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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
As a spoof on The Thin Man, this works well. On its own, the main character is an entitled princess who throws her weight around in an annoying way.
I don't quite know how to describe my issues except that it was "fine." I felt jolted out of the story by lots of worldbuilding choices that felt either weirdly modern (versus futuristic) or just plain flat. I don't think it helps that the world building and character development in the beginning is a massive dump of information. It made for a dull start.
I will also admit that I kept getting jolted out of the story by one of my pet peeves: folks who are in serious pain/injured but for some reason repeatedly want to have sex. I've only read Kowal's Lady Astronaut series, so I know she writes some seriously horny characters (I like it in that series, it seemed sweet to see adults in a long-established relationship still wanting each other), but it really did not work for me here. I find it hard to believe that one adult with a back that is screaming in agony (hi, I have chronic shoulder, neck, and back pain - ask me what sounds like a horrible idea when they're acting up) despite a futuristic pain control mechanism and one adult who is gasping and wincing in every scene over an injured rib. Every time they flirted about "going back to their room" I want to say "To lie down?! Right?! RIGHT?!"
The mystery was fine. It's a locked room mystery, which I find can be hit or miss for me. In general, this one just wasn't "off the wall" enough for me considering I'm reading spec fic, not a straightforward mystery. The bad guys were easy to determine long before the finale, but in general that doesn't bother me a ton because a well-written novel should set you up for that. It just didn't leave much mystery behind. I think that's my issue throughout the book. Things were so obviously laid out with the disability awareness, queer awareness, mystery set up. It just didn't make for a particularly fun, flowy read for me.
I think that if the characters and world building had felt more removed (as in more futuristic) from modern sensibilities and hot button topics, I'd have enjoyed it more. The Murderbot Diaries is an example of similar series expressly showing certain modern sensibilities (varying pronouns, queer relationships, etc.) that aren't necessarily super removed from current progressive values. The difference for me is that the Diaries manage to promote/normalize these same values without making it so obvious that it feels frustratingly patronizing. It's not that I don't like or want these things. It just feels really poorly done here.
I will also admit that I kept getting jolted out of the story by one of my pet peeves: folks who are in serious pain/injured but for some reason repeatedly want to have sex. I've only read Kowal's Lady Astronaut series, so I know she writes some seriously horny characters (I like it in that series, it seemed sweet to see adults in a long-established relationship still wanting each other), but it really did not work for me here. I find it hard to believe that one adult with a back that is screaming in agony (hi, I have chronic shoulder, neck, and back pain - ask me what sounds like a horrible idea when they're acting up) despite a futuristic pain control mechanism and one adult who is gasping and wincing in every scene over an injured rib. Every time they flirted about "going back to their room" I want to say "To lie down?! Right?! RIGHT?!"
The mystery was fine. It's a locked room mystery, which I find can be hit or miss for me. In general, this one just wasn't "off the wall" enough for me considering I'm reading spec fic, not a straightforward mystery. The bad guys were easy to determine long before the finale, but in general that doesn't bother me a ton because a well-written novel should set you up for that. It just didn't leave much mystery behind. I think that's my issue throughout the book. Things were so obviously laid out with the disability awareness, queer awareness, mystery set up. It just didn't make for a particularly fun, flowy read for me.
I think that if the characters and world building had felt more removed (as in more futuristic) from modern sensibilities and hot button topics, I'd have enjoyed it more. The Murderbot Diaries is an example of similar series expressly showing certain modern sensibilities (varying pronouns, queer relationships, etc.) that aren't necessarily super removed from current progressive values. The difference for me is that the Diaries manage to promote/normalize these same values without making it so obvious that it feels frustratingly patronizing. It's not that I don't like or want these things. It just feels really poorly done here.
Her novels are always just slightly different enough to be more interesting than I expect - putting a Nick and Nora Charles type story onto a luxury liner in space was really delightful.
(2.5/5) Murder aboard a cruise ship – a space ship bound for Mars, that is. Inventor and heiress Tesla Crane is on her honeymoon with her new spouse, detective Shal Steward. When a fellow passenger is found dead and Shal becomes the prime suspect, Tesla must uncover the real murderer, alongside her adorable dog Gimlet. Unfortunately, Murder on the Orient Express this is not.
First, the good: I appreciated the disability representation, where Tesla's PTSD and chronic pain are part and parcel of her daily experience. The way her invisible disabilities are treated by others was, unfortunately, also realistically portrayed. I also enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the way gender and race was treated.
Beyond that, I found this locked-room mystery deeply uncompelling and frankly, a slog to get through. Not a lot happens, and there is a real dearth of suspects for most of the novel. There are plenty of deeply frustrating and incompetent characters, but that doesn't make them viable murderers. Beyond that, most of the characters aside from Tesla and Shel were either poorly fleshed out or incredibly one-dimensional. So many of them felt interchangeable, which is a problem when trying to suss out who the perpetrator is. Overall, this was not a particularly engaging mystery, and failed to keep me invested in finding out the ending.
First, the good: I appreciated the disability representation, where Tesla's PTSD and chronic pain are part and parcel of her daily experience. The way her invisible disabilities are treated by others was, unfortunately, also realistically portrayed. I also enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the way gender and race was treated.
Beyond that, I found this locked-room mystery deeply uncompelling and frankly, a slog to get through. Not a lot happens, and there is a real dearth of suspects for most of the novel. There are plenty of deeply frustrating and incompetent characters, but that doesn't make them viable murderers. Beyond that, most of the characters aside from Tesla and Shel were either poorly fleshed out or incredibly one-dimensional. So many of them felt interchangeable, which is a problem when trying to suss out who the perpetrator is. Overall, this was not a particularly engaging mystery, and failed to keep me invested in finding out the ending.
If this is what the future looks like, I'm not looking forward to it. Society has progressed on gender issues to the point where everyone offers their pronouns when they tell you their names and no one bats an eye at non-binary people, and race is a non-issue, but the dichotomy between the superrich and everyone else is just as sharp as ever. It's a confirmation of the pseudo-populists' worst nightmare about us "woke" people. No thanks!
Now, I grant that the setup is an homage to classic "rich people on an island" murder mysteries (with the spaceship taking the place of the island), and specifically to [b:The Thin Man|80616|The Thin Man|Dashiell Hammett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1321111302l/80616._SY75_.jpg|1336952]. But Nick and Nora were nearly insufferable, too, and only the humanity that the actors in the movie gave to them made them interesting at all. The characters here, including our heroes, are caricatures...all except the dog.
The science fiction elements of the book were clever: how they dealt with varying gravity on the ship, and the way that the time delay in communications between the lawyer back on earth and her clients on the ship affects the plot.
Now, I grant that the setup is an homage to classic "rich people on an island" murder mysteries (with the spaceship taking the place of the island), and specifically to [b:The Thin Man|80616|The Thin Man|Dashiell Hammett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1321111302l/80616._SY75_.jpg|1336952]. But Nick and Nora were nearly insufferable, too, and only the humanity that the actors in the movie gave to them made them interesting at all. The characters here, including our heroes, are caricatures...all except the dog.
The science fiction elements of the book were clever: how they dealt with varying gravity on the ship, and the way that the time delay in communications between the lawyer back on earth and her clients on the ship affects the plot.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I enjoyed this. It was nice escapism and a fun mystery, but it's not as good as the Lady Astronaut books.
While I enjoyed the mystery, I felt that the end was rushed and we didn't get enough explanation of the whys and wherefores. I also think that the mystery in The Relentless Moon was much more engaging and much better executed than this one.
I was a bit lost as regards the world as well. I got vaguely Japanese-inspired, but that's all. I didn't 'see' it all that well. That could just be a 'me' thing. I was also put off by all the cocktails. That's definitely a 'me' thing, since I don't drink.
I do think that Gimlet is the second best dog in the world, though (after my own puppy, of course), and I would read more from this trio of sleuths in the future.
While I enjoyed the mystery, I felt that the end was rushed and we didn't get enough explanation of the whys and wherefores. I also think that the mystery in The Relentless Moon was much more engaging and much better executed than this one.
I was a bit lost as regards the world as well. I got vaguely Japanese-inspired, but that's all. I didn't 'see' it all that well. That could just be a 'me' thing. I was also put off by all the cocktails. That's definitely a 'me' thing, since I don't drink.
I do think that Gimlet is the second best dog in the world, though (after my own puppy, of course), and I would read more from this trio of sleuths in the future.
"The Spare Man" is a very pleasant diversion, with what I consider a lighter murder mystery (no gore in this novel, thank you!) in a SFF alt world. The protagonist, Tesla Crane, is the ingenious and physically disabled daughter of a wealthy family. She deals with chronic pain, which made her very relatable for me, personally. Tesla is newly married and hopes she's traveling incognito but no sooner is her honeymoon started than it is disrupted when her shiny new husband is charged with murdering someone on their space cruise. While I enjoyed Tesla, the secondary characters, and the cocktail recipes that head up (and give the tone for) each chapter of the novel, I ADORED Gimlet, Tesla's terrier. MRK loves animals and it totally shines through in Gimlet, who the reader will want to take right out of this novel.
Written during the pandemic, this novel is different in tone from Kowal's more recent work but the character development and care that she puts into all her novels shines through in here. It is, as I say, a very pleasant diversion.
__________________________________________
Pre-Release review, which I'm including here because I was so ticked off by people who could not possibly have read this book in February 2021 giving one star:
I was a beta reader for this novel, which I'm sure will be very well-received. Inspired by the Dashiell Hammett novel "The Thin Man" and film of the same title, this is a fun suspense novel set on an interplanetary cruise vessel. It has plenty of diversion and funny elements to it, making it a very enjoyable murder mystery.
Unlike mean-spirited people who hide behind private profiles and then one star a book they either haven't read or haven't read the finished version of, I will not assign a rating until closer to the release date.
Written during the pandemic, this novel is different in tone from Kowal's more recent work but the character development and care that she puts into all her novels shines through in here. It is, as I say, a very pleasant diversion.
__________________________________________
Pre-Release review, which I'm including here because I was so ticked off by people who could not possibly have read this book in February 2021 giving one star:
I was a beta reader for this novel, which I'm sure will be very well-received. Inspired by the Dashiell Hammett novel "The Thin Man" and film of the same title, this is a fun suspense novel set on an interplanetary cruise vessel. It has plenty of diversion and funny elements to it, making it a very enjoyable murder mystery.
Unlike mean-spirited people who hide behind private profiles and then one star a book they either haven't read or haven't read the finished version of, I will not assign a rating until closer to the release date.
The Thin Man en el espacio
Ella, Él y Asta bebiendo cocktails sin parar mientras resuelven un crimen en un crucero espacial, no se me ocurre nada más divertido.
Ella, Él y Asta bebiendo cocktails sin parar mientras resuelven un crimen en un crucero espacial, no se me ocurre nada más divertido.