Halcyon Years
A private investigator is hired to look into a mysterious, high-profile death aboard the starship Halcyon in this fresh new science fiction masterpiece from the "mastersinger of space opera" (The Times) and the creator of the beloved Revelation Space universe. Strap in for a gripping murder mystery. Yuri Gagarin is a private investigator who picks up small cases from his local community, runs into trouble with the local police, and generally ekes out a living as best he can. He's aboard the Halcyon - a starship, hurtling through space, carrying thousands of passengers with thousands more sleeping the journey away. Only his usual investigative work - catching cheating spouses, and small time con artists - is about to take a turn. He's hired by a mysterious woman called Ruby Red to look into a death in one of Halcyon's most elite families . . . and then warned off the case again by a second mysterious woman called Ruby Blue. Caught between the two, he's about to be embroiled in a murder mystery in which - at any moment - he could be the latest victim.
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Community Reviews
It's a basics sci-fi noir on a city size spaceship flying to another planet. The main mystery is fine. Seen 100 times before yet this is decent writing and fine characters. It would have been a decent movie, comic book, or a 200 page book. Just meh.
Now, the main issue making this a dull book. This book is way too long. We spend a few pages on the mystery then waste our time on pointless dull stuff like big discussions about how people feel about things or themselves. So much shallow philosophy. The lead is also a replica of Gagarin meaning there is no mystery to him either. The detective being lost and confused is part of noir. Here it's all ruined as we know all about him already and he doesn't even act like the real historical figure anyhow and not a single person recognizes the name.
It's just way too long. I had to constantly push myself to read it and even 30 min felt like an hour. It's insane, I don't recall a book feeling this much longer than it is. Weird thing is it's not even boring as such. It just feels like random slice of life too often.
It's also all clichés. The mystery keeps going because dying people are trying to explain the mystery yet die just as they whisper the words. At others times people refuse to explain it even though there is zero reason to not finally reveal the plot. This is hammy and lazy storytelling. And it's only there to stretch the plot, exactly what ruins the book for me. Just show us the mystery solution when it's deserved. The author was desperate to fill out the runtime with jabbering. It's not like it would have been great even if it was twice as short. But it would have been a fine enough read.
Now, the main issue making this a dull book. This book is way too long. We spend a few pages on the mystery then waste our time on pointless dull stuff like big discussions about how people feel about things or themselves. So much shallow philosophy. The lead is also a replica of Gagarin meaning there is no mystery to him either. The detective being lost and confused is part of noir. Here it's all ruined as we know all about him already and he doesn't even act like the real historical figure anyhow and not a single person recognizes the name.
It's just way too long. I had to constantly push myself to read it and even 30 min felt like an hour. It's insane, I don't recall a book feeling this much longer than it is. Weird thing is it's not even boring as such. It just feels like random slice of life too often.
It's also all clichés. The mystery keeps going because dying people are trying to explain the mystery yet die just as they whisper the words. At others times people refuse to explain it even though there is zero reason to not finally reveal the plot. This is hammy and lazy storytelling. And it's only there to stretch the plot, exactly what ruins the book for me. Just show us the mystery solution when it's deserved. The author was desperate to fill out the runtime with jabbering. It's not like it would have been great even if it was twice as short. But it would have been a fine enough read.
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