Dirk Gently Is at It Again . . . Sort of

This one started off much less confusingly (and weirdly) than the first book, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, though it didn’t necessarily end less confusingly. Part of the problem is that the ending seemed rushed, as though Adams were trying to get it done in a hurry, and he sacrificed quality and clarity to do so.

Once again, the book doesn’t really seem to be about Dirk Gently, although he is a main character, and this time he doesn’t seem to do as much in terms of affecting the resolution. There are two mysteries that he is trying to solve. The first is that his most recent client is murdered in a room that seems impossible for anyone to have gotten out of after doing the deed, and Dirk needs to figure out the motive and decipher a relevant clue. The second is that there is an explosion at an airport that results in no deaths or injuries, but the woman at the check-out counter that goes up in flames disappears, and coincidentally she is Dirk’s former secretary.

There are Norse gods in this one, mainly Thor and Odin. The other main character is Kate Schechter, who is at the check-out counter shortly before it explodes and ends up interacting with them and somewhat helping Thor.

The first half of the book was decidedly better than the second half. I’ve already expressed my disappointment with the ending, but I also found that it wasn’t as funny later in the book. There are some great lines, though, and a couple seemed reminiscent of the comedic style of Catch-22. I particularly liked this bit near the beginning: “The mail on the doormat consisted of the usual things: a rude letter threatening to take away his [Dirk’s] American Express card, an invitation to apply for an American Express card, and a few bills of the more hysterical and unrealistic type.” I also enjoyed the explanation that Dirk’s “Zen” style of driving involves following any car that looks like it knows where it’s going: “The results were more often surprising than successful, but he felt it was worth it for the sake of the few occasions when it was both.” There is at least one callback to this later in the book, which I appreciated.

Upon reflection, I had downgraded Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency from 4 stars to 3, and I think this book deserves 3 as well. It’s fun, at least for a while, but it doesn’t live up to its potential and the ending is far from satisfying.