In futuristic Birmingham, England, young Luke Harding has passed rigid examinations to become the youngest forensic investigator to graduate from his Authorities-controlled school set within a socially engineered commu nity. His partner in detection is the mobile robot system, Malc, an acronym for a Mobile Aid to Law and Crime. Malc is capable of both instant and com plex data collection and processing as well as deadpan literal comprehension. When three murders at the school appear to implicate Luke himself, he must use his own deductive skills and those of this technical sidekick to identify a killer who appears to be framing him. First book in the Traces series. 2006 USBBY-CBC Outstanding International Books List, American Library Associa tion Quick Picks for Young Adults. nlr

Originally published by Kingfisher Great Britain, in 2005.