Amid the hostile attentions of a stray eagle and the trauma of a very dirty refrigerator, super-sleuth Dirk Gently will once again solve the mysteries of the universe (Goodreads).
Similar to the first in that the last chapters are hurried and overstuffed with information; in that Adams' voice shines through in hilarious narration and dialogue; and in that the titular character is the brightest spark. However, this sequel falls flat in several key ways: Where Dirk was the star of the first novel, he did not have to carry it the whole way through, and the supporting cast playing the part of the audience did a wonder. Here, though, Dirk's eclectic nature, while obviously amusing to follow, is not supported nearly as much. The holistic nature of the series also doesn't really play a part either; stuff just sort of seems to happen. It's all explained in the end, but again, the end isn't exactly flawless. Norse mythology isn't the best plot device here, either. It's not like it's a bad book; I'd place it on the 'good' side of the spectrum, but it's hard to stay invested. Only Adams' established voice makes this less of a slog. 7.2/10
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