Bows & Bullets Book Blog

This review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

Veronica's back with another difficult case. The Neptune Grand has always been a touch on the shady side. Though it is an upscale hotel, it's obvious illicit deeds go down there. When a woman who is brutally raped and beaten claims that the Grand was the last place she could remember being, the hotel knows that this could turn out disastrous. Veronica is hired to prove or disprove the story. But something isn't adding up. The victim had severe head injuries and can't remember all the details, the other witnesses won't talk, and it's clear someone, somewhere, is hiding something. Can Veronica figure out the mystery? Or is the perp going to continue to go free?

Okay, I think I got most of the fangirl gushing out of my system in my last VMars review and hopefully this one will be a bit more coherent. Veronica is the same character she's always been. She's smart, resourceful, resilient, and snarky as hell. Veronica's snark is what initially drew me to her in the show and her character has stayed true to that. It's not all positives for VMars though, because she has some negative qualities as well. We get to see the best of her here and she's dogged in figuring this thing out. It's not long before she disproves the victim's initial statement, but she can tell there is more to this. This girl was raped and beaten nearly to death and someone needs to pay for that crime.

Logan is actually home (for most of this, anyway) and I couldn't be happier about his presence in the story. He's relationship with Veronica is proof that just because something is right doesn't mean it's easy. Life with her is always going to be a give and take. She has a tendency to hide her feelings when she knows they aren't what he wants to hear. She would rather bury it and enjoy their time together. He understands her fears and worries, but there are just some things that he must do. Regardless, his appearance makes things better. I'm a big Logan fan (as if you didn't get that from my last review) and I'm always happy when he's in the picture.

The rest of the family all make an appearance. Once again, I feel like we don't get quite as much Wallace as we should. He was a big part of the crime solving team in the show and I miss his help. I was also a bit disappointed in Weevil. I won't say more than that, but it wasn't cool man. I can see his reasoning, but still not cool. As for everyone else important, we get just the right amount. I must admit I'm a sucker for Cliff McCormack and I love seeing him. Him and Keith have their own side project going on, suing the Balboa County Sheriff's department for damages to Eli Navaro during their criminal investigation after planting evidence on him. That added to the race for Sheriff election with a brand new candidate and things get just a bit heated. We all wanna see Dan Lamb out of office, regardless of what that takes.

This novel has that big mystery feel. The plot has so many twists and turns that it's impossible to know who the bad guy is from the very beginning. There is no way you can tell how this will turn out. One thing I loved about reading this one as opposed to listening to the audiobook as I did with book one, is that I could hear each character in my head. Don't get me wrong, Kristen Bell does an amazing job narrating the first one and there is no one better for the task, but there is a slight difference between hearing her do it, mimicking everyone else's voices and actually hearing the proper voice in your head. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone other than my fellow marshmallows, but trust me, it was awesome.

What you really need to know is that: it's Veronica Mars! You need no other incentive to pick this novel up and read away. Beyond that, it is a well written story with a nail-biting plot. I think it's written in a way that it could be read as a stand-alone. Previous knowledge of this world is not required, but I think it enhances the experience. Now, Rob, Jennifer, are we gonna get another? 'Cuz, you know, I really want one!

****Thank you to Vintage for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review****