The Better Mousetrap

A fantasy written by Tom Holt in 2008
Reviewed edition by Orbit from 2009
A trade paperback has 340 pages
ISBN 978-1-84149-504-0

Click to rate this book from worst

to best.

Amazing how your work forms your life.

For Frank Carpenter, work is something done only at the most opportune of times. Fortunately, Frank can easily afford that - when his parents decided to emigrate from the known universe, he came to own a unique time travelling door. Since then, he earns money by averting accidents that would otherwise become expensive on insurance. With the door, a breeze - until Frank meets Emily.

For Emily Spitzer, work is everything. Emily is a professional pest exterminator - at this very moment taking care of a dragon that decided to occupy the vaults of the National Lombard Bank (clearly lured by the accumulated wealth). Given the dangers of her profession, Emily would never dream that she could meet a fatal accident rescuing a cat from a tree - and Frank would never guess how difficult it would prove to avert that particular accident.

An excerpt from the book is available at http://www.tom-holt.co.uk/bettermousetrap.htm.

Review

The lightly satiric tone of the book is immediately reminiscent of Terry Pratchett - although the magical version of England where Frank and Emily live is not nearly as exotic as the Discworld, the same gentle but constant picking on various absurd things of everyday life makes the book an equally enjoyable read. In fact, the humor keeps the book going even when the plot falters - the author himself seems to have fallen prey to the lure of the the time travelling door, using it perhaps a few times too many to get everyone safely through to the conclusion, but the trip is still witty enough to have the reader tag along happily.

Rated as good by Ceres on 2009-11-21

Back To Index