Ark! A novle approaches!

[gridlore]

The Ark by Patrick S. Tomlinson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a serviceable novel, using the old "last remnants of humanity are fleeing a dead Earth" trope to frame a murder mystery. Detective Bryan Benson got the job after retiring from the Ark's main spectator sport, Zero, a ball game played in zero-g. Normally, the police forces on the Ark don't have much to do.

But a missing member of the crew leads Benson down a path of intrigue and cover-ups, climaxing in a plot to end the Ark before it can reach Tau Ceti G. It's not a convoluted plot, and there are plenty of scenes where Benson is basically led by the nose, but it works as light detective fiction.

My big problem was the lack of development of some important characters. Benson's fellow constable and clandestine girlfriend is barely expanded beyond the bare-bones we need for her to operate. Another hundred pages would have allowed for more character development. I see what Tomlinson was going for, a sort of noir detective thriller, but those depend on strong characters, and it kind of failed here.

The ending hangs several interesting questions for the next books, so I'll be picking them up. But do not expect a great, deep SF novel, This is a fun detective story.



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