Dragonflies by Andy Straka

Dragonflies has some interesting possibilities involving  micro-drones that can be flown by computer and are so small they can easily navigate within buildings and be docked on a light fixture (for example).  A perfect addition to a spy's arsenal.  The tiny drones could be used by law enforcement, by those engaging in industrial espionage, by governments, or by terrorists.  Certainly gives rise to more ethical and moral questions concerning technology and its uses.

In the novel, a rather mysterious agency (is it really a private investigative agency, or something more?) has been hired to catch a college rapist.  Sort of.  Actually, the young man's father has hired the agency, but  he wants his son stopped before is caught and the media get the story.  He does not want his son prosecuted; his only concern is bad publicity.

 Raina Sanchez and Tye Palmer are ex-military, but are barely developed and seem more like silhouettes than real people.  

Are there two government agencies in play here?  At least one other agency is interested in the drones and in Raina, who pilots them, but both agencies are vague.  Same is true of Nathan Kurn  (the father of the rapist) and his power and influence.

An interesting concept, plenty of action in a short space; however, it is another one of those books that seem to have been chopped into 3 (or more) parts to enable a series.  The book skims the surface in characterization, theme, and plot-- more a novella than a book.  I didn't realize that this was a "to be continued" read and was unhappy to find a cliffhanger, not a resolution.

Overall, I rate this one a miss.  

OK--I just read that this has been optioned for a television series, which explains why it was so short and ends in a cliffhanger.  Still, I don't want to read episodes of a television series under the guise of a book.

NetGalley/LLW Media

Science Fiction/Thriller.  2013.  Print version:  144 pages.