Book Review: Star Trek #2: 'The Entropy Effect' offers a variety of action... if you know what I mean, wink wink.

Synopsis: The Enterprise is in the middle of a month-long study of an anomaly when they are called to what Captain Kirk considers a milk run: escort a convicted killer to rehabilitation. However, this is no ordinary murderer. The convict is Dr. George Moureaux, one of Spock's mentors and a quirky but brilliant scientist who wastes no time in escaping to kill Captain Kirk and some members of the Enterprise crew. Now, Spock and McCoy race against time to catch a killer... BEFORE he strikes.

The Entropy Effect is written by ever capable Vonda N McIntyre and its clear that she has a real love for science and the Enterprise's enigmatic Mr. Spock. When Kirk is killed, he takes the lead, roping McCoy into acting as captain (a hilarious bit that quickly shows how the short-tempered medic is NOT best suited for the captain's chair). Technically, this is a locked-room mystery, but in an universe where light speed, teleporters, holograms, and time-travel exist, it's not too much of a mind-bender. The time travel aspect is handled better, though in a workmanlike manner. All of the team are present, though, of course, not everyone gets equal page time - Scotty and Sulu get the lion's share of the secondary spotlight and, as I mentioned, McCoy as Captain made me laugh out loud.
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This story is an adventure and a murder mystery, but where it really separates itself from the usual Star Trek novel is in the various romantic subplots. There are a LOT of these here, some hinted at, others full-blown subplots. In one, Sulu is torn between his budding relationship with the new head of security and a career-minded transfer off of the Enterprise. (He does get the girl a mild but not entirely closed-door scene.) In the wackiest plot point and a distinct nod to the 1960s mindset, Kirk considers joining a polycule, a sentence that I NEVER thought I'd write. There are, in total, at least 5 different romantic relations alluded to or entertained in an otherwise tightly written book that clocks in at 220 pages long.  Frankly, Jane Austen was less interested in romance than this book is.

That is not to say that I disliked the book - to the contrary, this is a short and fun adventure written by someone who knows and likes the characters and has a good sense of pacing. The balance between romance and danger, humor and ethical dilemmas is perfect. Even though Kirk is down for the count for most of it and there's more romances than an episode of Dynasty, I highly recommend.

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