Hi Ficbot - A very nice read, I quite enjoyed it. I think I'd enjoy more about Hel&Kip. A few minor copy-edit misses didn't spoil it. BTW - have you heard of the Toronto Library's Writer in Residence program? Here:
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/pro_wir.jsp - hmm, cut&paste, not click - oh, well --- She could give better advice than I ever could. Anyway, from the distance of SciFi, a lot of mysteries look like romances :-)