Douglas Adams: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987)

    Dirk Gently, self-styled private investigator, sets out to prove the fundamental interconnectedness of all things by solving a mysterious murder, assisting a mysterious professor, unravelling a mysterious mystery, and eating a lot of pizza (Goodreads).

    For the first ninety percent of the plot, Adams shines in a uproariously funny, eloquently dictated, and smartly constructed genre-bending novel full of dynamic characters, witty dialogue, and engaging mystery. Although it takes a while for the titular Gently to make an appearance, the buildup and payoff for his character and the subsequent detecting that unfolds is well worth the wait. As readers follow along with the strange detective and the exasperated Richard, there is also payoff in seeing the book's various strange elements come together in a very, well, holistic fashion. For the last ten percent, while it is about as enjoyable as the first portion, Adams crams in perhaps a bit too much, what with time travel and alien colonization threatening humanity all being introduced in the conclusion. This does little, however, to deter from the fact that Adams has crafted a masterful story here. 8.6/10

Scott Westerfeld: Goliath (2011)

    The crown, true love with a commoner, and the destruction of a great city all hang on Alek's next--and final--move (Goodreads).

    Westerfeld continues the relative consistency of his steampunk historical saga in this, the concluding novel. Again, his world continues to expand and grow in a detailed and intricate manner, while still maintaining a central plot and characters. The first two thirds of the novel are a bit slow moving and slightly muddled when it comes to the individual stakes of this particular book, but the whole trilogy is wrapped up very well in the final act, as the pace picks up again as the author handily executes a solid climax and resolution. The character conflict between the two protagonists is predictable and resolved a bit too slowly, but for the most part, Westerfeld ends his unique trilogy in a highly enjoyable and entertaining fashion. 7.9/10