Jack Glass

I am a long term fan of the John Dickson Carr/ Ellery Queen sort of book, as well as having a delight in the old Golden Age SF in the Doc Smith trradition, fast moving adventure tales set in exotic settings, full of breathless action. So this book was a fun melding of the two genres, written with verve and humour. More a "how-dunnit?" than a "who-dunnit", as we learn how the notorious murderer Jack Glass escaped from a sealed asteroid without weapons, leaving bits of his fellow inmates behind, see a country house style murder where someone in a limited group somehow uses a huge hammer, far too heavy for the suspects to wield to kill an obnoxious sexual predator, and finally a disappearing weapon. Add people searching for the secrets of faster than light travel, and its all good fun, though the narrator's style is a bit irritating at times. Quirky, with an interesting world, full of twists and surprises, and an affectionate homage to some of my fave genres, who coud ask for more?