Protektor

Protektor, Charles Platt, Avonova, 1996

The pleasure plant of Agroima is the place where citizens of the 100,000-planet Protektorate go to party and otherwise let themselves go in all senses of the term. That is, until someone sends a very contagious virus into the system which causes, for instance, the lights to go out, and burning debris from mid-air crashes to rain down on the ground. Protektor Tom McCray, a sort of interplanetary troubleshooter with total authority, has very little time to find the source.

The Protektorate is the sort of place where citizens are biologically immortal, there is no need for anyone to work, and smart machines fulfill every need, breeding the independence out of humanity. The planet is quarantined, to prevent the virus from spreading to other planets, leaving McCray on his own. Not completely alone, he does get help from Eva Kurimoto, a local reporter.

Set in the 2600s, when everyone has bio-implants of some sort, this novel is especially recommended for those who can't get enough cyberpunk in their daily reading. It's also recommended for those who like good writing and a good mystery.