I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Obviously, from the cover, I could see it was sci-fi, but what kind of sci-fi was it?
As it turns out, it’s a mystery story. Private investigator McCall Richter is hired to find a huge cache of stolen valuables. The valuables in this case being tons of maple syrup. I love the idea of maple syrup as a precious commodity.
Richter gets help solving the mystery from her android assistant, Scipio. Scipio has a logical mind and a taste for fine clothing. His general helpfulness coupled with an ever-so-slightly stuck-up personality reminded me a little of the droid in the old Star Wars: Galaxy of Fear books I used to read as a kid. I enjoyed the relationship between these two characters, and I really liked reading a mystery story that isn’t about solving a murder, but something more original.
Richter and Scipio’s investigation turns up another fun character: a wounded dog named “Junkyard” who is abandoned in a… well, you can probably guess. Junkyard’s canine desire to chew on things does not mesh well with Scipio’s love of fancy clothing. But they work it all out eventually.
Of course, there’s still a mystery to be solved, and after a few twists, it all gets sorted. I don’t want to say much more about the plot because, well, with novella-length mysteries, saying even a little can give too much away. But I certainly enjoyed the ride.
This book serves as an intro to a larger story featuring Richter, Scipio, and Junkyard, and it certainly did get me interested in reading more about the characters. The writing style is fun, fast-paced, and witty; making this perfect quick reading for fans of sci-fi and mysteries alike.
I wonder if it was inspired by this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Canadian_Maple_Syrup_Heist
Oh, wow; that is amazing. I did not not know about that. Thanks! 🙂
You’re welcome. It was big news here at the time.
And it’s free – my price. We’ll give a try. Thanks, Berthold.
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Review coming in The Saturday Morning post # 51 – i.e. in a month or so.
I reviewed this book a couple of years ago. It was a good read. I’m glad you liked it!
Oh, cool; I’m off to look up your review now! 🙂
Been trying multiple times now to leave a comment on this and some of your other reviews, but none have gone through. Will try again.
This sounds quirkily interesting and I shall definitely be adding it to my TBR 😊
This one made it through! Sorry for the difficulty commenting; not sure what is going on there. 🙁 WordPress seems to have made upgrades lately, maybe that’s why.
Ah, technology… 😉 No worries. Persistence paid off, hope you didn’t think I’d stopped visiting. Really enjoyed your review for ‘The Assassination Bureau’, have found a place I can watch it, it reminds me of the zany films we used to watch growing up!
Glad to hear that! 🙂 It’s a fun film; one of those where I found myself saying “they don’t make them like that any more!”