Part noir detective story, part thriller, part inventive science fiction that examines a world in which death is not permanent (well, certain kinds of death and mostly), this is newest adventure in John Scalzi’s “The Dispatcher” series. I hadn’t read the first one but quickly found that didn’t matter. Scalzi skillfully weaves in all the necessary backstory with nary a plot hiccough.

In Scalzi’s world, a few years ago almost all folks who were murdered don’t die, they reappear in a place they feel safe, like a childhood home. Natural deaths are something else: you die, you stay dead. A new profession has arisen, that of “dispatcher,” a not-murderer for hire. If you’re about to die naturally, you hire them and get another chance at life. Most of the time. But business has been drying up, and Tony Valdez has been taking on cases that blur the shady line of what’s strictly legal. Like killing a Chinese executive so he can re-appear thousands of miles away in time for an important business meeting. At this point, Scalzi propels Valdez firmly into thriller territory, with plenty of dramatic tension, noir mystery, and danger. In Scalzi’s superlatively competent hands, it all comes together seamlessly for a can’t-put-it-down ride.

There is enough background given in this novella that you don’t have to have read the previous book but you do get more background since several characters are in both books. The world has changed and if you die a violent death you tend to resurrect most of the time. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher that has done a few shady jobs to make ends meet and after being at the bank where the robbers said hello to him while they were dispatching themselves to leave, he is thrust into a something that just may end up killing him if he doesn’t get to the bottom of it quickly enough.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley

The concept was good, but the execution was just kind of...bland. There was plenty of room for Scalzi to play, with the central concept being a change in the base code of the universe that causes murdered people to come back to life 99.9% of the time. This leads to the burgeoning career of Dispatching, or killing people in high-risk situations before they can die of natural causes, thus maximizing the odds they will survive. However, this novella does not live up to its potential. The hard-boiled detective angle comes off as formulaic and tired, with Tony Valdez reading as a carbon copy of your classic down on his luck, grimly sarcastic everyman. Other than a few interesting tidbits surrounding the practical applications of Dispatching, there wasn't much to choose between this and every other noir novel I've ever read.

Basically, this novella felt like Scalzi had a REALLY cool lightbulb idea, slapped it on paper, and then Mad Libs'd a plot and characters in the space between. Wasn't horrible, could have been much better

Murder By Other Means by John Scalzi


I really like John Scalzi’s books, and I enjoy the Dispatcher series, but if you asked me what my one problem with them are , I’d have to answer “core concept”. His worldbuilding is virtually nonexistent- he wanted to write mystery stories, gave them a fantastical bent, and never bothered to explain the how or why of resurrection (but only from murder). It allows him to tell the stories he wants to tell (I assume) but it leaves me unsatisfied, like eating only candy for dinner. That being said, his newest Dispatcher novella, Murder By Other Means, is fun, fast, and entertaining. The mystery is fun, although it might be deemed to be more of a noir thriller, since the reader doesn’t have the necessary clues to solve it, but just goes along for the ride. And it would be nice if Mr. Scalzi’s legal education came from anything other than fiction. In spite of all that, I enjoyed it, and will happily read the next volume when it comes out. Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely addition to the Dispatcher series. I am always a John Scalzi fan, and if you like his writing and/or you enjoyed the first Dispatcher novella, you'll surely enjoy this one as well. It brings the world further into the future, when times are a little harder, and the grey lines get a little blurrier. Quite enjoyable.

How can a story involving so much murder be so enjoyable and borderline humorous? You make sure that very few of the victims actually die. That's the improbable conceit of the story and the author makes it work. The audio book of the first Dispatcher novella is sitting in my Audible queue (the pandemic really messed up my listening habits). But this was thoroughly understandable and entertaining without that introduction.

As with most stories from John Scalzi, the value is in the writing. The snappy dialog and colorful characters whisk you along for a pleasant ride full of twists and turns and a totally believable outcome (ignoring the previously mentioned improbable conceit). Highly recommended for a few hours of entertainment.

Scalzi is one of the best mystery authors writing science fiction today. Or maybe that's a science fiction author writing mysteries. This is an author who excels equally well at both. I loved this book, and I hope that this is not the only book written in this world. The plot twists and turns, and it is difficult to see how the characters will come to a happy conclusion. I highly recommend this title to pretty much anyone.

In the not too distant future, it will become nearly impossible to kill someone. 99.9% of the time, when someone is intentionally killed, they come back - their bodies disappear from where they were "killed" and reappear at their home, naked, in bed. Only death by natural causes or true accidents are otherwise permanent. No one knows how or why this has happened, but it has definitely changed everyday life in many ways - including the creation of a job as "Dispatcher" ... someone who 'kills' people for pay so that they can be reset for whatever personal reason they might have. (Let's say someone is in surgery and something goes wrong ... 'dispatch' them so that the don't actually die, allowing doctors to try again.)
But while some old problems have gone away, some new problems arise. What happens when a 'dispatch' goes wrong and the target actually dies? Who is responsible? And if you wanted to really torture someone now you could torture them to death, have some goons waiting for the body to reappear, take the person and keep up the torture.

Enter Tony Valdez, a licensed and bonded Dispatcher. When a fellow Dispatcher is kidnapped, local police call upon Tony to help them understand the Dispatcher job and to navigate some of the Dispatcher shortcuts to getting a job done.

What a great, almost obvious, idea. I mean, so many people today play video games in which a character 'dies' and their life is reset to a home base (or at least reset to somewhere presumably safe) - why not take this into the 'real' world?

The book, and particularly the character of Valdez, have all the hallmarks of a Scalzi story - some irreverent humor and some scathing satire. And if you read Scalzi, chances are this is just what you are looking for.

Unlike many of his other books, this one is almost 90% detective mystery, with a sci-fi setting. He does this well, though for such a short book (a novella or even novelette, actually) we spend perhaps too much time setting up the world and the main character before we get to the mystery.

I understand that this was written with the intention of being an audio piece - read by Zachary Quinto. While I may have missed any specific inflections that Quinto may have added, because I read this rather than listened to it, I think it stands just fine as s short sci-fi mystery. It's also quite a clever world and I'm eager to read the next volume and wish that Scalzi would return to this series.

Looking for a good book? John Scalzi's The Dispatcher, originally written for audio and now published in a special edition by Subterranean Press, is a clever sci-fi mystery with all the loveable wit and gruffness that Scalzi brings to his books.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I dug The Dispatcher when I read it back in 2017 and I expected to equally enjoy a second Dispatcher novella should John Scalzi decide to write one. He did, and I did, and here we are. Murder by Other Means, like The Dispatcher was written as an Audible original - which means it was published (and presumably written) with being an audio book first and a print book second. I don't know quite what that means in terms of what the best way to enjoy this particular story because I don't listen to audiobooks for reasons so I only encounter the work via print. With that said, John Scalzi's writing in general and with Murder by Other Means in particular is smooth, breezy, accessible and straight up fun to read. That's what Scalzi does and that's what he does here.

Murder by Other Means is set in our world, except inexplicably 99.9% of all murder victims are brought back to life wherever they feel safe. Accidental death = death. Murder, well, you're probably coming back. It doesn't need to make sense. Accept it and roll with it. What that means is that if you *want* to commit a murder you've got to be a bit more creative about that and people around Tony Valdez start dying in pretty suspicious ways. There's a plot afoot and it's told with the wit and panache readers have come to expect from John Scalzi. I think Murder by Other means works better by following The Dispatcher rather than standing alone but it works fairly well on its own. Scalzi still makes sure everything is explained and the dots can be connected - which is actually what makes Murder by Other Means as much fun as it is, when Scalzi starts connecting the dots and bringing things together it's a bit of a murderous romp.

Yeah! Dispatcher is now a series. Really enjoyed the average Joe trying to get by, killing to make a living. Who knew a helping shove could actually save someone from death? Scalzi is brilliant in every genre he writes, though I have to admit being partial to "classic" science fiction. 4.5* out of 5*
I received an e-galley compliments of the publisher and NetGalley.

A murder mystery in a world where murder isn't possible. This was a quick, fun sci-fi mystery that continues to explore a world where death can only happen accidentally or by natural means, not by murder. I didn't realize it was a sequel when I started reading it, but it does a good job of laying down the groundwork of the world, so I didn't feel like I was missing too much.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series is so much fun! Crime/murder mystery in a world where murder can’t happen. I love it!

This series is written in short, seemingly episodic, stories. Because of that, I think this series would be made into an amazing adaptation. I’m imagining a mini series on HBO. Perfection. 👌🏻

I was so excited to get a review copy of John Scalzi’s The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means – I’d just finished his Interdependency series & missed the wit and sass. ANYWAY. I hurried up and started reading… And then realized I’d already heard this story of (almost) murder-for-hire. (Yes, I have this in my Audible library.)

BUT. A good story is a good story. And this follow-up offering to The Dispatcher continues Tony Valdez’s adventures as someone who makes a living (albeit it’s getting more difficult to) killing people. In book #2, Tony’s asked to do a job. Does it. And finds himself tangled in the web of ruthless killers, in a series of unfortunate coincidences.

What I like about The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is that it’s set in a world much like ours but with the murder-for-hire-but-you’re-not-dead part (mostly) (maybe). I like the creativity and the dialogue and the shenanigans. There’s a plot and a storyline, and while they look like train tracks heading in different directions, they do eventually intersect for the whole picture to emerge.

All in all, this was an entertaining read – even if I’ve heard the story before. Add it to your pile for a quick adventure where you wonder about the decisions people make when they’re bored.

drey’s rating: Excellent!

Have you read The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means? What did you think?

Tony Valdez, a Dispatcher, paid to kill people to ensure their safety in a world where 1/1000 people killed actually stay dead. Everything is going great for Tony until suddenly things go SERIOUSLY sideways . The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means picks up where The Dispatcher left off, but can be an independent read as well..

My thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for an advanced copy of this novella.

John Scalzi's The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is the second novella to feature the character Tony Valdez, a man with a unique job in a day after tomorrow world where murder doesn't exist. Death has taken somewhat of a vacation in that people have a 999 in one thousand chance of waking up in their beds if a victim of a violent act or other way of dying. Only suicide it seems is the one way of not returning. Valdez is a Dispatcher, people authorized to kill those, who say have a terminal illness, who want or need to die. The rules for dispatching are strong, but there is a recession on and even dispatchers have to eat, so less savory jobs to appear.

The best thing about this story is the characters always seem real. No one knows why the dead don't stay dead, just appear in their beds or in a place that has seemed safe to them. And no one seems to care that much, life still goes on, bills need to be paid. If say a person wants to be shot in the head in Chicago, so that they can awaken in Beijing to beat a competitor in a business deal, ok. The science isn't the story. The story is how do humans corrupt what sounds like a great gift. Sure there is no death, but we steal lie, cheat, and try to commit murder, though a little more difficult. And yes people still have prejudices. It's an interesting slice of life at a possible deathless Eden, but still with Airbnb.

The novella was very entertaining and I find myself wondering where the story will go. I suggest starting with the first part The Dispatcher, but enough is explained that you won't find yourself lost.

Note: I missed the email explaining that the first copy was incorrect, but I was able to download the correct book and read it. Thank you:-)

The nitty-gritty: I enjoyed the mystery and Scalzi's cool concept of "dispatching," but overall I wanted more from the story.

After my debacle of unintentionally rereading The Dispatcher, I finally downloaded the correct document and was able to knock out Murder By Other Means pretty quickly. This is the second novella in John Scalzi’s The Dispatcher series, and overall it felt a little underwhelming to me, and I honestly find myself struggling to find much to say about the story. I still enjoyed Scalzi’s unique ideas, but I wanted more from the story, I guess. In case you aren’t familiar with The Dispatcher, the story revolves around an interesting idea: in a future America, people who are murdered come back to life nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand. No one knows why, but once it started happening, people called dispatchers became legally licensed to kill, in order to save terminally ill people, for example. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, but in this book, times are tough and many of his above board dispatcher jobs have dried up. Dispatchers these days are forced to take less savory (and oftentimes illegal) gigs in order to survive.

When the story opens, Tony is about to do one such job for a Chinese businessman named Mr. Peng, who is trying to close a lucrative deal in China. The only problem is he’s in his lawyer’s office in Chicago, and he won’t be able to get to Beijing in time. Enter Tony Alvarez, who has been offered a lot of money to shoot Mr. Peng in the head, thus ensuring that he will wake up in his bed at home—his home in Beijing—and will have plenty of time to nab the deal. Alvarez reluctantly agrees to the job—after doubling his price, of course—and things go smoothly. Mr. Peng’s body disappears after a couple of seconds, which means he survived being dispatched and will wake up in Beijing per the plan.

But when Alvarez takes his hard earned cash to his bank to make a deposit, his transaction is interrupted by a group of robbers. Things go badly, and this sets off a chain of events that involve a rash of suicides, which all tie back to Alverez. Detective Nona Langdon suspects he might be involved, but she doesn’t yet know how. 

Scalzi does some new things with his idea in this story, delving into the less legal ways of dispatching. I found these both fascinating and creepy, since they bring up lots of moral questions about right and wrong. For the most part, Alvarez tries to stay on the straight and narrow. He takes his dispatcher job seriously, and for obvious reasons he doesn’t want to get caught doing anything illegal. Still, money talks and he’s in dire need of it, if only to pay his rent and put food on the table. 

Scalzi has a pretty good mystery going on in Murder By Other Means, and the story kept me guessing up until the final reveal. However, it feels similar to the first book in many ways and even has some of the same action beats. I really want to care more about the characters, especially Tony Alvarez, but he’s more of a loaner and doesn’t seem to have many close relationships, which might have made the story more interesting. This is a short novella, though, and it’s tough to delve deep into characterizations with such a small page count. The story ended rather abruptly for my tastes, and I was left with a feeling of “That’s it?” at the end. I think Scalzi was going for an emotional ending, but it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. 

Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I wouldn’t say “no” to another story set in this world. Scalzi’s light, breezy style is always fun to read, and I think there’s a lot more to Tony Alvarez and his job than meets the eye.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

3.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/04/28/murder-by-other-means-by-john-scalzi-review/

Times are tough. Even as a dispatcher, Tony Valdez is forced into taking some gigs he otherwise might not have. Jobs in a legal grey area. After one of these, Tony takes his earnings to the bank, only to get himself embroiled in a robbery. A robbery involving a person Tony is quite familiar with—a dispatcher, like himself.

But it’s only when the robbery goes wrong that this peculiar fact is brought to light. When the dispatcher dies—he doesn’t come back.

It’s only then that Tony finds out that this particular death may not be so peculiar after all. In fact, several dispatchers have died recently. Died and stayed dead. And for reasons neither Tony nor anyone else seems aware of, he may soon join them. But how do you kill someone when 999 out of 1000 people murdered are magically restored to life? The answer is to murder them… by other means.

The second Dispatcher novella, John Scalzi returns us to a world without murder. A recession has infected this dystopia, and Dispatchers aren’t the only ones struggling to get by. Tony Valdez plays lead fiddle in this once again, with some few returning characters from the first entry. Again the text is dialogue heavy, but this doesn’t flow quite as well as the first one did. The story isn’t quite as immersive, nor does it seem as polished as it did the first time around. In fact, it seems a little like a rush-job. The premise itself is still a good one, however. And given this interesting world to explore—especially how one goes about murdering someone without actually doing the murdering—even a less polished product will do.

The detective story itself, ironically, I found better than the first. There was more suspense and intrigue, as opposed to the first where I called the ending inside the first half hour. This time I hadn’t a clue what was going on until at least the halfway mark, which made it all the more interesting. It was the back and forth with Detective Langdon that ruined it for me. In fact, I didn’t like either of their characters as much this time around. Tony acts a bit too much of a little-goody-two-boots, despite his less-than-legal behavior throughout much of the books. I found it more than a bit hypocritical.

Now, it’s still a good story, still a good read, still a good time—I just didn’t like it as much as the original. As far as whether I’d recommend it… maybe, yeah? The Subterranean Press copy is quite nice, but I don’t think it’s worth $40. The ebook version comes in at $6 (or £4.35) which is much better. The audiobook is free on Audible—and it’s hard to beat free.

The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi, Scalzi delivers again with this short book. If you like the Dispatcher series you will enjoy this book as our favorite dispatcher gets in trouble yet again.

The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means

[Blurb goes hear]

I consider myself a John Scalzi fan, I've read most, if not all of his works. Let me clarify, I'm pretty sure I've read all of it, but since Scalzi is in the habit of selling books for parts, I might have missed a few.

Scalzi begins with a premise: If you are killed -intentionally, that is- you have a 99.9% chance of coming back. Mostly at home, naked, like nothing happened. Why mostly at home? Because that's the place you feel safe at. If you kill yourself or die of disease, though, you just die. This formula for death is interesting in on itself, but there's no reason behind it. It just sort of happens at one point in time, for every human on Earth. The fact that this is a very short book (some 150 pages), Scalzi might feel that there's no point on deepening into what becomes and absurd premise.

Since people come back when killed, people need to hire Dispatchers. Let's say you're dying in an hospital bed. You hire a dispatcher and before you die, the dispatcher kills you, thus returning you home. There's a lot of explaining needed, but this being a very short story, maybe Scalzi feels there's no need to do so.

When one Dispatcher becomes the target of the mafia and also the police, things get interesting and the adventure turns into a delectable detective story.

Even though I enjoyed Scalzi's usual style, fun and full of twists, I can't, in good conscience, give this read five stars.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

This is an enjoyable quick read.

If it is part of a series, it is a nice start. If it is a stand alone, not so much. It has a broadly similar feel to Scalzi's "Lock In" books - some major thing has happened, and society has adjusted to it, and this story is told against that background, exploring how it plays out in one particular scenario.

The story is told through the point of view of Tony, a dispatcher, a personable Scalzi type every day average Joe. (They're kind of the same, book to book). Tony and a police officer basically trundle through the story trying to work out what why someone has disappeared, for about 128 pages. It's a good undemanding yarn. I will be reading the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.