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Hob Draconian #2
Draconian New York
Robert Sheckley is widely recognized as a master of the offbeat mystery novel. Robert Sheckley returned to the genre with The Alternative Detective, introducing Hob Draconian, ex-hippie expatriate American in Paris, longing for the idyllic Mediterranean paradise of the island of Ibiza.
Now Draconian returns to New York. All Hob wants is to finish his divorce and get the ten grand he needs to pay off his mortgage on Ibiza. But other people have plans that could get him arrested - or killed. He takes on an easy-money assignment from an old friend to accompany a beautiful model to Paris and make sure she gets there on time. It's a setup, of course, but of whom and by whom and for what?
Now Draconian returns to New York. All Hob wants is to finish his divorce and get the ten grand he needs to pay off his mortgage on Ibiza. But other people have plans that could get him arrested - or killed. He takes on an easy-money assignment from an old friend to accompany a beautiful model to Paris and make sure she gets there on time. It's a setup, of course, but of whom and by whom and for what?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1996
About the author
Robert Sheckley
1,406 books679 followersOne of science fiction's great humorists, Sheckley was a prolific short story writer beginning in 1952 with titles including "Specialist", "Pilgrimage to Earth", "Warm", "The Prize of Peril", and "Seventh Victim", collected in volumes from Untouched by Human Hands (1954) to Is That What People Do? (1984) and a five-volume set of Collected Stories (1991). His first novel, Immortality, Inc. (1958), was followed by The Status Civilization (1960), Journey Beyond Tomorrow (1962), Mindswap (1966), and several others. Sheckley served as fiction editor for Omni magazine from January 1980 through September 1981, and was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 1, 2017
PROTAGONIST: Hob Draconian, “alternative detective”
RATING: 3.25
WHY: Hob Draconian is leading his dream life in Ibiza when he receives notice that he must pay $10,000 in a month’s time or lose his property. He runs an unprofitable “alternative” detective agency with his employees being a cast of misfits. He travels to New York to finalize a legal agreement about the property with his ex-wife and gets offered a job to escort a model to Paris for the amount he owes. Unbeknownst to him, drugs are packed in his bag and all sorts of trouble ensues. An interesting protagonist and some humor. The plot was weak and conclusion convenient.
RATING: 3.25
WHY: Hob Draconian is leading his dream life in Ibiza when he receives notice that he must pay $10,000 in a month’s time or lose his property. He runs an unprofitable “alternative” detective agency with his employees being a cast of misfits. He travels to New York to finalize a legal agreement about the property with his ex-wife and gets offered a job to escort a model to Paris for the amount he owes. Unbeknownst to him, drugs are packed in his bag and all sorts of trouble ensues. An interesting protagonist and some humor. The plot was weak and conclusion convenient.
December 29, 2010
Fast fast read. Keeps you interested but nothing spectacular.
January 19, 2024
The second book of the Alternative Detective series by Robert Sheckley. P.I. Hob Draconian continues to be one of the most passive protagonists I’ve ever encountered. This story is not as compelling as the first book, but overall a fun read.
October 9, 2011
В русском переводе этот роман называется "Между Сциллой и Харибдой". Читается несколько живее, чем первая книга серии.
March 27, 2015
Good read, Hob is a quirky / interesting character ? Story was ok. Would try another with this character.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews