Veronica Mars

Found the pacing a little awkward, it kicks off fairly quickly, but the middle seems to drag in parts and then the ending feels rushed.

If this was a series of the show, this would make sense, just doesn't quite flow right for me.

This kind of was missing the Veronica Mars je ne sais quoi for me. It was kind of a standard mystery, without much that makes the VM franchise. Also, I think it was gutsy for Rob Thomas to take on a rape victim who's an unreliable witness after the reception that Season 3 got. The best parts for me were the sideplots revisiting core VM characters, such as Weevil's arc.

(I also like neither Logan nor dogs, so your mileage may vary.)

With "Tan Line" I wanted more VM-series character interaction. I wasn't really reading for the case, as interesting as it was. There were plenty of VM-series characters in "Kiss & Tell", but about 2/3 of the way through I felt bogged down by all the interaction. I just wanted the damn case solved. It took too long for me - and I know those types of cases can take a very long time. I was just annoyed with the type of case, I guess. That's why this only gets 4 stars.

Otherwise, I loved all the LoVe, and PONY. I liked having more depth to the story of Mac's true parentage; even enjoyed Madison's little cameo. Plus, Det. Leo D'Amato!

When's the 3rd book coming out?

Veronica Mars is back, and this time she is investigating what might be her most challenging case. The Neptune Grand has hired her to investigate a woman’s claims of assault and rape in one of their hotel rooms. This is a high-profile scandal that has the potential to ruin this ritzy hotel. Mr. Kiss and Tell is a mystery that finds Veronica working for the ‘big guy’ investigating something she has personally experienced, how will she cope with this type of case?

Most may be aware that I am a big fan of the Veronica Mars series and I was so excited that they were continuing the story in book form. Now the books are slightly different, switching from first person to third, but the characters and setting are all there. If you have seen the TV series you know that sometimes Veronica can get involved in a case that can challenge her own values. The show and book have an interesting exploration into the class struggle and Mr. Kiss and Tell has Mars working for the people (this time Neptune Grand) with the money.

What I enjoyed about this book is the way that Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham explored that struggle between Mars’ own personal experiences and the nature of the case. Rob Thomas often did this in the TV show and it was nice to see this conflict returning for the book series. Veronica Mars is a strong independent woman and I love this about her but I like to see that little bit of vulnerability coming through in this book, it really helps humanise her.

It is hard to talk about mystery novels without giving away the plot but what I will say is that I did not enjoy this one as much as The Thousand Dollar Tan Line. This book does feature a lot more of Logan Echolls but I always ship Veronica Mars and Mac Mackenzie (who featured heavily in book one). I am so happy to read more about Veronica’s life and I will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series.

This review originally appeared on my blog; literary-exploration.com/2015/05/06/mr-kiss-and-tell-by-rob-thomas-jennifer-graham/