The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell by Harry Harrison: This is only my second Stainless Steel Rat novel, but I think I need to go back to the beginning and check out the first few in the series. Not only were there loads of characters and references to past events with which I was unfamiliar, this SSR story felt tired and forced. I felt like the author was just throwing in new twists and calamities for the heroes in order to boost his pagecount to novel length. There was no real flow to the plot and many of the events that either saved the day or ruined it seemed too convenient to be believable, even given a wide suspension of disbelief. Don’t get me wrong – I still enjoyed the SSR’s witty banter and sarcastic commentary, but overall I felt like the story was a little too aimless and random.

Originally posted on Bookcrossing.