eandrews80 's review for:

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

2.75

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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There were aspects of this I liked -- mostly Gimlet, a Westie who serves as the main character's service dog, as well as a grumpy security officer named Maria Piper -- but on the whole, Kowal is trying way too hard here.  The whole thing came off as a little bit twee; the mystery was hard to follow; and while I really appreciate a main character with chronic pain and disability, her struggles took up WAY too much of the book and pulled focus from what's supposed to be a light-hearted murder mystery.