Death Count

Star Trek: The Original Series #62

by L.A. Graf

The disappearance of Andorian scientific genius Muav Haslev fuels tensions between the Orions and Andorians, tensions that come dangerously close to full scale war. Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are called to Starbase Sigma 1, located on the edge of Andorian-Orion space, to patrol the sector as a deterrent to hostilities. On arrival, the crew encounters an inexplicable series of events, beginning with missing equipment and shipboard malfunctions. After a deadly transporter accident, Kirk suspects sabotage, suspicions that are confirmed by the mysterious murders of three Federation officials.

Kirk and crew must put together the fragmented pieces of the puzzle, before the Starship Enterprise faces destruction and the galaxy faces interplanetary war.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Star Trek Original Series, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Media Tie In

276 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

About the author

L.A. Graf reportedly stands for Let's All Get Rich and Famous. Its a pseudonym used by authors Karen Rose Cercone and Julia Ecklar.

They have co-written some eleven Star Trek novels. Their first Star Trek novel came out in 1990.

Reviews

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A conflict between the Andorians and Orions concerning a scientist from one side taking a new technology he’s worked on to the other side; an annoying efficiency team aboard the enterprise threatening to restructure Chekov’s Security Department, a deadly saboteur about Enterprise; and the close friendship and camaraderie between Chekov, Uhura and Sulu, both on board ship and off, make this a stellar entry in the franchise of books set in the original Star Trek universe.

This one had a ton of character interaction between Sulu, Uhura and Chekov, and it made this book very special. Not only was it spot-on, but it added to their characters, and their friendship dynamic. Kirk and Spock and Scotty were spot-on as well, and the story was a real story, with a lot going on. There was plenty of action, both person to person, and ship to ship, and the new technology, while nothing earth-shattering, was an interesting element.

Situational humor abounded in this one, even in the final moments of the story, the wrap-up as it were. And there are some nice personal bits laced throughout concerning Sulu’s hobbies, and some chameleon-like lizards that Chekov of all people, takes a liking to as he keeps them safe for Sulu. Moments like this within the narrative are balanced nicely against a pretty exciting story.

All in all, this was a terrific read for fans, and very highly recommend for a fans of the original series. A nice surprise in the franchise!

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My experience with this book makes me wonder: Did I not enjoy the other novels in this series because I read through them too quickly? Hmm...

[Chris Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel takes place after The Motion Picture and prior to The Wrath of Khan. It was written before the canon between the two movies was more clearly established, but if I had to place it, I'd say it fits best at the end of the second five year mission, around 2277.

This is the third novel I've read by these authors that takes place during this era and it's definitely the best. Like the others, it leans heavily into the relationship between Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura and deeply explores Chekov's role as security officer. In particular, in takes Chekov's character seriously rather than as comic relief as he was so often use in the TV series and movies. It also makes extensive use of my favorite character in Star Trek: the Enterprise herself. This is one I really enjoyed.

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chekov and Sulu, flanked by Uhura, take center stage. What starts as a nice outing followed by an extravagant shopping spree soon and unexpected turns into a thriller. A botched scientific experiment by a stowaway scientist/criminal brings the Enterprise in the middle of a space battle between starships. Orions and Andorians deliver the extra players in the drama.
Some humor caused by incredible stubborness and shortsightedness is eclipsed by violence, action and destruction. Heroism saves the day. Helped by the combined efforts of Kirk, Spock, Scotty and McCoy.
An adventure in the spirit of the original TV series.

[Kreg · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was so many things wrong with this book it's hard to know where to start. The primary problem was the whole Andorian vs Orion plot - which was the basis for the book itself. To believe the plot could work means you would have to believe that the Andorians aren't part of the Federation!

Another major point is the amount of damage the Enterprise (and Chekov) takes, yet both still continued to perform amazing feats (Chekov in particular...).

All in all, I can't say this wasn't the worst Trek book I've read, but it's certainly in the bottom 5.

[Mateo Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smooth and solid. Chekov, Sulu and Uhura based adventure, with Chekov getting alot of lead time.

Best part was that Chekov wasnt written with an accent.."Keptin ve have de wesssel..." as many authors choose. Glad the authors understand that fans KNOW how he sounds.

[Irrlicht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spock-Lovers beware! There is not much of our favourite green-blooded hobgoblin in here!

Sadly, I mean it. He has a few lines, but overall he’s not one of the main protagonists.

Which doesn’t mean it’s a bad book.

On the contrary.

When I jumped into the Star Trek fandom in the late 80s/early 90s there were A LOT of books written about the various TV shows: The Original Series (TOS, Kirk, Spock, McCoy etc.), The Next Generation (TNG, Picard & Co.) and Deep Space Nine (DS9, I can’t even remember anyone but Odo and Dr. Bashir). (Voyager and Enterprise came later, when I had already lost most of my interest.) In other words: I read a lot of Star Trek books.

For all non-Star-Trek-fans: The books were NOT the episodes in written form. The books were either tie-ins with the series or completely new, stand-alone stories.

Either way: No matter how much I read, very few of them rang true.

It’s not easy capturing an already existing character, getting him “right”, let alone eight, twelve or twenty of them. Especially since every viewer probably has a different view on their favourite Star Trek crew member and what happens to it, and you just can’t get it right ALL the time.

So, to exactly no-one’s surprise, I didn’t like many of the books. (And that in a phase of my life where I was a LOT LESS picky about outrageous love stories and highly unlikely character developments.)

“Death Count” is one of the commendable exceptions.

It takes the already existing characters and makes them BETTER.

Hard to believe, I know, but it really does.

L. A. Graf concentrates mainly on three characters which were always mostly stereotypes and/or prompters in the series: Uhura, Chekov and Sulu. Settled somewhere between the end of the TV show and before (I think) the first movie, Chekov is now with Starfleet Security and Uhura is a Lieutenant Commander. And they’re absolutely not the clowns the TV series sometimes degraded them to be, they’re fully functional, serious and professional Starfleet officers. We get to know a lot more about their personal lives and their friendship that built and strengthened over the years.

There also is a refreshingly mature Captain Kirk who has to deal with Orions, Andorians and – worst of all – Starfleet auditors.

I’ve rarely read a Star Trek book that provides an interesting case, has the characters down to a T (and even develops them accordingly), conveys the seriousness of a dangerous situation without getting silly, and with a dash of humour and the good-natured teasing we’re so familiar with.

As good as it possibly gets.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointing dog of a novel! According to the Goodreads bio, “L.A. Graf” is a pseudonym for two authors that ostensibly means “Let’s All Get Rich and Famous.” After finishing it, a more accurate meaning would be “Lame And GReedy Authorial Feat,” as it would better convey its essence. While I appreciate their attempt to draw in some under-utilized aspects of the Star Trek universe (such as the Orions and the Sulu-Chekov-Uhura relationship), they employ them in a plot burdened by predictable developments and tepid pacing. It was an effort to maintain enough interest to finish it, and I would recommend other readers spare theirs for better books than this one.

[Byron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one eons ago and it was fun to revisit. The author(s) seem to know the characters well and despite what some reviewers say, I always thought Chekhov was chief of security(?) so that wasn’t at all anachronistic to me.

I loved that this story focused on Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura instead of the golden triangle. They were fun together.

The author seems incapable of writing Uhura without constantly mentioning her “dark eyes,” however, which gets old really fast. We know she has dark skin. She’s beautiful. It’s not relevant *every time she speaks.*

The Macguffin in this book is arguable a REALLY BIG DEAL! Also even though I’d read this one many years ago, it’s reveal was still a surprise to me so that was great. I kinda loved that.

There is some sloppy writing and the ending, while fast-paced, felt a bite rote and was oddly boring as a result.

Apparently I decided to review this in bullet points. Huh. Overall this one was fun! If it’s on sale it’s certainly worth picking up.

Quick note on the Kindle edition however: the kindle edition (and therefore possibly all ebook editions) has NO SCENE BREAKS. There are clearly moments where the scene is breaking but...there’s nothing to denote that. No line break, no asterisks, nothing. I got used to it but it’s worth noting. They need to fix that.

[Bearcatgary · Rating 2 out of 5]

L. A. Graf is a pseudonym for "Lets All Get Rich And Famous". The group of authors using this name wrote many Star Trek books back in the 90's.

My opinion of this one was not all that great as there was not a lot of rhythm to the story. What made things worse was the Kindle ebook edition didn't have proper double spacing between story lines so about 3 times each chapter I found myself backtracking to figure out which story line I was in.

The book is about a conflict between the Andorians and the Orions and the Enterprise is sent to resolve the conflict. I did like how the book focuses on Sulu, Checkov and Uhura. Unfortunately, the authors seem to give them all the same personality.

I finished the book, but really had to labor through it.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a typical Star Trek runaround adventure (in the best possible manner), with the added goodness of focusing on Sulu & Chekov bumbling their way in and out of trouble. They deserve far more exposure in the books than they usually receive...they can be comedy gold!

[Katrina Veerkamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the other reviews I was prepared to not like this book. However I loved it. I really liked how it so much! Great book for the three Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov. Their interaction is great. Lots of action. Chekov is a real star. Read it! It’s fun.

[toastykeptin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first novel that centered around Chekov. I love it. I've never seen Chekov this angry. And I've never seen him this badass in any novels I've read!

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review 63. Star Trek The Original Series #57 Death Count by L.A. Graf

Page Count : 276

This is one of my favourite Original Series books as it has a fantastic plot.

Not your normal Star Trek book, this one includes sabotage, spies, starship combat and a great deal of personal sacrifice for some of the characters.

A fantastic Original Series story, this book gives an amazing insight into some of the crew of the USS Enterprise and also introducing a few new characters.

I never get bored of reading this book as it involves most of the senior offices of the USS Enterprise.

I believe this book is written to be set after The Motion Picture as Chekov is in charge of security aboard the Enterprise which is what he trained to become when the Enterprise returned from the original 5 year mission.

If you like The Original Series, I recommend you give this book a go.


5*
*****

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the fact that the security team was made up of members of the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins roster made this book a funny read for me. However it was also a fun story as well told mainly from Chekov's perspective but also with Uhura and Sulu being a rag tag trio of troublemakers per se. Chekov's attitude of act before thinking made a lot of the events in the story play out a little more free and loose than other Trek adventures but the antics of the Orions and the mystery of the saboteur made a fun read. Surprisingly little McCoy and Spock in this as well at Scotty so don't expect a lot from them here. Well lots of fun moments and a fast moving adventure. My biggest gripe would have to be with Kirk making a dumb decision which brings about the events of the latter half of the book.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death Count brings us back to the early years, with Captain Kirk firmly in control of the Enterprise, Mr. Spock at his Science Station, and the 3 junior officers (Uhura, Sulu and Chekov) engaging in interesting hobbies off duty. This particular adventure deals primarily with those 3, as they try to understand how fun activities turned deadly and put their ship in peril.

Quick, fun read that was well and written, with only a few editorial type errors. I do like how this author manages to make Uhura both feminine and deadly, Chekov innocent and dangerous, and Sulu both worldly and innocent.

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing about this book didn't sit well with me. It made Chekov into some sort of superman. He took a hell of a lot of punishment in these pages, and still managed to come out on top. It didn't feel real to me, even for a sci-fi novel.

Despite this, and not having enough of Spock, it was a fair story. Not the best of the Star Trek novels I've read, and it tended it stray into all out insanity with some of the more intense battle scenes, but it held together enough to keep my interest. I think this is the first novel I've read where Sulu plays a major role, and that was interesting in itself.

Not one that this casual Star Trek fan would read again, but glad to have read it.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the weakest Trek novels. It plods through generic Trek tropes - notably the antagonistic, inflexible bureaucrats who exist only to make our heroes look ever so cool and special - sets up Chekhov's guns with sledgehammer subtlety and hands most characters the idiot ball.
Incidentally, don't play a drinking game reliant on the number of times characters say "my God" or variations thereof, as you'll be dead half-way through - it is bizarrely *constant* throughout this book.

[Jerome Maida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book detailing espionage, featuring Sulu and Chekov prominently, that also has Kirk and crew dealing with bureaucracy. A good read. But writer L.A, Graf never quite makes it pop. If you took a shot for every time the word "glare/glared/glaring" was used, you would have alcohol poisoning.
It does have the Andorians and Orions and some good Spock moments and Bones moments, though.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theoretical physicist Muav Haslev has defected from Andor to the Orions. Wanted as a traitor by the Andorian government, the 'Enterprise' is tasked to find him when news comes that he has fled Orion space.

L.A. Graf focuses their story on Chekov, Sulu and Uhura, doing much work on fleshing out the characters while creating a battle worthy of screen time.

[Brian Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent murder mystery set on the Enterprise as it is sent to try and calm things down on the Orion/Andorian border.

Mainly focuses on Sulu, Chekov and Uhura. Kirk and Spock get a few scenes.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite classic trek novels. I love the way the Graf captures the relationships between the characters, particularly the focus on Sulu, Uhura and Chekov.

The plot is entertaining and actually has quite a few twists and turns.

[SuperPiggy5000 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this one. A below average Star Trek book. The premise seemed interesting, but there were some confusing scenes and out of character moments.

I wouldn't recommend unless you were trying to read all the books.

[Ian Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is worth 2 stars because it is a bit cliched and stretches what we know about the Federation, but the use of Uhura, Sulu and Chekov as the three main characters is worth 4 stars. Hugely enjoyable overall, though.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andorian scientist Muav Haslev has disappeared after working for Orions and consequently increasing tensions between the two species. The Enterprise is on patrol on the area but is there a sabotor on board causing accidents.
An entertaining re-read.

[router · Rating 5 out of 5]

chekov bdsm novel

[Rebecca Klanderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had low expectations going in, but honestly, it was a blast.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unsettling tale of mysterious subspace radiation pulses, shipboard malfunctions, intruder alert, efficiency auditors and murder have the Enterprise crew scrambling to find answers.

[Andrew Beet]

Will have to read it again was a bit unwell but from what I read up to it was good

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was nice to have a story center on three important, yet sometimes overlooked; Sulu, Chekov and Uhura.