This story had a good blend of sci-fi and sarcasm to qualify as a modern-day cousin of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (with something of a Fletch sensibility). A bit more profanity than I prefer, but not so much that it distracts from the storyline

“Humans are a strange bunch. We like to be alone together.”

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Gates of Mars
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: To Kill a Giraffe on Mars
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Sanders
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: ebook
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Sci-fi investigation
4/𝟱

🪸𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁
~ detailed description of tech
~ solid descriptions of landscape, systems and people
~ new tech and weapons that makes sense

Crucial, a futuristic, low-wage, indebted, cop - has to travel to Mars because his sister has disappeared. Odd, since the all-seeing, all-knowing AI Halo, should have been able to keep better track of her. As we bounce between the present & the past, a series of coincidences, luck & mistakes, land us facing those resisting the 5 Uber-wealthy families of Mars & “all—givers” to earth - the Variance. A group focused on giving humans a fighting chance instead of being conscripted to forced labour & a life of debt. As we follow Crucial on this bizarre adventure, we learn what can happen when you kill a giraffe on Mars.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🪸𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗵
~ very US centered (which takes away the fun because it is a dead donkey trope 😩)
~ men being allowed to men
~ lots of alcohol consumption 😬 can’t relate
~ weird “joke banter” that seemed slightly silly at times
~ this “I MUST talk to Mel bla bla bla” is tiring

♡🪸 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

Book Review: The Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hayes

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted copy of The Gates of Mars!

This futuristic science fiction novel masterfully blends the intrigue of a detective story with the wonders of space exploration. The plot follows a determined detective from Earth who ventures to Mars to uncover the mystery of his missing sister.

The story is fast-paced, engaging, and full of twists that keep you hooked. The seamless fusion of sci-fi elements with the classic detective narrative creates a unique and exciting reading experience.

If you’re a fan of mysteries, science fiction, or both, you won’t want to miss this one. Go check it out!

I am not a fan of sci-fi-ish books, but otherwise the blurb hooked me, and I dived in. While I wasn’t fond of the thing mentioned above, I really, really enjoyed this book. The slow reveal from the preset to the past was a suspenseful hook, and I was glued to the pages to find out what was going on and why Crucial was trying to waste time. Also, I was curious how he and his sister got out of the jam they were both in. One thing though that really bothered me while reading this is that I feel this is actually going to happen, and I see it happening now. This is a page-turning mystery, and I am looking forward to the next. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.