Almost Human (Veterinarian Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Enough
Review: Almost Human is an interesting, entertaining and quick read. As a mystery, however, the "mystery" aspect was not especially compelling. At times it seemed like Ms. Roberts felt too constrained by the mystery genre. I appreciated the fact that Ms. Roberts tackled a weighty, timely issue (suicides for the terminally ill), but she could have identified the guilty culprit early on (she nearly does anyway), focused on the exploding drama in Andi Pauling's formerly "normal life," and would have had a great book. I also found that the more engaging parts of the story focused on the "day in the life of the vet" and the kooky, very original chimpanzee sub-plot. Neither of these areas, though, is really mandatory for the mystery aspect. The tension does not build and any amount of "suspense" is really pro forma. More attention to plotting would have improved this mystery. Ms. Roberts is an excellent writer who creates wonderful characters. I get the sense she has many more great stories to tell, so I hope that she exercises a bit more creative freedom in her future books.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Enough
Review: This is the first Andi Pauling mystery I've read and I can't wait to start my next. The characters are quirky yet real and the pace is relatively quick. The visit to the chimpanzee compound was really interesting. A very quick read!

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Animal Mystery
Review: This is the first Andi Pauling mystery I've read and I can't wait to start my next. The characters are quirky yet real and the pace is relatively quick. The visit to the chimpanzee compound was really interesting. A very quick read!