Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In this novel you will find a series of murders on a luxury space cruise, a happy couple whose honeymoon is unexpectedly interrupted by death and a murder accusation, a number of mysterious and secretive characters and of (sometimes jaw-dropping) plot twists, and the cutest service dog. The main characters are a smart woman (an inventor of important pieces of technology) with disabilities and her wrongly accused husband (a retired detective) , both celebrities in their own fields but trying to travel incognito, until fame and fans become the only shield against well-meaning security and other less well-meaning people, especially since interstellar connection with their absolutely hilarious and brilliant lawyer is sketchy or just not working at all. This is an uplifting, engaging story, as most characters are likeable, danger is always around the corner for everyone (including the dog!) and fascinating science is the best way to find clues and save the day. The ending is satisfying, and leaves you wishing for more Tesla & co adventures. The author is also the narrator of the audiobook and did a great job as usual.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Nothing hooked me in. It was a chore to get even as far as I did. And I cannot stomach the sickingly sweet newlywed BS that she put too much of in her Lady Astronaut series and right away in this book too. Disappointing!
A pretty enjoyable hommage to the Nick and Nora Charles-type stories. There's a lot of mayhem in this story and (to my mind) a few too many instances of "and the lights went out and a scream was heard" type of incidents. I found the villain a little unbelievable, and he was, indeed, passed over fairly quickly.
I really appreciated a heroine that kept doing what she could do well in the face of PTSD and chronic pain. I also always like it when a married couple loves each other, and isn't shy of showing it.
And there's a Very Good Dog -- always a plus in my book.
And if you're interested in cocktails recipes, with or without alcohol, there's a different one at each chapter head.
It's a quick read -- I read it in a day.
3.5 stars rounded up to four.
I really appreciated a heroine that kept doing what she could do well in the face of PTSD and chronic pain. I also always like it when a married couple loves each other, and isn't shy of showing it.
And there's a Very Good Dog -- always a plus in my book.
And if you're interested in cocktails recipes, with or without alcohol, there's a different one at each chapter head.
It's a quick read -- I read it in a day.
3.5 stars rounded up to four.
3 stars
Nominee: 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Nominee: 2023 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
___
TL;DR Murder mystery in space. Loved the characters. Iffy on the actual murder mystery.
This is apparently inspired by the classic detective novel “The Thin Man,” which I have not yet read. Perhaps fans of the original might enjoy this a bit more. In “The Spare Man”, billionaire Tesla Crane and her new husband are on a cruise ship to Mars when passengers start dropping dead. When her new husband is accused of murder, Tesla brings all her privilege to bear in order to exonerate him.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I loved the billionaire Karen protagonist. Despite her willingness to browbeat everyone with her wealth and prestige, Tesla seems to care deeply about the consequences of inequality and the fact that other characters would not be able to behave as she does. She is also living with chronic pain and PTSD, but none of these illnesses define her character.
On the other hand, the murder mystery was not my favorite. There were far too many red herrings, which made the ending muddled and not very satisfying. There were a bunch of detective novel cliches in the final few chapters. Perhaps they were meant as an homage to the genre, but it felt too much like a farce and not enough like a serious reveal, especially given the body count.
Nominee: 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Nominee: 2023 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
___
TL;DR Murder mystery in space. Loved the characters. Iffy on the actual murder mystery.
This is apparently inspired by the classic detective novel “The Thin Man,” which I have not yet read. Perhaps fans of the original might enjoy this a bit more. In “The Spare Man”, billionaire Tesla Crane and her new husband are on a cruise ship to Mars when passengers start dropping dead. When her new husband is accused of murder, Tesla brings all her privilege to bear in order to exonerate him.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I loved the billionaire Karen protagonist. Despite her willingness to browbeat everyone with her wealth and prestige, Tesla seems to care deeply about the consequences of inequality and the fact that other characters would not be able to behave as she does. She is also living with chronic pain and PTSD, but none of these illnesses define her character.
On the other hand, the murder mystery was not my favorite. There were far too many red herrings, which made the ending muddled and not very satisfying. There were a bunch of detective novel cliches in the final few chapters. Perhaps they were meant as an homage to the genre, but it felt too much like a farce and not enough like a serious reveal, especially given the body count.
I loved so many of the details (such as the fiber art references and the diversity of characters) but the story overall was frustrating because it relied very heavily on the trope of "main characters repeatedly do stupid things but if they hadn't the villain would have escaped". So all in all, I had a fun time reading it, but it's not likely one I'll revisit.
slow-paced
This is a space version of arch little couple sleuth mysteries set during the 1920s, and I don't care for it. I do like that the book acknowledges non-binary identities, and that's the only good thing I can say about it.
I LOVE every single book in the Lady Astronauts series so I was excited to listen to this one as an audiobook. I was disappointed that I never really got into the story. Not sure if it was bc it was an audiobook but I never quite got that interested in the mystery. I liked a lot of individual elements of this book but the plot and pacing were big misses for me