The Spare Man

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal

Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal blends her no-nonsense approach to life in space with her talent for creating glittering high-society in this stylish SF mystery, The Spare Man.

Tesla Crane, one of the richest women in the world, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between Earth and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and her husband is named as the prime suspect. To save him from the frame-up, Tesla will risk exposure and face demons from her past.

Even though doing so might make her the next victim.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Mary Robinette Kowal (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

Great idea but just OK in the rendering…

Repetitive peril befalling the MCs gets very old very fast. Also I just can’t deal with the gender binary pronoun madness… I’m too old for that crap.

Murder mystery on a spaceship

Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Spare Man is a light-hearted murder mystery set on a spaceship, which resembles a cruise ship, traveling from Earth to Mars. An Elon Musk style billionaire heiress is traveling incognito on her honeymoon. Her husband is a former police detective. They stumble across the murder and her husband is considered the prime suspect. With her husband under ‘cabin’ arrest, she solves the cases to clear his name, along with the assistance of her Earth-bound lawyer.

Kowal sets the style of the ship and the players like the 1930’s hugely successful Nick and Nora Charles detective tales that were also popular films. Drinking is prominent throughout with each chapter named for a particular drink, along with its instructions. The legal interludes are quite humorous.

The narration is well done, especially given that the author provides the narration. Character distinction is good with brisk pacing making for a quick listen.

Too much "sunshine" for me

If you really want to hear this title "cold" be warned that that I found it impossible to review without some mild spoilers.



Oh for heaven's sake, the heroine has PTSD and it seems like she has to imagine "sunshine" at least twice a chapter. Everything seems to throw her into her personal nightmare. She is supposed to be rich and famous and can easily afford having her lawyer almost constantly on "speed dial," but she is abused by the cruiseline when she and her new husband come across a dying woman. No deference or consideration from the crew at any point -- even when her "service" dog disappears. This is supposed to be Nick and Nora in space, but there is too much repetition and too little common sense - let alone advances in technology.
I did enjoy the narration by the author who knows her characters so well. She was able to express the "voices in her head" for the rest of us.

Murder, mystery, clever, sci-fi, fun

If you like murder mystery novels and true crime, but need a break from the dark side, don’t think about it…get this book. Though light-hearted and funny the author crafts a clever tale of murder and betrayal with clues along the way to keep you guessing at every turn. Narration is perfect. Left me guessing until the end. I wish it were a series.

Great Mystery

I am such a fan! When I hear that an author is going to read their own work for audible devices, I cringe. Not with Kowal; she is an amazing voice actor! I love her ability to inject humor and irony into the most serious settings. Her characters come to life, the stories have unexpected twists and turns; it’s almost as if you are there watching the story unfold. Love, Love, Love your books, Mary! Keep them coming ❤️❤️❤️