Official Review: What Went Wrong With Mrs Milliard's Mech?

[GKCfan]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "What Went Wrong With Mrs Milliard's Mech?" by I H Laking.]

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What Went Wrong with Mrs Milliard’s Mech? is a very short book, suitable for young people, but also older individuals. This is an unconventional mystery, revolving around robots working in the food industry, and a business deal about to go horribly wrong.

In this story, a “mech” is another word for a robot designed to perform a certain task, and in this case, one very special mech is the only creature in the world that is qualified to make some delicious meat pies. (Before anybody wonders, let me assure you that this mystery has no significant plot points in similarity to Sweeney Todd.) Mrs Milliard, the owner of the establishment, cannot make her signature dish herself– only her trained mech can make the meat pies at her establishment, and as the story opened, her formerly efficient mech is now producing inedible foodstuffs. The detective, Inspector Ambrose Aramis, is asked to figure out what may be causing the malfunctioning and save the sale of Mrs Milliard’s restaurant.

This is an intriguing little mystery, and the clues are subtle enough to work as a fair play mystery without being too obvious. The plot, revolving around robots, immediately sparks the reader’s interest. It is soon clear that the fictional world in this story is different from the real world, and the tale is possibly set in some alternative universe, possibly one influenced by steampunk principles.

This story is apparently part of a series, so I will refrain from any objections about the fictional universe needing to be better fleshed out and developed, since it seems probable that details regarding Laking’s fictional universe will be expanded upon in other stories. The tale might have benefited from a little more humor– at times the narrative borders on dryness, and a little more levity might have made the story a bit more fun. As it stands, this is an intriguing premise with a reasonably satisfying solution, but it needs just a little more spark, and a bit more depth of characterization in order to make the story truly shine. What Went Wrong with Mrs Milliard’s Mech? is good, solid entertainment, and future installments might benefit from a little more action and wit, coupled with a similarly clever premise. A little more brightness and imagination are just what this promising series needs.

I give this book three out of four stars.

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