phonner reviewed The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Review of The Spare Man
4 stars
Some compelling elements, but as a murder-mystery there's a bit too much "Why are they doing this?" and, ultimately, an unsatisfying conclusion.
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published July 19, 2022 by Tor Books.
Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling—and keep the real killer from striking again.
Some compelling elements, but as a murder-mystery there's a bit too much "Why are they doing this?" and, ultimately, an unsatisfying conclusion.