Title: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Goodreads)
Series: Veronica Mars #1
, 2014
Pages: 324
Buy: Amazon, Book Depository, Kindle (or visit your local Indie bookstore)
Veronica Mars is quite possibly one of the most interesting characters on TV. She’s intelligent, witty and snarky; think Philip Marlowe meets Nancy Drew. First of all, if you haven’t seen the TV show, I highly recommend you do so first. Watch the show then the movie and then you’ll be ready to read this novel. This new series takes place after the events of the movie, which means not only do I have to avoid spoiling the novel, but I must also try and avoid any major spoilers of the movie. I’m sure there will be spoilers from the TV show (mild spoilers from the movie as well) but that really can’t be helped.
Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, rich entitled kids, crime and corruption otherwise known as Neptune, California. A town that has no middle class, you are either rich or you are considered low class, and the Sheriff, he comes down hard but only on those below the poverty line. When a girl goes missing at spring break, a media frenzy follows but the Sheriff’s department are not being helpful. Veronica is hired to find the girl but this leads her into a dangerous underground of drug and organised crime.
All your characters are back, with one surprise. I’m pleased to report that everyone and everything in Neptune felt authentic and I’m so happy to see that Mac had a bigger role as Veronica’s sidekick. There is one major flaw in this movie, it changed perspectives; the TV show and movie are all told in a first person narrative but the book is in third person. Which is strange, Veronica Mars’ first person narration is iconic to the brand and also a vital part of the neo-noir style. While that noir style is still evident in the novel it just didn’t feel the same.
Another major flaw in the novel is the missing ‘bigger’ mystery. It was what made the TV show so great; ‘who killed Lilly Kane’ is what got me addicted to the show and each season had a new mystery to solve. I would have liked to see this return in the new book series but much to my disappointment it didn’t. These books are marketed to fans of the Veronica Mars brand and taking away pieces that make the show/movie great really does not do this novel or the others any justice.
I am a marshmallow (if you don’t know what that is then maybe this book isn’t for you) so I obviously loved this novel and enjoyed being back in Neptune. I will be reading any Veronica Mars novel that gets released and backing any kickstarters for any more possible movies. It was fun to stay in Veronica Mars’ world but I would like to know what happened in the ten years between the TV show ending and the movie. I’m hoping this series will tell me more about Veronica’s university and FBI years.
Great review! I’m pretty late to the Veronica Mars scene (never really watched it when it was still on tv) but I really enjoyed this novel, I could really hear the characters saying these lines and it was interesting to see Veronica re-acquaint herself with Neptune. I thought it was interesting that they did not go with writing this novel from Veronica’s perspective because the narrative really felt like things Veronica would say or observe already. I also wonder if it was on purpose that they chose not to go with a “bigger” mystery, perhaps to see whether the books would pick up well or not?
I have the same issue with most crime novels, but I expect a ‘bigger’ mystery from Veronica Mars and I think you can do it over a few novels. I can’t wait for the next Veronica Mars novel but I would like to see a change in perspective back to first person and in a story arch that continues throughout the series.