Book Review: Veronica Mars - The Thousand Dollar Tan Line

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She's traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.
Now it's spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person's case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica's past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined. Fun fact #1 - I am a Marshmallow
Fun fact #2 - I am one of the many Marshmallows that helped get the film released.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I am such a big fan of Veronica Mars, I was one of the people who contributed to the kickstarter fund. The film (and the series box set) sit proudly on my shelf and as I write this, I am mid-way though watching season 1 again. Somehow I didn't know there was a book out. That one completely escaped me until a friend bought it for my birthday. It took me long enough to read it, but as soon as I opened it, I couldn't put it down. Thankfully I had chosen to start reading it on a Friday evening. The sun was coming up on the Saturday when I finally put it down.

This is the point where I say, if you haven't seen the film, there will be spoilers. If you haven't read the book yet, I will do my best to keep the spoilers out, but I can't make any promises!

The story takes place a few weeks after the film. It's Spring Break. Keith Mars has been released from hospital although not yet back at work. Veronica has passed on the fancy job in New York (well, they may have passed on her after her film escapades) and she is back in Neptune looking after Mars Investigations while Keith gets back on his feet (longer, if she has her way). With the help of old pal Mac, now working at Mars Investigations with her, Veronica is busy looking for two missing girls.

In true Rob Thomas style, the story flows just like an episode of Veronica Mars. Living up to the reputation, the quality of plot is there too. The investigation takes centre stage, but keeping close company is the family dynamics. Spoiler alert Lianne is back. All the favourites are there - Wallace, Mac, Weevil, and even Dick make an appearance. For me, there was only one thing lacking. At the end of the film, Logan has left for the US Navy. During this story, the only interaction we see are through very brief Skype calls. That's probably my biggest gripe with the book. I love LoVe, and frankly, there wasn't enough of it. It's not just them being an adorable couple, it's the quips. Hell, I just missed Logan.

The characters, like the audience have aged. Ten years have passed since it aired, and Veronica has aged to match. One thing this allows the story to benefit from is a slightly more realistic dialogue. We have swearing, we have topics that are certainly older than PG-13, and for me it works. But as the storyline is maturing, so is Veronica.

I've always thought Veronica to be a great role model. She's sassy and she's brave. She tries to do the right thing, and she always tries her best. That's why it's interesting to see Veronica in this story. She nearly landed on her feet in New York, but choosing to stay has consequences - how are the bills going to be paid? While she's struggling with this, she's also struggling to find her feet in the PI business again. She's been out of it for a while, and even though old habits die hard, it's not as easy as it used to be. Then you have to add in the equation that she's now doing this by herself with no real backup. When you're a kid, you can get away with a lot more, and even in her toughest episodes, she was never really alone. Keith, Logan and Weevil have all but gone, and even Backup. This probably rings home the most when she goes undercover at a party hosted by Gutierrez, wearing little more than a bikini. I think the following scenes in the hospital with Wallace are a true show of how vulnerable she really is.


All in all, I really enjoyed this story, and the few flaws there were (lack of Logan, for one), were almost forgotten about by the end. Would I recommend it? Most definitely. (You would probably enjoy it if you weren't a Marshmallow too. Personally, I'd recommend you watch the series as well, but there you go.) I've already bought Mr. Kiss and Tell.

This is Logan reminding you: if you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask which seat, just get on. Sheryl Sandberg said that. So don’t leave a message. Go get on that rocket ship. Or, leave a message. Your call. Your decision will tell me a lot about you.