Book Review: The Spare Man

Versatility is desirable in many contexts. These will be dated sports references, because I don’t pay for cable and am increasingly out of touch with The Sports. So, assume the best 2005 – 2015 version of each of these examples, please and thank you. One of the reasons the Patriots dominated football for 20 years was because they rarely had a weakness. They might not have had the impenetrable defense of the Ray Lewis Ravens, the passing game of the Manning-era Colts, or the ground-n-pound running of the Beast Mode Seahawks, but they were almost as good at all of the above.

This review marks my third by Mary Robinette-Kowal. She isn’t my favorite author, and probably never will be, but like the Pats, there are no holes in her game, and her crisp, clever writing has a broad appeal. Both my wife and I enjoy her light fantasy-romance mysteries, making them the ideal choice for our summer road trips.

Let’s talk about it.

The Basics:

Title: The Spare Man
Author: Mary Robinette-Kowal
Genre: science fiction, mystery, romance
Published: MacMillan, 2021

Spoiler-Free Summary:

Tesla Crane is the most down-on-her-luck filthy rich newly married heiress you could ever hope to meet. A tragic lab accident forced her from her passion in the engineering lab to the boredom of the boardroom. If that wasn’t enough, it left her with debilitating back pain and anxiety. She navigates the world with a futuristic internal pain (and, sadly, all feeling) suppressor, her adorable medical alert dog, and her supportive new husband.

Their honeymoon cruise to Mars takes a dark turn when Tesla’s husband is accused of murder . The misunderstanding seems like it should be simple to clear up… until Tesla and co are confined to their rooms, cut off from their friends, lawyers, and the ever-present internet. It soon becomes apparent that passengers and crew alike are involved in a deadly conspiracy, and Tesla is a pawn in their game.

She faces these dangers in the isolation of empty space with wit, charm, and an adorable, distracting terrier.

Why This Book is For You:

Every chapter starts with a cocktail recipe. For someone out there, that may be reason enough to spend an audible credit. The variety of offerings alternately intrigued and confused me.

If you’re into cute animal sidekicks, this is the book for you. Gimlet the medical alert terrier is an ever-present plot vehicle. I look forward to her exciting spin-off series. Indeed, there are no small characters on this cruise, from the knitting angry lawyer to the ‘totally soaked’ bartender.

True to brand, MRK writes Tesla as an interesting, flawed, strong female character in a typically male-dominated spaces (she is an engineer and our resident amateur detective/paranoia thriller protagonist). I had my doubts about how much I would enjoy living in the head of a billionaire, but it took less than a chapter of wit and sass for those walls to come crashing down.

If you’re looking for a fun sci-fi thriller with a dash of romance and old-school noir mystery energy, check out The Spare Man.

Where Can You Find More?

More Murray’s Bookshelf reviews from MRK: Ghost Talkers, The Calculating Stars, The Fated Sky.

Happy reading, folks.