The Spare Man was a complicated read. As one of my most anticipated new releases of 2022 by an author whose previous works I adored, it's clear I was expecting a lot from this book. Unfortunately, lofty expectations can kill even the best of books. So with that in mind I'm going to try to temper my disappointment at my reading experience throughout this review.

As for the story itself, The Spare Man is a blend of murder mystery and space adventure. In it, we see heiress and inventor Tesla Crane entangled in a murder plot while on her honeymoon on a luxury cruise... in space! Her spouse Shal is framed for the murder of one of their fellow passengers and as bodies pile up and the evidence stacked against him Tesla must hunt down the real killer before the cruise docks on Mars.

I'll start with the positives. The setting of The Spare Man was genuinely a delight. The USS Lidgren as a luxury spacefaring cruise liner was filled with exciting novelty. From jaunting across different decks (appropriately adjusted to the gravities of different planets, of course) to sipping cocktails poolside while enjoying a view of the galaxy Kowal indulged in the fun of going on a cruise well and it was fun to see a sci-fi twist on an already charming setting.

Also, as with every Mary Robinette Kowal book I've read, the romantic relationship at this novel's centre was excellently rendered. Kowal has the magic touch when it comes to crafting intimacy and connection in established relationships. I was consistently compelled by Tesla and Shal's bond. The easy comfort they found in each other and the lived-in understanding of each other quirks was excellent. The Spare Man, like all of Kowal's books, really demonstrates what makes established relationships so fun to read. Experiencing the texture that comes from that history between characters was a delight. My only complaint on this front was that we didn't spend enough time with Tesla and Shal because the plot contrived to separate them at every turn. Tesla, especially, was a better and more interesting character with her spouse than without him.

That brings me to my biggest problem with his book, Tesla Crane. Don't get me wrong there was a lot about Tesla I empathized with. This book sees a well-rendered depiction of mental illness through Tesla's PTSD. Throughout the novel, we see Tesla navigate avoiding her PTSD triggers and managing the daily guilt of surviving an accident that killed her coworkers and friends. Kowal also empathetically renders a realistic portrait of physical disability. The narrative frequently sees Tesla considering and adjusting to her varying energy levels and pain management. And, while the story exists in a far-flung future, Kowal doesn't use her setting as an opportunity to disregard the ways disability would impact someone's daily life even with assistive technology.

However, despite my appreciation for the clear care that went into crafting Tesla as a character I never truly liked her. My biggest hurdle in this regard was Tesla's extreme wealth, which she used constantly throughout the book to attempt to buy her and her husband security from scrutiny during the murder investigation. While Tesla was aware of the social power her wealth gave her over the employees on the ship it never stopped feeling uncomfortable to see her wield wealth to get what she wanted, even if I ultimately sympathized with her motives. It was especially tough to root for her when she would threaten service staff with getting them fired to get her way. While I don't think this is a flaw in the story it was a barrier that prevented me from fully connecting with Tesla.

This lack of investment in Tesla bled into a general lack of interest in the plot. While I have no qualms with the construction of the mystery in The Spare Man I did find myself struggling to care about unravelling the truth of the murders. By halfway through the book I realized I was not at all curious about finding out who was behind it all.

In the end, while The Spare Man had a lot of the pieces of Mary Robinette Kowal stories I love, namely a strong setting, fantastic central relationship, meaningful representation of mental illness and inclusion of a diverse range of characters, it lacked the hook of a compelling and sympathetic protagonist I could sink my teeth into and root for. So it ultimately left me disappointed.