This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I love science fiction and every time I read it I wonder why I don't read more of it. I've enjoyed this author before so I was happy to read The Spare Man. Not only is it science fiction, set in space, but it is also a murder mystery. The main characters are well suited to handle the situation with Tesla being a tech whiz and heiress, and her new husband, Shal being a detective.

Tesla and Shal are on their honeymoon. They are trying to stay below the radar so they can relax and not have to hide from people and paparazzi. Tesla has some wigs and makes herself up with disguises. She also has her service dog, Gimlet to distract people from herself. Tesla was in an accident and has to continually deal with the pain. Otherwise, we don't learn very much about their lives as the focus is on their trip and their efforts to solve the mystery.

They come upon a murder scene. Tesla tries to save the victim, who is alive when she finds her. Shal chases the killer without success and ends up being a main suspect. Tesla works through the many connections and facts, trying to question witnesses. Her husband is held away from her by the ship security and they even beat him up. The ship security is not equipped to handle a murder investigation and have no legal ability to do so. They are not talented at evidence collection or protection of passengers either. The head of security is all ego and no brains.

Tesla and Shal, both don't trust the doctor because the victim was alive and should have been easily saved. They work separately, and together, to clear Shal and find the true killer, and there are more victims. Increasingly, I worried they would become targets of the killer.

The plot is exquisite giving us all the clues but it is not easily solved. I never believed Tesla or Shal was the killer but there were many possibilities. There were many connections between people and people with secrets who made it all the more difficult to get at the truth. I really enjoyed this mystery, set in a space ship, with the romance of a honeymoon.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I have wanted to try one of Mary Robinette Kowal’s sci-fi books for a while, as they all sounded pretty good. While the much-more-within-my-comfort-zone Glamourist Histories inexplicably didn’t work for me, I find I like what Kowal is doing with The Spare Man. She combines impeccable sci-fi world building with a compelling noir-style mystery, with a complex character at the heart.

The world is a lot of fun and really imaginative. I love the different levels of gravity and funky cruise-ship decor, really leaning into the absurd while also somehow making sense within the universe’s internal logic.

I also appreciate how inclusive and accessible the world is, and how it aids the characters, from accessible tech to aid with disabilities to a default understanding of gender and sexuality that isn’t limited by binary terms or present-day prejudices.

I love the disability rep in Tesla’s character, depicting someone who deals with chronic pain and PTSD. And the inclusion of her usage of a service dog is a nice touch as well, and I hope it will help to destigmatize their usage and demonstrate the legitimate need disabled people have for them (countering the bad actors who’ve caused many to question service dog legitimacy). Plus, Gimlet is the sweetest and steals the show every time.

It’s also refreshing that even though Tesla is disabled, it’s not a narrative about struggle…in fact, it’s the exact opposite. She’s very privileged and wealthy, and she has to reckon with that throughout. Her and her partner’s high status does impact the stakes of the mystery, as he likely won’t face the same treatment someone with less status or money would. But Tesla does try to use her position within society to help others.

Despite the dampening of stakes somewhat, there’s still a compelling mystery to be had, and I was pretty consistently engaged as it unfolded. And there are still moments of danger to put Tesla and Gimlet at risk in the process of their investigation.

This is a fun genre-bending read, and one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys sci-fi on the “softer” end of the spectrum and/or mysteries with a 1930s-noir style.

Very solid. The mystery kept me guessing, the setting was interesting, and the dog was adorable. Narrator was complex and sympathetic, while still someone I probably would find annoying in real life - that I liked her here was impressive. The included cocktail recipes were a fun touch.


Longer review from the library's blog: https://carnegiestout.org/out-of-this-world-mysteries/

Mary Robinette Kowal has long been one of my favorite authors and her most recent novel does not disappoint. Kowal draws inspiration from Dashiell Hammett’s Nick and Nora (from “The Thin Man”)—including an adorable dog named Gimlet!

The couple at the center of this mystery are the wealthy heiress engineer Tesla Crane and her retired detective husband Shal. The two have just set off on their honeymoon on a luxurious cruise ship traveling from Earth to Mars. Since both Tesla and Shal are relatively famous, they are traveling incognito to make their journey truly relaxing. But when they discover a murder victim outside of their cabin and Shal is accused of being the murderer, their anonymity is no longer a perk.

Tesla is a challenging character. The privilege of her wealth makes some of her actions very off-putting to anyone who’s ever worked customer service. But at the same time, the purpose behind her entitled attitude is to save her husband and to find a murderer. Tesla suffers from PTSD, reduced mobility, and terrible pain from a tragic laboratory accident several years ago; which is where her service dog Gimlet enters the story. As a reader, I rooted for Tesla, even as I was frustrated by how she sometimes worked against her own goals. It added a nice tension to an already excellent mystery.

One last detail, each chapter starts with a cocktail recipe (some classic, some invented by Kowal, and even some non-alcoholic). The cocktails fit the tone and setting of high-class leisure very well. I do not think there are plans to make this book into a series, though I would happily read more adventures set in this world!

I really loved this! This was so much faster paced than I was expecting--from the onset, this story pretty much never stopped running, and the constant twists and red herrings really kept me on my toes. I started and finished this story in almost 24-hours, which is rare for me to sit down and do--that's how engrossed in this story I was. I loved the setting, the mystery and the characters, and they all came together to make a really enjoyable near-future mystery. Also, the second I heard "interplanetary cruise ship" I was so unbelievably excited for this story--I nearly jumped for joy at work when I was approved to read this ARC. I admonish you to run to the stores, or internet, when this releases!

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal was covered in my Fall Book Preview, where I share a curated list of the season’s hottest new titles including the books I’ve most enjoyed, the ones I’m most looking forward to reading, and the ones the industry is most excited about. I love the writing in this stylish, high-society Murder mystery,
Our Fall Book Preview event is exclusively for members of our MMD Book Club community and What Should I Read Next Patreon “Book Lover” supporters. Our communities also received a printable of all the picks with The Spare Man's publishing info and release date included.

This is a fascinating book to review. I spent a considerable amount of time going through a process of being mildly annoyed, ruminating, then being mildly fascinated. The storyline is a fairly standard noir thriller, clearly heavily informed by Nick and Nora and other delightful mysteries from the middle of the last century. There are hijinks and twists and an adorable Westie, everything for a mystery lover, set on a luxury space cruise to Mars.

The book falls down a bit because the plot seems to be little more than a vehicle for Kowal's world-building, which, while interesting, comes across somewhat clunkily. This is a fantastic representation of living in a body with chronic pain and PTSD and a thoroughly progressive future where everyone is introduced by name and pronouns. These aspects of storytelling were interestingly jarring at first, but ultimately satisfying. However, at times it tipped perilously close to a satirical rendition--everyone in the future will have blue locs and violet or gray eyes, it seems. The main character's wealth is frequently brought in to solve any obstacle, and despite the progressive future there is only a band-aid passing comment on that aspect of privilege. Given the rest of the world-building, it only served to make her the very worst example of a preachy, wealthy liberal with whom one agrees in large part but finds utterly exhausting and disingenuous in the long run.

I do think it's a brilliant idea to introduce all people with pronouns, however. Brilliant.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

What a fun ride this was! Pretty much non-stop twists and turns to this whodunnit, with plenty of red herrings to boot. This is one of those rare books that I felt compelled to start and finish in a single day. An enjoyable mystery set in a near (or maybe not so near) future science fiction world on an upscale interplanetary cruise ship, and with a somewhat adorable service dog as a primary player.

"Hugo, Locus, and Nebula-Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal blends her no-nonsense approach to life in space with her talent for creating glittering high-society in this stylish SF mystery, The Spare Man.

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."

Even when money is short, Mary Robinette Kowal is a must buy, no matter what genre the book is in. But space service Asta? Need I really say more?

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

<i>The Spare Man</i> has the full vibe of a classic murder mystery, integrated into an absolutely sci-fi setting. Tesla Crane is an incredibly wealthy woman, traveling incognito on s Mars-bound space cruiser for her honeymoon. She deals with constant pain and movement difficulties after a catastrophic robotics accident years before. When she and her husband find a person stabbed in the hallway--and her husband is quickly blamed by incompetent ship security--Tesla, with the help of her support dog Gimlet--begins a dangerous investigation of her own.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery, and the science fiction worldbuilding is deep and incredibly well-done. While it doesn't have the emotional resonance of The Lady Astronaut series, this book is just a fun romp all the way through.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just fell flat for me. The main character's chronic pain only seemed to effect her when the plot needed it. (I have chronic pain) she was also very annoying. She said one thing but then her actions completely go against that.
Overall this book had such a solid idea. It could have worked so well but Kowal just didn't seem to know what to do.

This science fiction mystery takes place on a spaceship heading for Mars. Tesla Crane and her new husband Shalmaneser Steward are on their honeymoon. They are traveling under aliases because Tesla is a very well-known heiress and a brilliant inventor who was in an accident that almost killed her and did kill six people working for her on a space station. She has a Deep Brain Pain Suppressor to help her manage the pain from her injuries. Shal is also famous as a detective who solved cold cases. He claims to be retired.

When the woman in the next cabin is murdered and Shal is found hovering over her body and with his fingerprints on the steak knife that was the murder weapon, it seems obvious to Tesla that someone is trying to frame him for the crime. It doesn't help that the ship's Chief of Security is more than willing to focus all of his attention on Shal.

But there are lots of other mysterious characters on the ship including the rich guy who owns the ship and was in a relationship with the first victim. There's also the doctor who treats the first victim and likely ensures that she die.

As Tesla tries to track down witnesses and identify suspects, she is assisted by her service dog Gimlet who is so cute he eases her way into all sorts of situations. She's also assisted by her cutthroat lawyer who is still on Earth and who's orders and advice are subject to varying time lags as the ship gets farther and farther from Earth.

This was a very engaging story filled with interesting characters and with a nicely twisty mystery plot. I liked the worldbuilding with its projections of current trends from face masks to people including their preferred pronouns when they introduce themselves. I also liked the science fiction elements of the story some of which are extensions of current technology.

I recommend this one to science fiction fans and mystery fans too.

Ahoy there me mateys! I love this author's work and yet this was a complete miss for me.  The short version is that privilege and money solve everything in the novel.  The longer version is that the individual elements didn't work when mixed together.

For example, I liked that the main character, Tesla, suffers from both chronic pain and PTSD.  I liked the inclusion of a service dog.  I enjoyed the setting of a luxury cruise liner in space.  I loved that there was an extra dead body but everyone is supposedly accounted for.  I liked that Tesla's spouse, the detective, is a suspect and is locked up leaving her to solve the crime and save him.  I liked the concept of Tesla dealing with her lawyer in space and having to account for the time lag.  I enjoyed how the future dealt with gender and identity.  And I absolutely loved the author's notes behind the novel.

Sadly, I think what the author was going for fell spectacularly flat.  Tesla wants to care about the poor but once her secret identity is blown she throws her name, money, and attitude around like crazy.  Her PTSD and pain seem to fluctuate in direct relation to what is needed in the storyline and her internal computer is real convenient.  The police force on board is so stupid that they all came across as villainous caricatures and botch everything to further the plot.  I got tired of all of the focus on drinking.  Ditto for the romance elements when there is a murder investigation going on.  Tesla has a service dog that is not actually used correctly to do its job but always seems to be off-duty to be petted.  How the spouse is dealt with didn't work at all and Tesla is always looking to him for validation.  Tesla doesn't seem to actually use deductive reasoning well and "solves" the crime by accident.  There are several red herrings and a ridiculous solution to the murder.  Seriously how climax and ending happened were laughable.

I honestly spent the entire book waiting for the magic moment where the story would click for me and I would fall in love.  This didn't happen and I am heartbroken.  Arrr!

Mary Robinette Kowal is back at it again! I absolutely LOVED 'The Calculating Stars' series so I was extremely excited to read this new book. There is no need to read her prior series, as far as I can tell.

This is a sci-fi thriller that takes place entirely on a spaceship/cruiseliner. It's essentially a 'who-dun it', with the main character's husband being the top suspect. It's also an interesting take on what loads of money can get done if you're super wealthy. The main character has a physical disability, as well as PTSD, and MRK does a good job of honestly weaving that into the storyline. There is also an absolutely adorable service dog!

While I definitely enjoyed this book, I do not think it's as good as 'The Calculating Stars'. I would still highly recommend, and will be buying myself a physical copy to add to my shelf in October.

I absolutely loved this sci-fi retelling of The Thin Man, set on an interspace cruise ship. Inventor and heiress Tesla Crane is on her honeymoon with retired detective Shal, cruising from the Moon to Mars with her service dog, the adorable Gimlet, in tow. When they stumble onto a dead body and Shal is accused of murder, Tesla and Shal have to use all their resources and knowledge to solve the mystery as the bodies pile up. The cast of characters is fantastic, with both intriguing and infuriating people at every turn. Everyone has secrets they're hiding, and I was completely engrossed in the story. Even if you're not a science fiction fan, if you like a good locked-room mystery you'll enjoy this. Once it's published, I will be picking up the audiobook for a reread with my husband. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a digital review copy.

I received an eArc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kowal's books are always fun. Like without fail you're in for a good time and The Spare Man is no exception. My favorite part of the book is the dog, Gimlet. I audibly coo'd over him repeatedly. The book has the feel of 30's mystery with a healthy dose mid-century futurism (but with current day values of course). I really hope this is a beginning of a series as I quite enjoyed the main leads chemistry.

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal is a sci-fi noir that is a retelling of The Thin Man. We follow our main character, Tesla, after her new husband is charged with a murder aboard a ship heading to Mars.

This book did a lot of things that I don’t normally enjoy in books but since I have enjoyed some of this author’s previous works, I wanted to give it a try and unfortunately, I just did not enjoy my time. I know that is mostly a me problem. I’m not a huge fan of books that follow celebrities or “noir” style detective books because I usually find them over the top. I think anyone who enjoys those kinds of stories will really enjoy this book.

I was also not a huge fan of the main character. She really annoyed me through most of this book, especially in the beginning. I know she is the way she is so that it follows the style of the story, but I did not like reading about her. Her service dog was an adorable treat to the story and helped me get through the book. I will say that the second half picks up so if you can make it to the 50 percent mark, the rest is a much more enjoyable read.

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

I have been eagerly awaiting this book for years! I have loved Mary Robinette Kowal ever since the Calculating Stars. Actually, I fell in love with her writing before that - she wrote a blog post on tor dot com before that book came out about her visit to NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab that was just amazing and has stuck with me for years. I loved the Fated Sky just as much (if not more so) than the Calculating Stars, and I went back and found a short story collection of hers, Word Puppets, that was great, and I really enjoyed Ghosttalkers as well. So when she announced her next book was going to be “The Thin Man” in space, I was immediately hooked.

In college I discovered noir. A good friend of mine introduced me to Bogart movies, and I found an omnibus at the school library of Daishell Hammett’s novels and I devoured them. The Thin Man was not my favorite of his works, but I still enjoyed it a lot so I had very high hopes for Ms. Kowal’s new novel and I was over the moon when I was given an eARC from Tor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot I liked about this novel. I liked the future this book shows, where people can take a cruise ship from Earth to Mars, with all of the wonderful ridiculousness of cruise ships in a science fictional setting. I loved the dialog and the writing style - the book is a page turner, like all of Ms. Kowal’s books.

But I hated the protagonists. The narrator is Tesla Crane, and the name just makes me wince. I know how revered Nikola Tesla is in scientific circles but in 2022 it’s hard not to associate the name with Elon Musk, which is a much less pleasant association. Tesla is an incredibly wealthy scientist and engineer who was injured in an accident years ago and still suffers from physical and mental injuries. The way her chronic pain and PTSD were written felt very realistic. The problem is her wealth. I know the protagonists of the Thin Man were wealthy during the depression but it reads really different in this novel. Tesla’s spouse is arrested very early in the book by the cruise ship’s security and Tesla’s reaction to that makes her look like the solar system’s worst Karen. She uses her money to act terribly to ship’s security, most of whom are just doing their job, and it really soured me on her character early on and for the rest of the novel. Her pompous, expensive, high powered attorney is meant to come off as funny but is just obnoxious.

Furthermore, the mystery doesn’t feel fair. I won’t spoil it here, but much of it involves clues that we are either never given or given so late in the book that it isn’t satisfying at all. The solution feels like it’s pulled out of left field.

The book still has more positive than negative attributes, but it is not Ms. Kowal’s best work.

I should never have been hesitant to read this after how much I’ve loved Mary Robinette’s Lady Astronaut series. But I saw murder mystery as a departure. It was not. The Spare Man is all the historical vibes meets science fiction that I’ve come to love from MKR. She reaches forward toward a time when gender inclusivity is a given, and luxury cruise ships make their way to Mars, while calling back to everything good about 1930s noir. The chronic pain and PTSD rep amidst an action-packed mystery was wholly appreciated, as were the drink recipes as chapter headers. The vibes are strong with this one. Don’t miss it.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read.

I ended up really enjoying The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal.
I really liked the characters and I absolutely loved Tesla's service dog as it was adorable.
It was also really nice to read about a disabled main character.
I definitely highly recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.