Traces is a series of novels written by British author Malcolm Rose, about the adventures of Forensic Investigator Luke Harding and his Mobile Aid To Law And Crime, Malc.
The Traces universe is explicitly located in a future England, where the decayed and semi-abandoned South is supported and feared by the vibrant, successful North.
The country is run by the unnamed and generally benign Authorities, who remove children permanently from their parents at the age of five, to be raised in residential schools until they graduate.
In the slums of London, Luke and his robotic sidekick, Malc (Mobile Aid to Law and Crime), investigate a doctor's murder.
As more innocent victims die, pressure builds on Luke and Malc to find the culprit before the bizarre shooting spree becomes a complete massacre.
Luke Harding's third thrilling case involves a series of mysterious murders in which the victims seem to have only one thing in common -- the same name, Emily Wonder.
When a young homeless girl named Emily Wonder is reported missing, Luke and Malc rush back to the slums of London to try to save her from the murderer-and from a giant tidal wave that threatens to destroy the city.
Against the ticking clock, Luke and Malc chase all leads, including a freak electrical storm, a plane crash and several more murders.
Set in the highly competitive world of professional track and field, Luke and Malc are tested to their limits with a series of intriguing, mysterious events.