Chivalry Will Get You Dead (The Starship Australis Mysteries) Paperback – September 25, 2023

This new series by newcomer Ed Robins caught me completely flat footed, so to speak. The tale begins with our protagonist, Tom as he receives a knuckle sandwich for trying to be a good guy when all he has ever been is a burnt up detective...ex detective...on the usual generational ship to a future planet far from Earth. The writing is top-notch with fabulously punctuated humor underscored by Tom's feisty and persistent desire to find truth in a shady underworld (under vessel?).The fact this takes place on a space vessel really has no significant consequence here--the story of humanity, whether in space or on terra firma, suffers from the fact it's made up of humans. Some of the issues (such as how gravitation affects different sections of the ship) are very grounded (sorry, pun again) on science and offers a veracity which is hard to miss (as a scientist, I am grateful for that).The short, fast-paced writing left me unable to put down the book until I read "just one more quick chapter." And then boom...the book ends...and what a great ride. All the characters have a story--and what I love is how much depth each of them has. These aren't two dimensional characters, but they are caricatures of certain tropes. Despite this, the book succeeds because of the strength of the writing. I loved them all.The blurb says this is in the spirit of Mickey Spillane sells this a bit short, though. This is a new author strutting his stuff with a likeable character and witty mind. No spoilers here...the next book continues the voyage and I'm here to tell you it is worth the voyage.This is an easy 5 star recommendation. As is true with most gum shoe novels, this one was short, sweet, and to the point. Just like a serialized detective novel should be.

Perfect story for a rainy day.

This was a story I read in one sitting. I started and was so swept into the story line that I literally did not put it down! It would have been possible to guess who the murderer was prior to the end, but I did not have time to figure it out on my own, which I appreciate in a mystery. The pace of the story never lagged long enough for me to start considering who the villain was.If you enjoy a flawed detective who will stop at nothing to solve the mystery, this is the story for you!

This reminded me of the Tex Murphy PC games from the 1990s that entertained me for many hours. I loved the witty dialogue and felt immersed in this sci-fi style film noir.