She's baaack! 'Veronica Mars' returns in a new format & fans rejoice!
We first met Veronica Mars on the small screen in 2004, returned via the big screen ten years later. It now continues in written word in the form of ‘Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line’ by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham.
After the successful Kickstarter funded film for 'Veronica Mars', Thomas continues Mars' story in two novels – 'The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line' and 'Mr Kiss and Tell'.
In 'The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line', which takes place a few days following the movie's end, Veronica is back in the town of Neptune for good, working as a private investigator for Mars Investigations, while her father recovers from the attack he encountered in the film.
In the midst of Spring Break, Veronica waits for a worthy job to come her way in the form of finding a missing college girl - a job Sheriff Lamb is inept at doing. As she investigates the case, she is assisted by her friends Mac and Wallace, and encounters familiar faces throughout the book where the movie couldn’t allow.
The mystery of a missing girl is complicated, as Veronica soon discovers. With a few twists and turns, she finds herself in more than one life-threatening situation. Veronica style of investigation remains the same as in her youth, albeit now rusty and lacking in the rationality fans may hope for.
However, Veronica is still finding her groove as a PI after nearly a decade of living it straight in New York. The father-daughter relationship between Veronica and Keith is still a delight, but leaves us wanting more by the end, as does the short but sweet appearances of Logan.
The novel is told in third person - a far cry from the usual first-hand narration we’re so used to in the television series, but the narrative perspective is used well to tell the story and the details of the characters around Neptune, without the bias of Veronica. The snarky dialogue is not lost in the pages though, and Veronica’s sassy remarks are still alive and well. (Try reading with Kristen Bell's voice in mind - it makes for an extra entertaining read!)
As a crime novel, this may be a bit lacklustre, as it ultimately feels more focussed on Veronica than the mystery itself. This is best appreciated by fans of 'Veronica Mars' who understand and appreciate the references and old characters.
'The Thousand Dollar Tan Line' is a quick-to-read novel, but Veronica's story continues in the second book - ‘Mr Kiss and Tell’, which will surely sate the desires of the fans until a possible Season 4.
‘Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line’ is available in all good book stores, and as an audiobook as read by Kristen Bell - available from Audible.
