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The Spare Man
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
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The Spare Man
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Publisher's Summary
Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal blends her no-nonsense approach to life in space with her talent for creating glittering high-society in this stylish SF mystery, The Spare Man.
Tesla Crane, one of the richest women in the world, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between Earth and Mars. She’s traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and her husband is named as the prime suspect. To save him from the frame-up, Tesla will risk exposure and face demons from her past.
Even though doing so might make her the next victim.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about The Spare Man
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chelsea Polk
- 2022-12-23
Terribly Enjoyable
A glamorous, retro futuristic space cruise ship and a twisty, surprising murder mystery, and an adorable westie? A great listen!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Deana
- 2022-10-16
Classic mystery, forward worldbuilding
The Thin Man, in Space!
The roots of this classic mystery are clear and well honored. Kowal acknowledges them in multiple ways throughout the story. I feel they are honored while creating a compelling mystery. Plus a few minor ones added into the mix.
The worldbuilding: I rather liked it. I can see it as Kowal looking at current US cultural trends and projecting them forward. Though I think the story is set 200 odd years into the future, so maybe not future enough. Yet I can already foresee some people objecting to “Pronouns everywhere!” and the plethora of LGBTQ+ couples in the story. Even though the main couple is hetero.
The use of trauma, a service animal, therapy, really show a deep care and connection to the subject matters. Kowal did her research well.
The book coming out during “Old Fashioned” week, seems very appropriate. All the drinks are a fun touch. Even if many use gin, which is not my drink at all. I plan to try some of the others.
Performance: I really like Kowal as a narrator. Yet having recently listened to her Lady Astronaut books, I can’t help but compare the voices. Her black security officer Maria (SM) uses the same voice as the main black female charters in those books. Not in a stereotype or insulting way, but I could wish for a less direct comparison in the performances. The other MCs sounding like the MCs of the Lady Astronaut books did not bother me, that’s the nature of a narrator.
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29 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Gwen Stapleton
- 2022-12-24
I really wanted to love this!
This book is so much less than the sum of its parts. On the surface it's got everything I like: mysteries, robots, and inclusive characters! Sadly Tesla is extremely one dimensional and the story just sort of happens around her. The PTSD and anxiety scenes felt extremely forced and only seem to exist to hide how dull Tesla actually is. There's a very lovingly crafted vision of the future in this book but the character work as a whole desperately needs work.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Josh
- 2022-10-20
as fun murder mystery scifi mash up
4-4.5 stars.
MRK has a pretty distinct style, at least based on this book and her Lady Astronauts series (LAS). There is a level of optimism to her work that is heartwarming, but it also takes away some of the edge that we find in some darker stories. That said, MRK does a fairly good job at presenting an <i>almost</i> feel-goodish book while simultaneously keeping the story emotionally compelling.
It certainly isn't my favorite MRK--the LAS has my heart in that aspect. However, this mesh of scifi and mystery was a lot of fun. It isn't what I think of when I consider mystery-thrillers, but it still left me guessing and surprised several times. She is essentially taking a who-done-it on a cruise and putting it in space and in the near future. I like the premise because it is simply another milieu for MRK to delve into the wonderful world of the space sciences.
However, in returning to the space sciences, there is some overlap in the feel and characterization of some the figures in this book and her LAS. I don't agree with some reviews that it's just the same characters. There are similar beats: a competent woman in STEM in a healthy marriage. I'm okay with reusing that because neither of the books are about those things. Rather, I think it's a deliberate act by MRK to show that you don't need your main character to be incompetent or in failing marriage for the story to be compelling (and that such a thing exists), which I wholeheartedly support.
Still, there are other things that make it feel like I can start to see a formula. The most obvious is our protagonists traumatic history and freeze up when seeing fire or flashing lights. It felt a little too cookie-cutter in comparison to Elma (of LAS), who is also perfectly competent but with her one kryptonite: anxiety around public speaking (if I remember correctly). I appreciate the complexity that MRK is going for, but I wish it was a little less obvious how she was developing the characters.
Overall, I really liked the Spare Man. It's not a favorite, but when it comes to mystery's and thrillers, it's one of the most competent I've read. Too often mystery-thrillers go for the most absurd and extravagant sorry lines, but MRK is all about realism (with a hint of optimism :) ) and making the story grounded in reason and facts--which can still be fun! It just takes a bit more effort on the part of the author, and I applaud her for that
4-4.5 star (rounding up to 5 bc I love MRK and I shamelessly want to skew the ratings so more people read this book!)
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew C
- 2022-10-25
Mystery, murder, & mayhem in outer space.
Why to listen to this book: You need a laugh, you have a day where you really don't want to do anything except listen to a book, while learning some inventive ways to curse without actually cursing, and be left with the question "What does mammering mean?". Don't google it, just go with it. Trust me.
The book itself is a darling, and so enjoyable, you will fall for Gimlet and Fantine, don't fight it.
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13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jane Leslie
- 2023-02-01
Nick and Nora Go To Mars
This book combines the genres of Locked Door Mystery and Space Opera(?) Science Fiction Romance(?) And, perhaps, a drop of hard science fiction. Combine, stir 40 times clockwise followed by 10 addional stirs widdershins. Pour over ice, invoke the names Becky Chambers, Nathan Lowell, Douglas Adam's, and John Scalzi and reverently drink to the lives of our Science Fiction overlords and octopedal robots everywhere. You will be giving thanks to the absolutely brilliant Mary Robinette Kowal for perhaps the most inventive book ever written. You helped me survive an iffy stay at the hospital with grace and dignity. I will be back, Mary, to read your next masterpiece.
I digress. To have Mary read her own work to us? We are transcendent!
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- cindy gooch
- 2023-01-28
Unlikable MC and boring plot
Couldn’t get into the mystery. Unrealistic red herrings and an MC who was exactly like the authors other MCs except this one was also a rich snob
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-11-28
Mildly entertaining - and it's not Science Fiction
Listed as scifi, but it's not. takes place on a spaceship, but nothing would change if you put it on a 1920 cruise from NY to London. Light fiction, annoying in places, mildly entertaining.
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Karen ODonoghue
- 2023-01-27
if you remember Nick & Nora....
they are back, on a cruise ship in space, with a dog, gin, and murder
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Clyde M. Wisham Jr.
- 2023-01-27
Pretty good whodunit in space
Pretty good whodunit set on an interplanetary cruise ship. In addition to the basic mystery involving some very cleaver bad guys, you get lots of witty banter, a take-no-prisoners lawyer, and a way-too-cute dog.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I have some of MRK's other books, but still a fun and diverting story.
3 stars for the story. 4 stars for the narration.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Henry1
- 2023-01-30
Fun Take On Classic Noir Murder Mystery!
Mary has done it again with this mashup sci-fi murder mystery. I also love it when an author is an equally good narrator. Two thumbs up.
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3 people found this helpful