Very Bad Deaths

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars. having read a good handful of Spider Robinson's writing, I really enjoy his writing style, even though a couple of his books were disappointing. This one... hmm. It wasn't among his best work, but it honestly isn't bad, which is why I gave it 3.5 stars. I really liked the s......more

Robinson wowed me with Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, a collection of short stories, many years ago. Unfortunately, he hasn't done so since then. I occasionally try to find the magic, but it isn't there. Wasn't this time, either. An interesting, quite imaginative story, but he dragged it out way too l......more

Think Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, and A Stir of Echoes. A columnist, a Constable Friendly, and a ghost try to capture a serial killer in Canada. Tons of dialogue, and therein, information dumps. Pretty good. A little more entertaining than average, but my socks are still on.......more

Although he's an excellent writer, Robinson's work sometimes tends to suffer from such an over-abundance of syrupy-sweetness that it has to be taken in small doses. This novel, a crime-procedural, is something of a departure for him in that regard, and is enjoyable except for the plot depending on s......more