Rating: 
Summary: "Same old Garak ...never tell the truth when a lie will do."
Review: I have long been familiar with the actor Andrew J. Robinson before he came to play Garak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. You may remember him from Dirty Harry (1971) as the Scorpio killer, or from movies like Hellraiser (1987) and Shoot To Kill (1988).
Of all the Star Trek spin-offs, Deep Space Nine remains my favorite. While I would be hard-pressed to pick just one character that stands out, I always knew that if the storyline involved Garak, things would be interesting. Garak usually had some of the best lines.
The first, and probably best episode that highlighted Garak was called "The Wire." Andrew Robinson gives one of his best performances as a delirious Garak whose life is in danger as a result of a misused brain implant. As the episode progresses, he has told so many versions of his past, Bashir (and the audience) don't know what to believe. Finally, after Garak is well again, Bashir asks him, "Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true?"
"My dear doctor," Garak says, "They're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
With A Stitch In Time, we are given the chance to see just how true the lies were. Written in the form of journal entries, and told in non-linear fashion, Andrew Robinson has written a compelling account of Garak's life before his exile to DS9, and his life after his return to his now-shattered homeworld of Cardassia. Garak's careers as a gardener, spy and tailor are each shown to be fascinating in their own way. You truly learn why Garak is the way he is. A word of advice: don't call him "spoonhead" (a derogatory term for Cardassians, referring to the oval-shaped indentation in their foreheads).
The characters are rich, distinct, and complex. Though it's set on an alien world with alien sensibilities, I was drawn into the history of the world and its people. The pacing is excellent. Robinson knows just when to switch from one time period to the other, without losing the threads of his other storylines and their requisite characters.
It is also quite refreshing to see Robinson's interpretation of familiar characters such as Bashir, Quark, Kira, Odo...and Garak's mentor and head of the Obsidian Order, Enabran Tain. I was particularly interested in how Gul Dukat would be illustrated, as seen through Garak's eyes (a hint: they really don't like each other). Some have speculated whether Robinson actually wrote this novel or had a ghost writer. According to various press releases, Robinson did indeed write it himself, based on his impromptu performances at various Trek conventions. I never doubted it. Throughout the book Elim Garak's voice rang true and clear.
I hope that Andrew Robinson will write more novels. I don't care if it's Star Trek, science fiction or contemporary fiction. I will read it.
Rating:
Summary: Very good!
Review: All through this book I enjoyed myself, though the parts at the school are the best. I don't read Star Trek book very often (don't care much for non-canon) but Andy Robinson loves this character so I knew this book would be a great read.
Rating:
Summary: A Star Trek Masterpiece
Review: Wonder deep inside the mind of the subtle yet vital Character of DS9, Elim Garak. In Stitch in Time, Andrew J. Robinson reveals the hidden inside of one of the most faschinating characters in the Star Trek universe. This is one of the most fascinating sci fi novels I have read. I could not put the book down. The author uses the best blend of in depth discreption and action. This is by far a great balance between simplicity and complexity. The author takes you deep into the childhood of Garak and shows you what formed this most devious man and then into adulthood where Garak gets banished from Cardasia and ends up on Deep Space Nine. Im not usually a sci fi reader although I love Star Trek television shows. This is one book I would recomend to any true star trek fan. Regardless if you like Star Trek the original series or Star Trek Voyager. This is one novel worth your time!
Rating:
Summary: A Stitch of Brilliance
Review: Deep Space Nine has always been my favorite Star Trek series and Garak has always been an intriging and essential character to much of the series history but I was a little weary of an entire book that would A) focus away from the station and its characters and B) give to much detail to the most mysterious and complicated character Deep Space Nine has ever encountered. Though the book is a biography of sorts, it reflects heavily on events after the serie's finale and before the serie's pilot and lots of stuff in between. Well structured and though you learn a ton about Garak and his "secret" past, you never will forget the brillaint story and you will definetly wish an 8th year of DS9 were on TV so you could see Garak in a new light even though he'll probably say I'm just a simple tailor!
Rating: 
Summary: Plain & simple Garak
Review: If you enjoy DS9 then this is a must! Garak's intriguing and well hidden past, in a letter to Dr Bashir. The book can seem like a complicated read to begin with as it jumps from past to present and back again quite frequently. However, it does give a new appreciation of Garak, yet much of him still remains mysterious. It gives detailed accounts of Garak's past from his own point of view, but then again, is it true?
Rating: 
Summary: A plain story, of a "plain, simple tailor."
Review: A Stitch in Time is a well-written novel, but lacks the finesse - the intrigue and mystery that was brought out for the character of Garak on Deep Space Nine. Andrew Robinson did a marvelous job giving the character both depth and guile on television, but the story he has written, although it better defines the evolution of Garak, leaves the reader unfulfilled. Robinson's turn as a first-time novelist is a fine outing. His style and approach to the character he helped define through his acting was superb. My criticism is not on how the character was handled or how the Star Trek universe was examined, rather the mediocrity of the story. Garak was introduced on Deep Space Nine as a man of mystery and of perplexing intrigue. This exiled spy, forced to live alongside his former enemies was ripe drama for TV, but if the reader expects the same kind of tantalizing pallor from this novel, prepare to be disappointed.A Stitch in Time is a plain, simple story of a "plain, simple tailor" - and therein lies the dichotomy. Garak's childhood and his early days as an operative for the Obsidian Order reaffirms that he really is a plain, simple man. The cloak-and-dagger mystique was essential to Garak as a character. Strip that away and Garak becomes the plain figure he's often referred as. This can be true to form of a Cardassian based on character exploits and societal generalizations in both print and film of this Star Trek race, but unfortunately, plain is boring. Don't get me wrong. I love the character of Garak and I enjoyed the performance Andrew Robinson gave to this character on TV. I approached his novel with anticipation and reserved childhood anxiousness. I wanted this book to be a fast-paced examination of Garak's exploits as a spy, from his recruitment to his exile. What I got was a story that was interesting, that progressed at an even pace but kept you secretly hoping the events would rise to a stunning denouement that never came. Instead of the roller-coaster ride of literary peaks and valleys I sought, I received a very uniform story, carried on by the reader's initial momentum. Again, the tale it tells in and of itself is enjoyable but it lacks bite. Andrew Robinson did a great job in this attempt as he furthered not only a single character but a fragment of a larger universe. A Stitch in Time may not be a blockbuster but it is good enough to warrant another story from Robinson and I look forward to such a work.
Rating:
Summary: EXQUISITE !
Review: I am used to read the Star Trek books on the train going to and from work. But when I opened this particular book already from the first lines it was obvious that this work has such outstanding qualities that I saved it to read at home, late at night, with a glass of good wine in front of a warm fire..and the result was that I read on the entire night because I could not put it aside. This is high literature and I cannot wait to read more by Mr. Robinson who is not only a great actor but now has found another talent. Please Andy, write more, not only about Cardassia but about anything you like. It will be a hit!
Rating:
Summary: Character insight
Review: A beautiful example of insight of an actor in his character and the society that surrounds it. Both in his playing and writing he makes an alien race believable. You almost find it normal to shift loyalties as fast as Cardassians do and acceptable that someone who has been treated so badly by his people wants to go back to them. More books by mr. Robinson.
Rating:
Summary: A great book by the man who knows Garak the best!
Review: The man who knows Garak the best, the actor who played him, writes and excellent novel on Garak's life. The format, letters to Dr. Bashir makes for an excellent format and an easy read. Many of Garak's quirks and motivations are elaborated on. Mr. Robinson does an excellent job of keeping the reader involved in the book. Not only was this one of the longer Star Trek paperbacks, but one of the most in-depth. It kept me quite involved and was one of the few books lately I've had trouble putting down. A must for any Star Trek DS9 fan!
Rating:
Summary: Home sick for a DS9 story? Then read this!
Review: I've only ready about 8 Star Trek novels; however, this one is by far and away the best. Although it doesn't take place exculsively on DS9, it's a great fix if you miss the show. Furthmore, it gives the reader a deeper appreciation for Garek; wonderful character development in the story! This is a must read for any Trek fan, big or small.
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