This is touted as a take on Sherlock Holmes, though it wasn't as Holmesian a mystery as I thought it'd be. Instead, it was more of a slow-burn thrilleThis is touted as a take on Sherlock Holmes, though it wasn't as Holmesian a mystery as I thought it'd be. Instead, it was more of a slow-burn thriller involving a conspiracy surrounding another veteran's death that our narrator Janet Watson stumbles upon. Watson herself was fantastic, a vet with PTSD who lost her arm in Illinois (oh yeah, it's a not-too-distant dystopia where a New Confederacy has arisen). Holmes was annoying, but appropriately so for her origin point....more
Retroactive Review (12 Sep 2021): Please see my review of the series here under the first volume.Retroactive Review (12 Sep 2021): Please see my review of the series here under the first volume....more
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book that elevated it above its precursors was the lack of the issues I complained about with the first One of the things I really enjoyed about this book that elevated it above its precursors was the lack of the issues I complained about with the first two (the time skips in the first novella and the main romance in the second).
Here we get an interesting mystery, spearheaded by a disillusioned investigator and told through letters, transcripts, and journals. I thought it was well done, and we finally got a revelation about the antagonist....more
This was a fun novella set in the same world as the author's story "A Dead Djinn in Cairo," though following a different agent of the Ministry of AlchThis was a fun novella set in the same world as the author's story "A Dead Djinn in Cairo," though following a different agent of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. Hamed and his partner Onsi were quite fun to follow as they tried to figure out how to exorcise the spirit haunting a tram car....more
This was a fantastic surprise! Ed wakes up to news that his father is dead in an alley in Chicago, and he hooks up with his carney Uncle Am to track dThis was a fantastic surprise! Ed wakes up to news that his father is dead in an alley in Chicago, and he hooks up with his carney Uncle Am to track down who done it. One of the things I loved is that it's really well-plotted and paced, but also just how much I loved the voice of Ed. I was not expecting a mystery like this to also be somehow a great coming of age story, especially with the surprisingly relevant character study of Ed's father. I'd recommend this to almost anyone who loves mysteries....more
I've only read a few stories by Sarah Pinsker before, two of which were included in this collection. Now having read this, I can say that I really, reI've only read a few stories by Sarah Pinsker before, two of which were included in this collection. Now having read this, I can say that I really, really like Sarah's work. In this book, there was only one story (out of thirteen) that I wasn't exactly fond of, and a full half of these were stories I loved. They're all SF or fantasy stories, though several add historical bents (and one of my favorites adds a murder mystery).
I won't mention every story, but I do want to mention my favorites: "And Then There Were (N-One)" (murder mystery at a convention full of Sarahs), "In Joy, Knowing the Abyss Behind" (probably the most emotional story for me), "Wind Will Rove" (really made me think about generation ships), "Our Lady of the Open Road" (just loved the setting and characters), and "The Low Hum of Her" (a golem grandma! "Bosoms," indeed). I also want to mention "A Stretch of Highway Two Lanes Wide" which was strange, but touching. The only story original to this book was "The Narwhal" which is both funny, strange, and evocative.
A lot of these stories are freely available online from their original publications, but I highly encourage people to get this collection....more
This was a fantastic debut, and I couldn't stop reading it. I love offbeat mysteries, and I'm hardpressed to think of many other mysteries more offbeaThis was a fantastic debut, and I couldn't stop reading it. I love offbeat mysteries, and I'm hardpressed to think of many other mysteries more offbeat than this one. There are definitely a few slow or frustrating moments, and some of the twists and revelations at the very end might've been over the top. That said, I would still recommend it to just about anyone, and I can't wait to discuss this with my sister who has been bugging me to read this book for almost a year now....more
An incredibly gripping SF thriller starring an NCIS agent involved in a top-secret program, and highly advanced space and time travel abounds despite An incredibly gripping SF thriller starring an NCIS agent involved in a top-secret program, and highly advanced space and time travel abounds despite being set mostly in 1997. The author uses time travel in a really interesting way, and I liked the continued revelations and understandings as I got further and further into the story. One of those stories that really make me think about my choices in life....more
This is a fun Sherlock Holmes pastiche using the elements native to the Xuya Universe: the technology, the shipminds (reminiscent of McCaffrey's brainThis is a fun Sherlock Holmes pastiche using the elements native to the Xuya Universe: the technology, the shipminds (reminiscent of McCaffrey's brainships, but weirder), and the Vietnamese-inspired space empire. This is the kind of retelling that I like.
As an aside: some of my friends may not realize unless they've read a lot more of the Xuya stories that this is alternate history in addition to being a SF mystery! Though most of the ones I've read have taken place far enough into the future that most wouldn't pick up on it unless you're obsessed with the Xuya universe and just want to own a collection of all the stories. Hint, hint, Aliette and/or her publisher!...more
Retroactive Review (12 Sep 2021): A fantasy mystery novella where the main character is a licensed "dispatcher" in a world where people who are intentRetroactive Review (12 Sep 2021): A fantasy mystery novella where the main character is a licensed "dispatcher" in a world where people who are intentionally murdered nearly always come back to life. Despite the morbidity of the topic, it's got Scalzi's usually snappy dialogue....more
Retroactive Review (11 Sep 2021) Please see my review of the series here under the first volume.Retroactive Review (11 Sep 2021) Please see my review of the series here under the first volume....more
Retroactive Review (11 Sep 2021) Please see my review of the series here under the first volume.Retroactive Review (11 Sep 2021) Please see my review of the series here under the first volume....more
Retroactive Review (11 Sep 2021): This review is for the entire series through Blacksad, Volume 5. If you can find this, give it a shot. Everyone is aRetroactive Review (11 Sep 2021): This review is for the entire series through Blacksad, Volume 5. If you can find this, give it a shot. Everyone is an anthropomorphic animal (whcih Díaz Canales uses as a stand-in for race in some of the later stories). It's set in a vaguely 1950s Red Scare version of America. ...more
The first StarBridge novel to actually wholly take place at StarBridge, we follow a strange archeological mystery and perhaps a more contemporary plotThe first StarBridge novel to actually wholly take place at StarBridge, we follow a strange archeological mystery and perhaps a more contemporary plot involved. According to the author herself, it's her first attempt at a mystery, and I think it only mostly worked--I don't think the red herrings herringed as much as they could have.
The cast was larger here, too, following four separate people, instead of the usual one or two, so it sometimes made for a scattershot narrative, but it all sort of comes together at the end. I do wish that the motivations of the antagonists were a bit different, though: (view spoiler)[they had borderline personality disorder, so they were crazy murderers; I much prefer villains who have a clearer motive, even if it's despicable (hide spoiler)]. I'm still mad about the fate of one character, though.
Its datedness is definitely showing through, but it probably won't bother most people who pick this up....more
Retroactive Review (10 Jun 2022): Just the next book of Dresden short stories. Butcher usually publishes these stories in various anthologies and evenRetroactive Review (10 Jun 2022): Just the next book of Dresden short stories. Butcher usually publishes these stories in various anthologies and eventually collects them. I imagine we'll get at least one more such book before the end of the series. One of the things I always like with these is that it will allow Butcher to explore different narrators (as the main series is only from Dresden's perspective). That can work out well, but stories like, I think, "Bombshells" really showcase some of Butcher's weakness as a writer--it was the most male-gazey story with a female narrator I've ever read. I did really like "Zoo Day," though--I'll be curious to see if some of the stuff introduced in that story make it into the main series at some point....more
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