupt elites, and rain-soaked streets.
More than anything else, though, this is simply a very fun book to read. It is not overly concerned with being philosophical or literary; instead, it focuses on delivering a thrilling ride with strong atmosphere, action, mystery, and intrigue. It also feels like the start of a larger series, with enough unanswered questions and unexplored worldbuilding to leave you wanting more.
The story primarily follows Detective Harry Quinn, a weary, alcoholic detective living in the sprawling Smoke City. Early on, Harry is called to investigate the murder of Lucius Volster, the wealthy CEO of the Volster Corporation, who is found dead in his office with strange cult markings surrounding the crime scene. The case soon becomes tied to a mysterious underground cult known as the Children of the Smoke.
Alongside Lucius Volster’s intelligent and enigmatic daughter, Victoria, Harry begins uncovering a conspiracy buried deep within the city’s polluted underworld. The novel quickly establishes its tone through Harry himself, a cynical but good-hearted detective trying to survive in a dishonest city, deeply divided between the wealthy elite living above the clouds and the poor trapped beneath them. It’s the type of book where twists and turns are waiting around every corner.
One thing I appreciated immediately is that the book does not waste time. From the opening chapter, Harry is already being called to investigate the murder, and the story moves quickly from there. The world itself is genuinely interesting: futuristic highways cut through enormous towers, blimps float between skyscrapers, revolvers and diesel-powered machinery dominate the aesthetic, and the undercity feels oppressive . The city has a fantastic sense of style, and throughout the novel I kept thinking how well the dieselpunk aesthetic would translate into a film or television series.
At the same time, the worldbuilding is surprisingly restrained. Ford does not spend pages and pages explaining the setting. Instead, the world is mostly explored through the plot itself and Harry’s investigation. Part of me actually wished the book spent even more time exploring the city and lore, because Smoke City feels full of fascinating ideas, especially the class divide between the wealthy tower dwellers and the desperate citizens trapped in the undercity beneath the fog. Still, there’s enough there to make it feel like a real place.
Many of the tower dwellers had never seen grass nor any other kind of flora, unless it was on a picture screen or on an old painting.
The strongest aspect of the novel is probably the relationship between Harry and Victoria. Initially, Harry wants very little to do with her. However, as the investigation progresses and they leave the city on a mission, the two gradually develop a bond. Nonetheless, there is an underlying tension throughout the story where you wonder whether she is hiding something. Their partnership becomes the emotional core of the novel, and at times you get the sense of possible romantic feelings developing between them.
The pacing throughout the novel is excellent. There is a very satisfying balance between detective work, worldbuilding, dialogue, and action scenes. Harry’s revolver feels almost like an extension of his character, and many of the action sequences are written with a cinematic intensity.
The mystery surrounding the Children of the Smoke is interesting from the beginning. The cult itself feels unsettling, a secretive movement emerging from the undercity, made up of people who supposedly grew up never seeing sunlight beneath the endless industrial fog. The further Harry investigates, the larger the conspiracy becomes, eventually leading to hidden bunkers, violent confrontations and tense action scenes.
The cultist positioned herself in front of the crucified figure, cleared her throat and said, “Smoke City is a disease. Its people are oppressed and suffering unnecessarily so the rich can continue to live their perfect lifestyles in the safety of their concrete triumphs. We now have an opportunity to upset this balance of power and start anew.”
The novel also has a surprisingly emotional side beneath all the action and noir aesthetics. Harry is still haunted by the death of his wife Caroline, whose murder continues to affect him deeply. Some of the book’s strongest moments are not the shootouts or reveals, but Harry’s feelings of grief over that. His obsession with uncovering the truth behind Caroline’s death helps make him more relatable, even if the dead wife is a bit of a cliché in detective fiction.
If I had to give constructive feedback, it would simply be that the setting occasionally feels like the plot could become even more original than its noir inspirations. At times the story leans heavily into familiar detective tropes, the cynical detective, corrupt elites, mysterious femme-fatales, shadowy cults. But honestly, it executes those tropes so compellingly that it is difficult to complain too much. The book knows exactly what it wants to be and succeeds at it.
Overall, What Lies Through The Smoke is a very strong debut novel. It is stylish, fast-paced, cinematic, and entertaining throughout. The ending is satisfying while also setting up future sequels and further mysteries within Smoke City. If you enjoy noir detective stories, dieselpunk aesthetics, or atmospheric noir thrillers with strong pacing and action, this one is definitely worth checking out.
Final verdict: For fans of Raymond Chandler, Philip K. Dick and Neal Stephenson, What Lies Through The Smoke is, quite simply, a pacey, atmospheric, and enormously fun debut. Precisely the sort of book one boards a long flight hoping to find in one’s bag.
You can get your copy of What Lies Through Smoke or read for free on Kindle Unlimited here!
