A review by lisamchuk
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Jennifer Graham, Rob Thomas

3.0

This book picks up right where the movie left off. [SPOILER ALERT] Veronica has moved home, her dad is recovering after his "accident", and Logan is on a Navy ship somewhere. We follow Veronica as she (with Mac and Wallace's help) tries to keep the detective agency afloat. (Un)fortunately, there is enough crime in Neptune, and an incompetent sheriff, to keep Veronica busy. She takes the cases of two missing spring break party girls. What follows is an almost episodic story of Veronica tracking the perps, getting into an unhealthy dose of trouble, and meeting some old characters.

I found the story to be very much like a tv episode. Besides the format shift, it felt very much like I was reading what I used to watch on tv. The characters are all there, their mannerisms intact. The banter and dialogue is all there. The episode format (trouble, case, trouble, solved case, more trouble, until next time) is all there. So in this respect, if you were a fan of the tv show/movie, you'll probably enjoy the book(s). I thought it was a nice continuation of the canon, and I'll probably try to read the other books in the series when they come out too (next one is due out January 2015).

As a mystery though, well, if you have never heard of Veronica Mars you'd best start with the tv series and work your way up. I'm not sure how well it stands alone as a mystery, nor is it necessarily a shining example of quality literature. They did do a good job of providing plenty of background summaries to characters and events for new readers though, which I would have found annoying and tedious but since I didn't remember certain things they were a nice reminder.

It was a quick and easy read, definitely recommended for Veronica Mars fans! I hope Weevil plays a bigger role in the next book...