9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
STNG- A Hard Rain, February 22, 2002
A Hard Rain by Dean Wesley Smith is an engaging Dixon Hill holodeck mystery. Jean-Luc Picard is playing the star roll as Dixon Hill a detective solving crime in the city by the bay in the 1940's. He is accompanied by the Luscious Bev (Beverly Crusher), Mr. Whelan and Mr. Data, all trying to find the Heart of the Adjuster. Its location is paramount in saving the Enterprise from certain destruction from an area of space known as the Blackness.
As with many private eye stories, this has clues woven throughout the story, so be forwarned read it carefully and you'll solve this crime story before Dixon Hill realizes he has all the clues he needs. But time is short and Dixon Hill has a bevy of suspects to encounter in order to find the "Heart."
This is a well written mystery, a few typos, but nevertheless a compelling story. The deterioration of the Enterprise by the quantum overlap (Blackness) is believeable and the solution found but will it work?
We have gangsters with some really original names; Cyrus Redblock, Ghost Johnson, Benny the Banger, Harvey Upstairs Benton, Slippery Stan Hand and his girl friend Jessica Daniels. An intrepid Detective Bell is Dixon Hill's inside source as the book evolves and is Hill's best friend.
But as Data said, as he took his gangster stance, "As Dexter Drake said, "The solving of almost every crime mystery depends on something which seems, at first glance, to bear no relation whatever to the original crime." Pay heed to these words and they will serve you well in solving this mystery.
I enjoyed reading this book as it was entertaining and a fast read. But not everyone will like this book to them all I can say is... better luck. Those who want a deeper engrossing mystery, this is not your best mystery, but at least there are attempts at writing more mystery into the suspense of Trek.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Hard Mess To Read, February 23, 2002
"Hard Rain" is a waste of the paper its printed on. Even the basic "hook" of Picard saving the day as Dixon Hill is cliche. How many times can that holodeck malfunction and nearly destroy the ship before they write it off as a bad idea. The 'plot' is Data and Geordi make up a TREKnospeak whatsis to save the ship from a spacial anomaly(again!). They have to test it on the Holodeck. Then the Dixon Hill program comes on and 'someone' steals the heart of the device. It is lost on the holodeck. Dixon has to get it away from the mob. Why don't they just shut the thing down and pick it up off the floor? The author comes up with a weak justification at the end of the book which says. Anything taken in and not held when the program is shut off is destroyed. Even if that was the case in "Encounter at Farpoint" Data shows that he can see past the holo image on his own if he wants to. Lets not even bring Geordi into this. This book is before STTNG Generations but Worf is no where to be seen or even heard from or referred to. As well as other plot/tech holes big enough to drive the Enterprise through. Also the "Mystery" is no mystery at all half way through the book you'll be going. "Please no dont let it be" But it is. This is arguably the worst STTNG novel to ever come out. Hopefully a single aberration from the generally high quality of the new ST books.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Star Trek for mystery lovers, December 9, 2002
I came at this book from a different angle than most Trekkies (Trekkers, for you young people). I happen to love he old mysteries by Chandler, et al., and I knew this was an homage to -- not a parody of, as some have suggested -- the detective fiction of the golden age of pulp before I started reading.
Dean Wesley Smith clearly loves the genre as much as I do and cleverly worked in trademark touches from several writers of the period. Including Ellery Queen's summary of "clues" at the end of each chapter, some of which are red herrings. Even if you miss every little Easter egg and can't tell Sam Spade from Philip Marlowe, there's enough action, interesting characterizations and intriguing plot twists to keep you going.
If your Trek simply must have planets exploding and Romulans conspiring and the Enterprise locked in deadly combat against overwhelming odds, this is not the book for you. If you're in the mood for a delightful variation on familiar themes -- with more than a bit of whimsy and humor -- this could be just what you're looking for.
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