Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Vintage Books
Pages: 324
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 18+

In a continuation of the hit TV series and movie comes the beginning of a new book series. Picking up where the movie ended, Veronica is taking on Neptune's corrupt sheriff's department as she tries to find two missing spring break co-eds. With her dad recovering from his injuries, and no money coming in, Veronica must deal with the surprises thrown at her as she goes against Sheriff Lamb, a drug cartel, and her own insecurities.

I'm a big fan of "Veronica Mars" and was pretty excited about this book, hoping to be able to give in to my Mars need with a new story. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed--perhaps my expectations were too high?

Call me a cynic, but whenever I see two names on the cover of a novel, and one of those names is a well known one and quite a bit bigger than the other name, I tend to think that it was really the second person who did most of the work, as an acknowledged sort of ghost writer. While Thomas created the characters, and probably had a supervisory role on the storyline, I just didn't feel that the writing was up to the standards set forth in the series and movie. The one liners weren't as good and it was missing the "noir" feel that really made Veronica Mars unique. Instead, it could have been any mystery novel. There was also a lot of language that I wasn't used to, having the show come from network TV and a PG-13 movie.

I did feel that the plot, mystery, and resolution lived up to what I had come to expect. It kept you guessing, and gave some gasp-worthy twists. For the casual Mars fan, these books would be great. And, you know, despite everything I've said, I may read the other ones. But I don't think I'll buy them.

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