Sean Randall reviewed The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah
Review of 'The Vulcan Academy Murders' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Done it again. Historically that's completely inaccurate, of course, because this novel obviously came first. I don't know the TOS characters nearly as well as those of the TNG era, of course, so the completely jelled dialogue and the nuances of some of the character's history is a little over my head.
But who can not admire the completely perfect flow of this story? It's a neat murder mystery, with vulcans as most of the prime suspects. while it lacks some in surprise (the culprit stuck out somewhat from the beginning) the overwhelming 'everyone's a suspect' motif certainly kept the tension going. The sheer amount of historical references packed in for every character, the superb emotional contours of Spock and Sarek, the phenomenal familial focus of Amanda and the irreplaceable sojourns into Spock's youth are absolutely priceless.
It's Lorra's first trek book, but you wouldn't know it. The depth is …
Done it again. Historically that's completely inaccurate, of course, because this novel obviously came first. I don't know the TOS characters nearly as well as those of the TNG era, of course, so the completely jelled dialogue and the nuances of some of the character's history is a little over my head.
But who can not admire the completely perfect flow of this story? It's a neat murder mystery, with vulcans as most of the prime suspects. while it lacks some in surprise (the culprit stuck out somewhat from the beginning) the overwhelming 'everyone's a suspect' motif certainly kept the tension going. The sheer amount of historical references packed in for every character, the superb emotional contours of Spock and Sarek, the phenomenal familial focus of Amanda and the irreplaceable sojourns into Spock's youth are absolutely priceless.
It's Lorra's first trek book, but you wouldn't know it. The depth is staggering, the characters vivid, and the entire work so alive that I almost heard Nimoy's vibrant tones as I ploughed my way through this work in a single sitting.
it did seem a little short, but I was reading in the early hours of the morning and not really paying much attention to the pages. The characters at times seemed a little unreal, but I attribute that to my lack of familiarity with the time's universe. The murderer was a rather unspectacular revelation, but given the things we learn about the Vulcans; the glimpses into their culture, history and planet, and the apparent dichotomies that simply turn out to be for the most part nothing at all make this more than just a trek book.
There's only one more of Lorra's trek titles to read, another ToS one. Something to enjoy in the new year, I'm sure.