The House on Utopia Way is a novel written by Stefan Mohamed, blending together surrealism and neo-noir, enveloped in a case of urban fantasy. A setting where buildings shift and memories fade, a city whose quarters are more like independent patches just put together, and in the middle, a detective, Johnny Orange, that is different, as he seems to be one of the few people that can deal with truths and certainty, in a plot that plays to its strengths to take the reader into a memorable journey.

A novel that starts with a subversion of a classic noir trope with a pinch of humour, setting the surrealism we can expect on the novel: a dame entering in a detective office, asking him to investigate a disappearing; however, due to the changing nature of this city, Johnny will need to first discover if this person ever existed. This marks the start of an adventure that also includes several sub-quests across the city, that like in a RPG will bring valuable perks to Johnny; a plot that grows from a simple investigation over a disappearing to even try to defy the nature of the city, with several actors involved, taking us into a literal journey all narrated through the eyes of an unreliable main character such as Johnny.

I don't think there's another way to describe the characters as intriguing and picturesque in a certain way; from the own dame that hires Johnny, to the robot who has decided to pass the life with a human boyfriend, or even that own person that has disappeared. All of them constitute part of the rich and broken tapestry that the unnamed city represents, acting as pieces which help the narrative to pivot.

Mohamed takes a subversive approach to the narration, playing heavily with the figure of a reality whose limits are blurred, a fluid that adapts to the form it gets; all sprinkled with references and doses of humour that makes this a really enjoyable read. Don't get me wrong, it will feel confusing at moments, but that's part of why this novel is excellent; it's confusing by design, because that's the nature of the setting, adding an extra complexity layer to the labour of Johnny.
The pacing is well balanced, alternating slower parts with more action focused ones, following a scheme that allows you to recover the breath; the prose is tight, precise.

The House on Utopia Way is a difficult to define novel, but regardless of how you classify it, I can only say that is an excellent proposal, a subversive take on the noir genre that will delight any reader that wants a novel that will stay with you even after the ending. I'm really curious to see if we will return any time to the city, because I feel it is a setting that gives place to many stories, and Johnny's is just one of them!