The Doomsday Brunette (2004)

Please note: I read and reviewed this book in 2007. Copying over review from Amazon.

Overview and Synopsis: Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last private eye on Earth - and he wouldn't have it any other way. When he receives a call at 3 am from Ona Thompson - the richest being on the planet - he really has no option but to do as she directs and come to her complex. There he finds her in the company of her siblings - Twoa, Threa and Fora. Of course, there is a problem - Fora is dead. This is made even more problematic because the Quads (as they are called) are nigh-invulnerable, having been genetically created by their genius father to be beautiful, intelligent and superior in every way. This resulted in their skin being slightly purple, but that only enhances their charm.

Zach has to discover who killed Fora, and how it was accomplished. This is easier said than done, since it appears that almost everyone had not only the desire to murder her, but also means and opportunity.

Characters: The book is filled with terrific characters - most notably the Quads themselves. Ona inherited her father's wealth, so she is a super-model and play-girl. Twoa is a super-hero - seriously - cape and everything. Threa is a fairy queen - she even has nymphs to follow her around. Fora was (to Zach) the most normal as an anarcho-goth who preached the dangers of materialism in New Vegas.

HARV - Zach's computerized personal assistant - develops a keep interest in detecting in this novel and begins to change his appearance as a result, with often quite amusing results.

Then there is W, the ancient butler who specializes in table setting; Opie, the silver-back mountain gorilla who has been genetically altered to have human intelligence and is a fan of practical jokes; the Pfauhans, who are identical "twin" cousins named Sturm and Drang who look like Teutonic power houses but have a shocking secret . . . as well as the return of Randy, Carol, Electra Gevada and Tony Rickey. There is also an amusing character in the person of the coroner, whose name has slipped my mind at the nano - he refuses to call anyone by name, as he feels that would personalize people and keep him from doing his job properly. Zakour has a true genius when it comes to creating memorable and interesting characters!

Review and Recommendations: These books are wonderful works of cross-genre fiction, mixing science fiction with PI noir in a delightful concoction that is sure to please fans of both types of books, as well as fans of a well-concocted bit of word play. Zakour has a lot of fun with language and it shows in his writing. This book is a definite "don't miss" from me! ( )

I read and liked the first, and then got my hands on "Frost-Haired Vixen," which I didn't like. A friend said this was his favorite of the series, though, so I'm giving Zach one more try.

ETA: This just didn't hold my interest. It wasn't bad by any stretch... just not good enough. ( )

I found this one better paced than the first, which makes sense, since it often seems that the second book in any series is better. The author has already set up the world so they can spend less time on that this go around. I did find it annoying when he kept reexplaining things from the first book, such as who was who and such, it just never seems to flow right and this book was no exception.

Overall the characters and the world they have created seemed more natural and to flow better and the story seemed to unravel and progress naturally without feeling forced, except for the above mentioned explanation of things from the first book....oh and the use of the word nano instead of minuet or second.

And while I didn't find the resolution of the mystery that big of a surprise, it was a lot of fun how they got us there and it didn't feel rushed or tacked on just as a way to tie up the loose ends.

I can see how reading to many of these in a row could burn you out on the series, but so far as a sporadic break from heavier reading I am really enjoying this series. ( )

Story:
It was a dark and stormy night when the call came in at 3 am. That’s what time the jobs come calling when you’re the world’s last private investigator by the name of Zach Johnson. What’s not normal is the identity of the caller. Its Ona of the world famous biologically enhanced Thompson Quads (Ona, Twoa, Threa, and Foura) who wants to hire Zach to find out why and how her sister Foura was murdered while they where all in the same room for a reunion dinner. The problem is that just about everybody and their brother had a grudge with the sisters, including the sisters themselves. It doesn’t take long for Zach to find out that while the sisters might have super powers they don’t exactly have super personalities. It turns out each of the sisters had a pretty good reason to take each other out. Before their father died, he changed his will to leave all of his fortune to Ona, which made her sisters very unhappy. If sorting out the family feud wasn’t enough Zach has to deal with the century old butler (it takes him 5 hours to set tea and 5 more to fix it, if it’s set wrong), The overly protective security team (their twins, and their lasers are not set to stun) and the late professors first experiment, a addled but intelligent gorilla. It’s going to take all of Zach’s skill and all of HARV’s (the super computer wired directly into his brain) wit for him to get to the bottom of this case.
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I definitely liked this book. It has a nice pace and quite a few laugh out loud moments. The banter between Zach and HARV carry the book through a couple of dead spots and the supporting characters are memorable. I won’t call the mystery a brain twister because it is not, but the ending does make up for it because it does have a twist. I would recommend this to anyone that likes mysteries set in the future with a bit of noir and humor mixed in. m.a.c ( )

Earth's last private detective, Zachary Nixon Johnson, has a new client and a tough case. Contacted by Ona, the oldest of the genetically-identically-engineered, fabulously wealthy Thompson super quadruplets, Zach's task is to prove Ona is innocent of murder. It's an (almost) classic locked room mystery - Foura, the youngest Thompson quad, is dead. The suspects: her three sisters, a brilliant gorilla, the butler - of course - and the identical twin cousins (don't ask) who serve as security experts. They all have motive, means, and opportunity. Of course, there's also the small matter of a doomsday device and some aliens who might destroy the world....

Classic detective schtick with a futuristic twist. Frivolous and fun, with lots of can-you-spot'em references to print, film & TV of the good old twentieth century. ( )