Spare Man

The premise - a murder mystery set on a space cruise ship - sounded intriguing and like a nice vacation read. It proved to be a real page turner which I rushed through in 3 days. It's written in a very entertaining way, with plenty of interesting, mysterious or quirky characters. I also liked how well various pronouns and the custom of stating them were weaved into the narrative. The cocktails to set the theme for each chapter were a fun idea, too. The conclusion was a bit off and I think wouldn't hold up to scrutiny but on the other hand, it wasn't predictable.

I've read and enjoyed all of Kowal's books. The worldbuilding is considered & smart, and her characters are always horny for each other (often, newlyweds).

Didn't expect a mystery, but this was fun. Initially annoyed by all the cocktail recipes, but she persuaded me to seek out complex flavors of the non-alcoholic variety (my preference). I always learn something from her, including a 5-senses grounding technique.