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The Authorities #1
The Authorities™
Sinclair Rutherford is a young Seattle cop with a taste for the finer things. Doing menial tasks and getting hassled by superiors he doesn't respect are definitely not “finer things.” Good police work and bad luck lead him to crack a case that changes quickly from a career-making break into a high-profile humiliation when footage of his pursuit of the suspect—wildly inappropriate murder weapon in hand—becomes an Internet sensation.
But the very publicity that has made Rutherford a laughing stock in the department lands him what could be the job opportunity of a the chance to work with a team of eccentric experts, at the direction of a demanding but distracted billionaire. Together, they must solve the murder of a psychologist who specialized in the treatment of patients who give people “the creeps.”
There is no shortage of suspects.
But the very publicity that has made Rutherford a laughing stock in the department lands him what could be the job opportunity of a the chance to work with a team of eccentric experts, at the direction of a demanding but distracted billionaire. Together, they must solve the murder of a psychologist who specialized in the treatment of patients who give people “the creeps.”
There is no shortage of suspects.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2015
187 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
About the author
Scott Meyer
16 books2,628 followersScott Meyer has been a radio DJ, a stand-up comic, a writer for video games, an office manager, and a pretend ghost bellhop.
He is the creator of the comic strip Basic Instructions, and has now written a novel.
He and his wife live in Florida, to be close to their cats.
He is the creator of the comic strip Basic Instructions, and has now written a novel.
He and his wife live in Florida, to be close to their cats.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
May 17, 2017
Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. You bastard. Laughing.
January 10, 2024
An amusing, painfully relatable story about people (your employer) making you do things that you actively resent (your job). The main characters are all delightful in different ways and their personalities really elevate the plot. Fantastic start for the series, can't wait to read more!
June 19, 2016
Executive Summary: I didn't enjoy this one as much as the Magic 2.0 books, but by the end I ended up liking it about as much as Master of Formalities
Audiobook: Luke Daniels is awesome. As always. Reviewing his narration feels redundant. I'm always more likely to do a book if the audio is done by Mr. Daniels.
Full Review
I really enjoy Mr. Meyer's Magic 2.0 books. I'm still hoping he does another one soon. In the meantime, I've been doing his other books, especially since they all seem to get Luke Daniels as the narrator and available for pretty cheap.
Cop/murder stories are overplayed. It seems like you can't tell a mystery story without murder. Or at least no one wants to. So of course this centers around a murder. However at it's core about this ridiculous private investigation company created by an eccentric tech billionaire.
I really didn't like most of the characters, which was part of my issue with his last book too. I did warm up to some of them by the end however. That pretty much sums up my overall feelings on the book as well. I was kind of bored early on, but warmed up to things by the end. Likable characters go a long way for me.
The humor wasn't as good for me as his Magic books, but probably about as good as Master of Formalities. It's always a subjective thing, but it probably comes down to the subject matter than anything. I'd probably be more likely to call this book ridiculous (at least some of the time) than funny.
I'd probably read another book in this series, but I hope that now that all the setup is out of the way, it would be more enjoyable sooner.
Audiobook: Luke Daniels is awesome. As always. Reviewing his narration feels redundant. I'm always more likely to do a book if the audio is done by Mr. Daniels.
Full Review
I really enjoy Mr. Meyer's Magic 2.0 books. I'm still hoping he does another one soon. In the meantime, I've been doing his other books, especially since they all seem to get Luke Daniels as the narrator and available for pretty cheap.
Cop/murder stories are overplayed. It seems like you can't tell a mystery story without murder. Or at least no one wants to. So of course this centers around a murder. However at it's core about this ridiculous private investigation company created by an eccentric tech billionaire.
I really didn't like most of the characters, which was part of my issue with his last book too. I did warm up to some of them by the end however. That pretty much sums up my overall feelings on the book as well. I was kind of bored early on, but warmed up to things by the end. Likable characters go a long way for me.
The humor wasn't as good for me as his Magic books, but probably about as good as Master of Formalities. It's always a subjective thing, but it probably comes down to the subject matter than anything. I'd probably be more likely to call this book ridiculous (at least some of the time) than funny.
I'd probably read another book in this series, but I hope that now that all the setup is out of the way, it would be more enjoyable sooner.
July 26, 2019
Imagine a pilot for a tv-show that's part The A-Team, part CSI and part one-camera sitcom. That's The Authorities, but slightly more contrived.
Sinclair Rutherford is an ordinary beat cop who sees his prospects of making detective squashed when he finds out who killed a guy with a sex toy, actually tracks down the killer, chases him and subdues him. Somehow in the universe of The Authorities, this is considered embarrassing for the police force, simply because the murderer uses a sex toy to try to defend himself from Rutherford. This leads to him losing his job and being hired by a private detective firm.
He's not hired because of his skill as a cop but because he managed to generate publicity. Rutherford is then ordered to act like an 80s style bad boy cop and assist a rag tag team of specialists in solving crimes.
The problems I have with this setup are many, but let's stick to three stand-outs:
First: Rutherford's bosses behave completely unbelievable. It's very clear they act the way they do just to push the plot forward. I find it very hard to believe that a cop who manages to get a killer be dropped like a hot potato just because a fight with a sex toy on video somehow looks embarrassing.
Second: The idea that a rich guy bankrolls a team of crime solvers to eventually make money from them is weak enough, but the premise of needing a guy to draw attention to said team as a PR ploy is ludicrous. And not in a funny way, but in a 'this makes no damn sense!' kind of way.
Third: The team itself seems to be designed based on Saturday morning cartoons. There's an enigmatic woman in a power rangers suit, a middle manager, a Dutch secret agent, a Q-like gadgets guy and a scientist who weaponises bees. In fact, it's like the whole thing is intended to be a Saturday morning cartoon for adults.
The reason I stuck with the book was because of narrator Luke Daniels. His performance elevated this pretty bland and contrived book to somewhat entertaining during my daily walks.
Scott Meyer has a bit of a hit and miss record when it comes to his writing. Half of his Magic 2.0 books are excellent. I really enjoyed Master of Formalities. But The Authorities is a dud. It's not excruciatingly bad which explains why I managed to finish it.
It's just contrived, odd and slightly boring.
Sinclair Rutherford is an ordinary beat cop who sees his prospects of making detective squashed when he finds out who killed a guy with a sex toy, actually tracks down the killer, chases him and subdues him. Somehow in the universe of The Authorities, this is considered embarrassing for the police force, simply because the murderer uses a sex toy to try to defend himself from Rutherford. This leads to him losing his job and being hired by a private detective firm.
He's not hired because of his skill as a cop but because he managed to generate publicity. Rutherford is then ordered to act like an 80s style bad boy cop and assist a rag tag team of specialists in solving crimes.
The problems I have with this setup are many, but let's stick to three stand-outs:
First: Rutherford's bosses behave completely unbelievable. It's very clear they act the way they do just to push the plot forward. I find it very hard to believe that a cop who manages to get a killer be dropped like a hot potato just because a fight with a sex toy on video somehow looks embarrassing.
Second: The idea that a rich guy bankrolls a team of crime solvers to eventually make money from them is weak enough, but the premise of needing a guy to draw attention to said team as a PR ploy is ludicrous. And not in a funny way, but in a 'this makes no damn sense!' kind of way.
Third: The team itself seems to be designed based on Saturday morning cartoons. There's an enigmatic woman in a power rangers suit, a middle manager, a Dutch secret agent, a Q-like gadgets guy and a scientist who weaponises bees. In fact, it's like the whole thing is intended to be a Saturday morning cartoon for adults.
The reason I stuck with the book was because of narrator Luke Daniels. His performance elevated this pretty bland and contrived book to somewhat entertaining during my daily walks.
Scott Meyer has a bit of a hit and miss record when it comes to his writing. Half of his Magic 2.0 books are excellent. I really enjoyed Master of Formalities. But The Authorities is a dud. It's not excruciatingly bad which explains why I managed to finish it.
It's just contrived, odd and slightly boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2019
This is a lighthearted mystery book. The hero is a rookie cop who gets pulled into a super crimefighting team put together by what is clearly a supervillain. The mystery was fairly easy to unravel if you are paying attention to the clues. Or you could ignore that and just enjoy the wacky characters, including a passive assassin/bodyguard, a bee expert, a tinkerer who wishes he was Q, and a mysterious detective. The rookie cops job is to look rough and tumble and to star in viral videos that the supervillains marketing team will make sure happen.
Much of the humor of the book is directed at this poor guy. In fact the more I write this review the worse I feel for him and the worse I feel about myself for enjoying what happened to him.
It should be noted that this is clearly an early book written by Scott Meyer. His story telling is good, but his dialog is rough and he needs to improve his 'show don't tell' skills. In any case I can recommend this as a fun read, especially if you need something lighthearted and quick to read.
As a side note let me add that the Author is the creator of the web comic "Basic Instructions." I am a HUGE fan of those strips. I have all the collected volumes in my library. And am I the only one that feels that there should be a final volume of those? Maybe it's just me. Read his strip. He's doing reruns of his body of work with commentary.
Much of the humor of the book is directed at this poor guy. In fact the more I write this review the worse I feel for him and the worse I feel about myself for enjoying what happened to him.
It should be noted that this is clearly an early book written by Scott Meyer. His story telling is good, but his dialog is rough and he needs to improve his 'show don't tell' skills. In any case I can recommend this as a fun read, especially if you need something lighthearted and quick to read.
As a side note let me add that the Author is the creator of the web comic "Basic Instructions." I am a HUGE fan of those strips. I have all the collected volumes in my library. And am I the only one that feels that there should be a final volume of those? Maybe it's just me. Read his strip. He's doing reruns of his body of work with commentary.
February 21, 2023
So fun. Because of Off to Be the Wizard I will probably pick up any book Scott Meyer writes. Sometimes you just need a light-hearted clever read.
This book was equally entertaining, I hope this is the beginning of a series.
Luke Daniels is the perfect narrator for Scott Meyer's style.
Update: Second listen. Such a fun book.
This book was equally entertaining, I hope this is the beginning of a series.
Luke Daniels is the perfect narrator for Scott Meyer's style.
Update: Second listen. Such a fun book.
January 4, 2016
Fun for what it is, yummy junk food.
I liked the premise of the book, it's not an original idea at all but sometimes if the writing is fun, the characters and plot catchy enough it can be it's own thing. So, how does this book fare in the grand scheme of misfit crime solving humour books? Not bad, but not great either.
World: I like the Seattle setting, I live in the Pacific North West so this locale made the story a bit more for me than normal. I also liked Meyer's world building skill which is rather effortless, nonchalant and full of wit and humour. I enjoyed his last series that's why I'm here and much like 'Magic 2.0' it's a fun world that's very recognizable but without of it's own thing to make it fun.
Story: Fairly standard misfit cop story. All the beats are there, from recruitment to case to the mishaps in solving it. I found no surprises here. The writing is fast paced and smooth and is a very light and casual read. You will not be taxing yourself here, it's a book simply to be enjoyed and read at face value. I did like the resolution of the story as it does open the book for sequels which I will welcome.
Characters: This is what generally separates books like this from the crowd. I enjoyed the characters and the development from Meyer's last book so I was hoping for something similar here and it is pretty much what we get. We get witty dialog, quirky characters and wonderful banter. This is the staple of his books and is what makes me go back to reading his books. I'm not saying it's absolutely amazing, but his characters do have enough character to make me enjoy it and make me care about them. The humour is mostly found here in the book and more often then not it made me smirk at the wry sarcastic nature of the dialog. It's fun.
I enjoyed the book, it did not break any new ground and it is very much a junk food book. But hey, as I said I enjoyed it and I will go back for seconds when the next book of the series comes out.
Onward to the next book!
I liked the premise of the book, it's not an original idea at all but sometimes if the writing is fun, the characters and plot catchy enough it can be it's own thing. So, how does this book fare in the grand scheme of misfit crime solving humour books? Not bad, but not great either.
World: I like the Seattle setting, I live in the Pacific North West so this locale made the story a bit more for me than normal. I also liked Meyer's world building skill which is rather effortless, nonchalant and full of wit and humour. I enjoyed his last series that's why I'm here and much like 'Magic 2.0' it's a fun world that's very recognizable but without of it's own thing to make it fun.
Story: Fairly standard misfit cop story. All the beats are there, from recruitment to case to the mishaps in solving it. I found no surprises here. The writing is fast paced and smooth and is a very light and casual read. You will not be taxing yourself here, it's a book simply to be enjoyed and read at face value. I did like the resolution of the story as it does open the book for sequels which I will welcome.
Characters: This is what generally separates books like this from the crowd. I enjoyed the characters and the development from Meyer's last book so I was hoping for something similar here and it is pretty much what we get. We get witty dialog, quirky characters and wonderful banter. This is the staple of his books and is what makes me go back to reading his books. I'm not saying it's absolutely amazing, but his characters do have enough character to make me enjoy it and make me care about them. The humour is mostly found here in the book and more often then not it made me smirk at the wry sarcastic nature of the dialog. It's fun.
I enjoyed the book, it did not break any new ground and it is very much a junk food book. But hey, as I said I enjoyed it and I will go back for seconds when the next book of the series comes out.
Onward to the next book!
December 26, 2018
After finishing magic 2.0 I missed light funny interesting books (and Scott Meyer's humor) so I decided to give The Authorities a chance. It's definitely a compelling story about a murder investigation with mystery characters and funny jokes and situations. I will listen to it again just to laugh a little more with it.
January 8, 2016
I love Scott Meyer's characters. This one had a very similar feel to Magic 2.0, and I really hope he publishes a sequel.
October 6, 2017
This is a fun quick read. It's about a hard luck detective who is hired by a wealthy patron who wants to put together the perfect crime fighting team and provide them with James Bond like toys. The book is often very funny. In the middle, it becomes a bit formulaic, but it redeems itself, I felt, and bubbles into satisfactory read with pretty good ending. It's written to be the first of a series.
October 10, 2021
This starts off funny and delivers the beginning of a humorous premise. It unfortunately just does not deliver very well on that premise and by the end I had the horrible feeling of 'that's it?'.
It teases this large scale concept to you that this main character is going to be used to garner some attention to this badass high tech investigation team thanks to him going viral because of a internet video.
It doesn't do much to sell you that though and more tells this viral video phenomenon at you then shows you. It's too fast paced and just glazes over completly what it means to go viral, the experience of what that would feel like and any consequences of it. Instead, it's told at you, you're just expected to just buy into it and then it's brushed aside in favor of trying to start this plot up. Some build up would have been nice. It's really hard to buy into anything going viral like that over the course of just a single day and then it feels like it's barely addressed again. It was painfully noticeable that it was just a cheap plot device to get this premise going.
On to the whole premise of this book. It's dumb. It's obviously dumb and not in a funny way either. They just don't do enough to really sell the concept that they are using this guy for attention. Some very lame action scenes would happen that start and stop in such a short time that get attempted to be sold as milking the plots concept when it barely does. Instead it all ends up feeling cringe or painfully amateur.
It just feels sooooo small scale that it's disappointing. This organization appears to have a deep and mysterious reputation told at us at the beginning of the book but then it just feels so surface level because once you shallow dive into the organization, it feels kinda lame. It's too few people that it feels way too small be able to sell that they are anybody important.
They fumble around so much too with this small scale crime that it feels kinda cringe that we as a reader are supposed to buy into that any of this matters at all. It's a small scale murder investigation for nobody that matters in the grand scheme of thing. Barely any build up occurs to care about this murder investigation or who was murdered. The small scale of it felt very pathetic honestly.
Everything about the plot, the characters and the investigation felt so small scale that it was pathetic. I felt more sad with this book then anything about all the potential being used up like this in such a wasteful small scale way.
I didn't enjoy this book past the initial introduction. The few jokes you get out of this wears off when you realize that the concept, characters and plot just cant sell you anything very cohesive.
It teases this large scale concept to you that this main character is going to be used to garner some attention to this badass high tech investigation team thanks to him going viral because of a internet video.
It doesn't do much to sell you that though and more tells this viral video phenomenon at you then shows you. It's too fast paced and just glazes over completly what it means to go viral, the experience of what that would feel like and any consequences of it. Instead, it's told at you, you're just expected to just buy into it and then it's brushed aside in favor of trying to start this plot up. Some build up would have been nice. It's really hard to buy into anything going viral like that over the course of just a single day and then it feels like it's barely addressed again. It was painfully noticeable that it was just a cheap plot device to get this premise going.
On to the whole premise of this book. It's dumb. It's obviously dumb and not in a funny way either. They just don't do enough to really sell the concept that they are using this guy for attention. Some very lame action scenes would happen that start and stop in such a short time that get attempted to be sold as milking the plots concept when it barely does. Instead it all ends up feeling cringe or painfully amateur.
It just feels sooooo small scale that it's disappointing. This organization appears to have a deep and mysterious reputation told at us at the beginning of the book but then it just feels so surface level because once you shallow dive into the organization, it feels kinda lame. It's too few people that it feels way too small be able to sell that they are anybody important.
They fumble around so much too with this small scale crime that it feels kinda cringe that we as a reader are supposed to buy into that any of this matters at all. It's a small scale murder investigation for nobody that matters in the grand scheme of thing. Barely any build up occurs to care about this murder investigation or who was murdered. The small scale of it felt very pathetic honestly.
Everything about the plot, the characters and the investigation felt so small scale that it was pathetic. I felt more sad with this book then anything about all the potential being used up like this in such a wasteful small scale way.
I didn't enjoy this book past the initial introduction. The few jokes you get out of this wears off when you realize that the concept, characters and plot just cant sell you anything very cohesive.
March 2, 2016
The first non-SF book from Scott Meyer solidifies by belief that he's an author to watch. While my favorite genre always has been and likely always will be science fiction, it's nice to see him step outside of that comfort zone and try on a story in the "real" world. (Of course, his long running comic series Basic Instructions lives in this same space.)
The Authorities follows protagonist Sinclair Rutherford, a meticulous and sturdy police officer who succeeds at cracking a case despite the subtle indifference and outright hostility of his "superior" detectives. While the collar is a credit to his methodical mind and good instincts, the details of the case are embarrassing and the arrest he makes unfolds publicly and draw the type of attention he'd rather avoid.
His awkward public splash, however, is what draws the attention of an eccentric billionaire (are there any other kinds?) whose latest lark is creating a team of private Authorities (trademark pending) that will assist the police with high-profile crimes where they can generate publicity for the group. The team members have been selected for their marketability as much as their skill set, and Rutherford finds that in order to get the chance he's always wanted, he'll need to act the role of a loose cannon...
The premise is entirely believable, even probable. The idea of privatized police forces is the province of many stories and in point of fact, some reality. And of course they would be reality TV fodder.
The characters are intentionally diverse and interesting and the protagonist is very likable. There's a slight over-emphasis on the characters - how they are all "characters" - and the story itself doesn't quite distinguish itself as much as a result. I choose to believe this is because Meyer is setting the table for a series, and a certain amount of foundation work is needed.
I very much hope the author does develop The Authorities into a series. The whole thing feels like a TV series in many ways. (Not cinematic, but "tv-matic"? I know, you thought I'd say telematic, which sounds much better, but that's an actual thing.)
If that's how this plays out, then this first novel is really just a pilot, and virtually every TV pilot I've ever seen has the same characteristic as this book; great character introduction leading to little time for storyline. You have to wait until the show gets picked up for the good stories. I'm happy to wait...
The Authorities follows protagonist Sinclair Rutherford, a meticulous and sturdy police officer who succeeds at cracking a case despite the subtle indifference and outright hostility of his "superior" detectives. While the collar is a credit to his methodical mind and good instincts, the details of the case are embarrassing and the arrest he makes unfolds publicly and draw the type of attention he'd rather avoid.
His awkward public splash, however, is what draws the attention of an eccentric billionaire (are there any other kinds?) whose latest lark is creating a team of private Authorities (trademark pending) that will assist the police with high-profile crimes where they can generate publicity for the group. The team members have been selected for their marketability as much as their skill set, and Rutherford finds that in order to get the chance he's always wanted, he'll need to act the role of a loose cannon...
The premise is entirely believable, even probable. The idea of privatized police forces is the province of many stories and in point of fact, some reality. And of course they would be reality TV fodder.
The characters are intentionally diverse and interesting and the protagonist is very likable. There's a slight over-emphasis on the characters - how they are all "characters" - and the story itself doesn't quite distinguish itself as much as a result. I choose to believe this is because Meyer is setting the table for a series, and a certain amount of foundation work is needed.
I very much hope the author does develop The Authorities into a series. The whole thing feels like a TV series in many ways. (Not cinematic, but "tv-matic"? I know, you thought I'd say telematic, which sounds much better, but that's an actual thing.)
If that's how this plays out, then this first novel is really just a pilot, and virtually every TV pilot I've ever seen has the same characteristic as this book; great character introduction leading to little time for storyline. You have to wait until the show gets picked up for the good stories. I'm happy to wait...
November 21, 2015
Subtitle: ``Let me tell you about this city I used to live in.''
This is another new genre for Meyer: The Authorities™ is a reasonably straightforward detective story set in Nearly The Real World (the only difference is that Elon Musk is called Vince Capp, that he's in steam/electric hybrid cars instead of pure electrics, and that he's assembling a team of investigative superheroes instead of trying to shoot rich people into the sun).
I got the feeling the point of this book was specifically to write a novel that requires a non-trivial amount of real research—two of the people Meyers thanks are an SPD detective and a clinical psychologist—and he seems to have done a thorough job of that; even the Dutch his Netherlandic character uses is spelled and used correctly. The flipside is that it also feels like he tried to include every remotely relevant bit of trivia he came across.
I said in a review of a previous book that Meyer's abilities as a natural banterer made that book enjoyable in spite of its flaws; here, they work against him. None of the characters, including the narrator, ever just stop talking and bombarding each other—and you—with witticisms and random factoids. Having people constantly try to prove how clever they are is perfectly legitimate if it's a choice you're making (it worked great in his Magic 2.0 series); if it's just how you write people, it becomes jarring.
(Another issue I have with this book is one it shares with Master of Formalities : it sets itself up as having a complex, convoluted mystery at its centre, but once it's all laid out, you can sum it up in a sentence. I recognise that Meyer isn't a mystery writer first, though.)
One thing I like about Meyer's novels is that you can see him make an effort to grow as an author, and The Authorities™ is probably the most overt example of that. I appreciate that. As a novel, though, it's, again, kind of a dud.
This is another new genre for Meyer: The Authorities
I got the feeling the point of this book was specifically to write a novel that requires a non-trivial amount of real research—two of the people Meyers thanks are an SPD detective and a clinical psychologist—and he seems to have done a thorough job of that; even the Dutch his Netherlandic character uses is spelled and used correctly. The flipside is that it also feels like he tried to include every remotely relevant bit of trivia he came across.
I said in a review of a previous book that Meyer's abilities as a natural banterer made that book enjoyable in spite of its flaws; here, they work against him. None of the characters, including the narrator, ever just stop talking and bombarding each other—and you—with witticisms and random factoids. Having people constantly try to prove how clever they are is perfectly legitimate if it's a choice you're making (it worked great in his Magic 2.0 series); if it's just how you write people, it becomes jarring.
(Another issue I have with this book is one it shares with Master of Formalities : it sets itself up as having a complex, convoluted mystery at its centre, but once it's all laid out, you can sum it up in a sentence. I recognise that Meyer isn't a mystery writer first, though.)
One thing I like about Meyer's novels is that you can see him make an effort to grow as an author, and The Authorities
February 1, 2017
Check out my blog, One Man Book Club
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
If you hate books that make you laugh, Scott Meyer is certainly not for you. Go read The Road. That'll cheer you down.
I was in the middle of The Authorities when I realized I was smiling. I didn't recall when the smile started...it was just there. It stayed, and was even accompanied by spontaneous outbursts of laughter.
The Authorities is another terrifically fun read by Scott Meyer, author of Off to be the Wizard and Master of Formalities, and one I now have on my watch list. I'll be looking out for any new books he decides to write. Hopefully I won't have to wait long.
The Authorities has the same off-the-charts originality and humor, but is a bit different from the Wizard 2.o series and Master of Formalities in that it's (a bit) more reality based. This time, an Elon Musk type has assembled a...unique? interesting? odd? eclectic? entertaining? Yes...an entertaining team of individuals as private detectives and provided them with state of the art crime fighting tools. "The Authorities" have to solve a murder mystery while making as big a spectacle as possible to ensure their billionaire patron gets a return on his investment. The more hits the videos of their embarrassing and ridiculous confrontations with murder suspects get on YouTube, the happier their boss is.
Fish out of water. Cool gadgets. Big guns. Awkward situations. Cutting edge technology. Running jokes. Hilarity aplenty.
No language, no sex, no violence. This one does have a (very funny) joke running through it about a sex toy that was used as a murder weapon, but it stays perfectly innocuous.
One other note...if you like audio books, Luke Daniels does all of Scott Meyer's books. He is brilliant, those two are a match made in heaven.
Highly recommend.
Happy Reading!
The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained
If you hate books that make you laugh, Scott Meyer is certainly not for you. Go read The Road. That'll cheer you down.
I was in the middle of The Authorities when I realized I was smiling. I didn't recall when the smile started...it was just there. It stayed, and was even accompanied by spontaneous outbursts of laughter.
The Authorities is another terrifically fun read by Scott Meyer, author of Off to be the Wizard and Master of Formalities, and one I now have on my watch list. I'll be looking out for any new books he decides to write. Hopefully I won't have to wait long.
The Authorities has the same off-the-charts originality and humor, but is a bit different from the Wizard 2.o series and Master of Formalities in that it's (a bit) more reality based. This time, an Elon Musk type has assembled a...unique? interesting? odd? eclectic? entertaining? Yes...an entertaining team of individuals as private detectives and provided them with state of the art crime fighting tools. "The Authorities" have to solve a murder mystery while making as big a spectacle as possible to ensure their billionaire patron gets a return on his investment. The more hits the videos of their embarrassing and ridiculous confrontations with murder suspects get on YouTube, the happier their boss is.
Fish out of water. Cool gadgets. Big guns. Awkward situations. Cutting edge technology. Running jokes. Hilarity aplenty.
No language, no sex, no violence. This one does have a (very funny) joke running through it about a sex toy that was used as a murder weapon, but it stays perfectly innocuous.
One other note...if you like audio books, Luke Daniels does all of Scott Meyer's books. He is brilliant, those two are a match made in heaven.
Highly recommend.
Happy Reading!
May 11, 2021
May 10, 2021 (4th Read):
Give enough space between re-reads and it’s a fun, lighthearted story to enjoy. I’m a little sad there’s not a sequel as I enjoyed the potential this team could have. It reminds me of the old 90s movie, Sneakers. Not so much the premise, but the team dynamics. Luke Daniels is a delight as always.
July 11, 2019 (3rd Read): 5*
Another re-read because I was sick. I love Scott Meyers and have read ALL his books. I really wish he'd leave the Magic 2.0 series for a bit and write a sequel to this one (and while not a fan favorite, my favorite, Master of Formalities. I love that world).
This cold medicine must have been good because I upped the rating to 5* because it's just fun.
March 15, 2016 (2nd Read): 4*
When sick, Scott Meyers is my go-to audiobook. He needs to write more. I can only re-listen so many times.
February 5, 2016 (Original Review):
Not as good as his others but still fun and served the function as being entertaining.
Give enough space between re-reads and it’s a fun, lighthearted story to enjoy. I’m a little sad there’s not a sequel as I enjoyed the potential this team could have. It reminds me of the old 90s movie, Sneakers. Not so much the premise, but the team dynamics. Luke Daniels is a delight as always.
July 11, 2019 (3rd Read): 5*
Another re-read because I was sick. I love Scott Meyers and have read ALL his books. I really wish he'd leave the Magic 2.0 series for a bit and write a sequel to this one (and while not a fan favorite, my favorite, Master of Formalities. I love that world).
This cold medicine must have been good because I upped the rating to 5* because it's just fun.
March 15, 2016 (2nd Read): 4*
When sick, Scott Meyers is my go-to audiobook. He needs to write more. I can only re-listen so many times.
February 5, 2016 (Original Review):
Not as good as his others but still fun and served the function as being entertaining.
October 28, 2015
Flat and awkward
The Authorities tries to be sharp, witty, and funny.
The dialogue is flat, without the pacing or timing required to make it humorous; I see how the jokes would work in a comic strip or tv show, but they fail in this novel.
The rest of the humor is of the 'point and laugh, painfully awkward' kind, which I despise.
The backer is in need of a butt kicking. The rest of the cast is odd but okay, though it takes forever to meet them.
The central plot is ... uninteresting.
Overall, avoid. Try the sample, see if it works for you. The rest of the book doesn't get any better.
The Authorities tries to be sharp, witty, and funny.
The dialogue is flat, without the pacing or timing required to make it humorous; I see how the jokes would work in a comic strip or tv show, but they fail in this novel.
The rest of the humor is of the 'point and laugh, painfully awkward' kind, which I despise.
The backer is in need of a butt kicking. The rest of the cast is odd but okay, though it takes forever to meet them.
The central plot is ... uninteresting.
Overall, avoid. Try the sample, see if it works for you. The rest of the book doesn't get any better.
August 10, 2018
An enjoyable mystery, though I think I would have preferred a less abrasive boss. Since I'm in the PNW the local references were fun, especially the description of Seattle and Portland traffic. Also particularly liked the fact that the "strongest" character isn't any one person but several and the leader(s) are women. Can't wait for a part two, whenever that ends up happening.
Also bravo on the cover design. It wasn't until I was almost 3/4 of the way through that I saw the bees on the badge.
EDIT: 2nd read through and it was still a good book. Also still waiting for part two!
Also bravo on the cover design. It wasn't until I was almost 3/4 of the way through that I saw the bees on the badge.
EDIT: 2nd read through and it was still a good book. Also still waiting for part two!
March 11, 2016
the word that came to mind after the first few chapters was juvenile. That's not a judgement, just a description.
Now that I have finished the book I think I will describe it as 'fluff'. It's much ado about nothing. Is fluff a good word for that?
I have read other books by Scott Meyer and I thought those were light, yet amusing. This book is amusing at times but a bit too light. I do think the characters and mean idea have potential.
Now that I have finished the book I think I will describe it as 'fluff'. It's much ado about nothing. Is fluff a good word for that?
I have read other books by Scott Meyer and I thought those were light, yet amusing. This book is amusing at times but a bit too light. I do think the characters and mean idea have potential.
March 5, 2017
I chose this audiobook because I thought it was a mystery/police procedural and because it is narrated by Luke Daniels. Luke Daniels is excellent as always, but I was wrong about the genre. Turns out it's labeled as humor and is closer to sci fi than to mystery. There's very little crime solving going on, and the humor escaped me. I gave up on this one about half-way through when it became apparent it wasn't going to get much better.
October 11, 2018
"Laughing". Very entertaining characters. I think they were stronger than the story but I had fun all the same. I’ll be looking at other books from this author. Hopefully there are more stories in this series.
May 27, 2016
A bit too gimmicky.
Bunch of random characters, meant to cover every cliche, slapped together.
Bunch of random characters, meant to cover every cliche, slapped together.
June 29, 2016
This one started off well but I struggled mightily to finish it. Just not for me.
August 2, 2016
Still entertaining, but I much prefer Scott Meyer's nerdy Off to Be the Wizard series. I've never been a huge fan of mysteries.
March 25, 2020
Not on par with the Magic 2.0 series, but good enough for me to look forward the next book.
October 17, 2024
Oooooh, I loved this book. It was funny and the characters were well written and nice. I can’t wait for the next one.
2024- just goes to show I can finish a book quickly if I don’t revise or sleep
2024- just goes to show I can finish a book quickly if I don’t revise or sleep
December 31, 2023
This was a pretty fun book with some quirky characters that are, in true Scott Meyer fashion, amusingly and ironically competent. Each character has their schtick and they’re all fun to follow. The plot is well executed, with the mystery actually being very engaging!
Much like the Magic 2.0 series, this book is a comedy. The majority of the book focuses on Rutherford and his interactions with The Authorities, and there’s minimal action. And when there is action, it’s comical and thus easier to follow; Meyer is at his best when writing comedy, so his descriptive writing is more bearable when it’s funny as opposed to serious or neutral (like in Grand Theft Astro). Since this book relies mostly on dialogue anyway, and the plot progressed through interviews instead of action, it was overall much more bearable than some of his other books. This, by the way, is also the reason why the third act of Off to be the Wizard doesn’t land — in a comedy book, the dramatic tonal shift doesn’t work.
As with all Meyer books, if you haven’t read Off to be the Wizard, go read that. And then read Grand Theft Astro. And then probably a different book of his… and then come back to this one! It’s not bad, but it definitely isn’t his greatest work.
Now, I want to talk about the politics of this book. Not because they’re particularly problematic or even noteworthy, but because I personally am fascinated with how Meyer uses politics in his novels. The politics in this one are interesting, as well as a little odd. Firstly, the cops are made to look silly and crooked, which is fantastic. We only meet four people in the police department; the two detectives, the captain, and Rutherford. The two detectives are lying and selfish, the captain is on their side, and Rutherford, the only “good” cop we see in the story, is fired. For this reason, it’s safe to say that this book is anti-cop at best, and cop-critical at worst. Of course this is all for comedy, but the implication is still there.
But it gets really interesting when Rutherford and Max (a foreigner) meet a homeless man with a poorly-made, large knife. Max says, “Such workmanship would be shameful if it were an accident, but in this case it is deliberate. You have the right to bare arms, so your government floods the domestic market with shoddy weapons like these. That way if there’s ever an armed rebellion, it will at least be poorly equipped.” There’s clearly disdain and contempt for the US government here which makes them weak, but it’s interesting that this rhetoric is portrayed through a conversation about weapons. The implication seems to be that arming oneself is a good idea, or would be if the weapons were high quality. This is a much more conservative take than what usually appears in Meyer’s novels, but it’s coming from an earnest place, I think.
In the same scene with the homeless man, right after the incident, Max offers him money. As the homeless man lunges for it, Max swipes it away and blocks the “attack” (which is what Meyer describes it as), and gently guides the homeless man to the ground. Max says that he will be arrested for tonight, but that Max won’t press charges, so he’ll have a shower, food, and a bed that night. Max still have him the money. This definitely seems like an anti-homeless scene, though charity was still given to him. The impression seems to be one of pity more than politics, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
There is also a scene in which three fat guys are blocking the team’s van. They seem to be hostile, and the narrator makes a point about saying that they’re loitering, as if it’s something to be ashamed of. This is relatively minor, but it is worth noting when thinking about the politics of the novel.
There was also a scene where Max was criticizing the housing industry, saying that one shouldn’t rent because “the government only incentives their citizens to buy homes so that they’ll be easier to control. It gives them the illusion of having more to lose, you see.” This is immediately followed by Sloan confirming that Max owns his house, and Max saying that he doesn’t want the government to know that he’s onto them. This is an odd situation because what Max is saying seems perfectly reasonable, but the joke that follows it makes Max seem like a conspiracy theorist. If we’re going off the impression that the reader gets after the interaction, it isn’t a very progressive one. In fact, it’s rather conservative. This conspiracy theorist persona is something that is lightly expanded upon (Sloan claiming that he’s lying when they’re on the phone and The MASH comment toward the end, for example), though not explored very deeply. This further bolsters the idea that the book leans more toward political conservatism.
The social politics, however, are pretty good. At least, the intention is pretty good. Sloan is disabled, but she can do her job well (better, even) with Albert’s technological implants. She still can’t interact much with the wider world and is thus still, effectively, disabled, but she’s able to do what she loves doing. The women in this story are also treated fairly well, although they don’t get much screen time. The character of Rutherford’s sister would have been interesting to see more of.
Much like the Magic 2.0 series, this book is a comedy. The majority of the book focuses on Rutherford and his interactions with The Authorities, and there’s minimal action. And when there is action, it’s comical and thus easier to follow; Meyer is at his best when writing comedy, so his descriptive writing is more bearable when it’s funny as opposed to serious or neutral (like in Grand Theft Astro). Since this book relies mostly on dialogue anyway, and the plot progressed through interviews instead of action, it was overall much more bearable than some of his other books. This, by the way, is also the reason why the third act of Off to be the Wizard doesn’t land — in a comedy book, the dramatic tonal shift doesn’t work.
As with all Meyer books, if you haven’t read Off to be the Wizard, go read that. And then read Grand Theft Astro. And then probably a different book of his… and then come back to this one! It’s not bad, but it definitely isn’t his greatest work.
Now, I want to talk about the politics of this book. Not because they’re particularly problematic or even noteworthy, but because I personally am fascinated with how Meyer uses politics in his novels. The politics in this one are interesting, as well as a little odd. Firstly, the cops are made to look silly and crooked, which is fantastic. We only meet four people in the police department; the two detectives, the captain, and Rutherford. The two detectives are lying and selfish, the captain is on their side, and Rutherford, the only “good” cop we see in the story, is fired. For this reason, it’s safe to say that this book is anti-cop at best, and cop-critical at worst. Of course this is all for comedy, but the implication is still there.
But it gets really interesting when Rutherford and Max (a foreigner) meet a homeless man with a poorly-made, large knife. Max says, “Such workmanship would be shameful if it were an accident, but in this case it is deliberate. You have the right to bare arms, so your government floods the domestic market with shoddy weapons like these. That way if there’s ever an armed rebellion, it will at least be poorly equipped.” There’s clearly disdain and contempt for the US government here which makes them weak, but it’s interesting that this rhetoric is portrayed through a conversation about weapons. The implication seems to be that arming oneself is a good idea, or would be if the weapons were high quality. This is a much more conservative take than what usually appears in Meyer’s novels, but it’s coming from an earnest place, I think.
In the same scene with the homeless man, right after the incident, Max offers him money. As the homeless man lunges for it, Max swipes it away and blocks the “attack” (which is what Meyer describes it as), and gently guides the homeless man to the ground. Max says that he will be arrested for tonight, but that Max won’t press charges, so he’ll have a shower, food, and a bed that night. Max still have him the money. This definitely seems like an anti-homeless scene, though charity was still given to him. The impression seems to be one of pity more than politics, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
There is also a scene in which three fat guys are blocking the team’s van. They seem to be hostile, and the narrator makes a point about saying that they’re loitering, as if it’s something to be ashamed of. This is relatively minor, but it is worth noting when thinking about the politics of the novel.
There was also a scene where Max was criticizing the housing industry, saying that one shouldn’t rent because “the government only incentives their citizens to buy homes so that they’ll be easier to control. It gives them the illusion of having more to lose, you see.” This is immediately followed by Sloan confirming that Max owns his house, and Max saying that he doesn’t want the government to know that he’s onto them. This is an odd situation because what Max is saying seems perfectly reasonable, but the joke that follows it makes Max seem like a conspiracy theorist. If we’re going off the impression that the reader gets after the interaction, it isn’t a very progressive one. In fact, it’s rather conservative. This conspiracy theorist persona is something that is lightly expanded upon (Sloan claiming that he’s lying when they’re on the phone and The MASH comment toward the end, for example), though not explored very deeply. This further bolsters the idea that the book leans more toward political conservatism.
The social politics, however, are pretty good. At least, the intention is pretty good. Sloan is disabled, but she can do her job well (better, even) with Albert’s technological implants. She still can’t interact much with the wider world and is thus still, effectively, disabled, but she’s able to do what she loves doing. The women in this story are also treated fairly well, although they don’t get much screen time. The character of Rutherford’s sister would have been interesting to see more of.
July 25, 2025
Scott Meyer, best known for his humorous takes on science fiction and fantasy, brings his signature wit to the mystery genre with The Authorities™. While this novel dials back the speculative elements of his previous work, it leans fully into quirky character dynamics and unconventional crime-solving.
The story follows Sinclair Rutherford, a young Seattle police officer with refined tastes and a low tolerance for departmental nonsense. After a high-profile arrest goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Sinclair’s career takes an unexpected detour. Instead of punishment, he’s offered a new opportunity: join a private investigative team composed of eccentric experts working under the direction of a distractible billionaire. Their first task? Solve the murder of a psychologist who specialized in patients who “give people the creeps.”
Set against a well-rendered Seattle backdrop, Meyer's plot unfolds with steady momentum—never dragging, but also never rushing toward its conclusion. The charm lies in the interactions between Rutherford and his new teammates, whose varied quirks create both comedic and narrative tension. The murder mystery is engaging enough to hold interest, with just enough red herrings and oddball suspects to keep the reader guessing.
Meyer’s trademark humor is still present—this time more grounded and situational, with a few jokes skirting around sexual themes or mild language, but nothing gratuitous. Unlike his Magic 2.0 series, this is not a sci-fi romp, but a more grounded mystery with a comedic twist.
Recommended for: fans of Scott Meyer, readers who enjoy offbeat mysteries, and Seattle locals who will appreciate the familiar setting. This book may not offer the high-concept hijinks of Meyer’s earlier work, but it’s a solid and amusing departure into the realm of eccentric crime-solving.
The story follows Sinclair Rutherford, a young Seattle police officer with refined tastes and a low tolerance for departmental nonsense. After a high-profile arrest goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Sinclair’s career takes an unexpected detour. Instead of punishment, he’s offered a new opportunity: join a private investigative team composed of eccentric experts working under the direction of a distractible billionaire. Their first task? Solve the murder of a psychologist who specialized in patients who “give people the creeps.”
Set against a well-rendered Seattle backdrop, Meyer's plot unfolds with steady momentum—never dragging, but also never rushing toward its conclusion. The charm lies in the interactions between Rutherford and his new teammates, whose varied quirks create both comedic and narrative tension. The murder mystery is engaging enough to hold interest, with just enough red herrings and oddball suspects to keep the reader guessing.
Meyer’s trademark humor is still present—this time more grounded and situational, with a few jokes skirting around sexual themes or mild language, but nothing gratuitous. Unlike his Magic 2.0 series, this is not a sci-fi romp, but a more grounded mystery with a comedic twist.
Recommended for: fans of Scott Meyer, readers who enjoy offbeat mysteries, and Seattle locals who will appreciate the familiar setting. This book may not offer the high-concept hijinks of Meyer’s earlier work, but it’s a solid and amusing departure into the realm of eccentric crime-solving.
October 14, 2017
This was a fantastic audiobook. This narrator reads all this author’s books, and does an amazing job. He does great voices for so many characters, male and female. I am partial to this author, I really like all his books. This one is just about as good as his other best books.
The plot is just your basic murder mystery, but the book is so much more than that. The book is really about the team, and all the personalities in it. He created such a great cast that he really has to do more books to take advantage of them.
Having created such a wonderful cast, I was a little disappointed that the plot was just a basic murder mystery. I expected it to have a high-tech twist. That is not a problem, it is just that all the other books by this author set my expectations too high.
If there is anything to criticize, it is that the many detailed references to Seattle were a bit distracting. I appreciated them because I am from that area, but it was still a little too much.
The basics of this, a specially-assembled team of investigators, joined by the reluctant main character, reminded me of the author’s wife’s books, We Could be Villains and Unsung Villains. Although, I have to admit that her books were ever so slightly better.
This was a really fun read that was hard to step away from. I was always anxious to get back to it so I could find out what happened next. What more could you ask for? I wholeheartedly recommend this.
The plot is just your basic murder mystery, but the book is so much more than that. The book is really about the team, and all the personalities in it. He created such a great cast that he really has to do more books to take advantage of them.
Having created such a wonderful cast, I was a little disappointed that the plot was just a basic murder mystery. I expected it to have a high-tech twist. That is not a problem, it is just that all the other books by this author set my expectations too high.
If there is anything to criticize, it is that the many detailed references to Seattle were a bit distracting. I appreciated them because I am from that area, but it was still a little too much.
The basics of this, a specially-assembled team of investigators, joined by the reluctant main character, reminded me of the author’s wife’s books, We Could be Villains and Unsung Villains. Although, I have to admit that her books were ever so slightly better.
This was a really fun read that was hard to step away from. I was always anxious to get back to it so I could find out what happened next. What more could you ask for? I wholeheartedly recommend this.
August 4, 2019
I enjoyed “Master of Formalities” by Scott Meyer, but I cannot recommend “The Authorities.”
The superb narration by Luke Daniels was the only reason I bothered finishing “The Authorities.”
As I’m writing this review, the “Bryant and May” series by Christopher Fowler comes to mind. Fowler's beloved detective novels have a contemporary setting with an eclectic team of investigators. Each story has a somewhat-fantastical body that strides on sturdy legs of correct information about our world. And, the humor is quite clever. “The Authorities” doesn’t achieve the sturdy legs nor the clever humor.
The author’s incorrect statements about common-knowledge topics kept pulling me out of the story. Here’s just one example of many that annoyed me. Early in the progress (not a spoiler), a character who is a medical professional freely gives out the names, addresses, and general conditions of patients, and that medical person believes it’s not a violation of HIPAA! Really?!?!?!? As the story advances, there are additional casual remarks from others about how HIPAA was not violated. This story has a contemporary setting, not an alternate reality nor an imagined future, so it shouldn’t contradict contemporary common knowledge. Besides, I can think of more interesting ways for that info to have been gained.
I might be willing to try “Off to Be the Wizard” because it's also performed by Luke Daniels.
The superb narration by Luke Daniels was the only reason I bothered finishing “The Authorities.”
As I’m writing this review, the “Bryant and May” series by Christopher Fowler comes to mind. Fowler's beloved detective novels have a contemporary setting with an eclectic team of investigators. Each story has a somewhat-fantastical body that strides on sturdy legs of correct information about our world. And, the humor is quite clever. “The Authorities” doesn’t achieve the sturdy legs nor the clever humor.
The author’s incorrect statements about common-knowledge topics kept pulling me out of the story. Here’s just one example of many that annoyed me. Early in the progress (not a spoiler), a character who is a medical professional freely gives out the names, addresses, and general conditions of patients, and that medical person believes it’s not a violation of HIPAA! Really?!?!?!? As the story advances, there are additional casual remarks from others about how HIPAA was not violated. This story has a contemporary setting, not an alternate reality nor an imagined future, so it shouldn’t contradict contemporary common knowledge. Besides, I can think of more interesting ways for that info to have been gained.
I might be willing to try “Off to Be the Wizard” because it's also performed by Luke Daniels.
September 2, 2021
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post is to catch up on my "To Write About" stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
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This is a comedic police procedural with a dash of SF. A beat cop who ends up featured on a very embarrassing viral video gets the opportunity to capitalize on his inadvertent fame by becoming the face of an oddball group of crime fighting experts assembled by a tech guru to revolutionize policing.
This screams TV movie as backdoor pilot to an 80s TV show. I could see this as a pretty long-running series. I'm guessing the sales weren't there--or maybe Meyer didn't have a second novel in him (maybe it was a stand-alone all along?)--because there hasn't been a follow-up. With something that feels so much a kick-off to a series, the fact that there's nothing more takes a little of the shine off the ending. Just a little.
I enjoyed this--decent mystery, great cast of suspects--great cast of characters period--fun set up, solid (and goofy) execution. Lots of fun.
The narration on this was done by Luke Daniels, who I am an unabashed fan of, I'm not going to waste anyone's time talking about what a great job he did with this one, because it's obvious.
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This is a comedic police procedural with a dash of SF. A beat cop who ends up featured on a very embarrassing viral video gets the opportunity to capitalize on his inadvertent fame by becoming the face of an oddball group of crime fighting experts assembled by a tech guru to revolutionize policing.
This screams TV movie as backdoor pilot to an 80s TV show. I could see this as a pretty long-running series. I'm guessing the sales weren't there--or maybe Meyer didn't have a second novel in him (maybe it was a stand-alone all along?)--because there hasn't been a follow-up. With something that feels so much a kick-off to a series, the fact that there's nothing more takes a little of the shine off the ending. Just a little.
I enjoyed this--decent mystery, great cast of suspects--great cast of characters period--fun set up, solid (and goofy) execution. Lots of fun.
The narration on this was done by Luke Daniels, who I am an unabashed fan of, I'm not going to waste anyone's time talking about what a great job he did with this one, because it's obvious.
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