What do you think?
Rate this book
Hal Spacejock #4
No Free Lunch
Hal Spacejock and his sidekick Clunk are looking for jobs to earn some cash to settle their bills, and they find just the thing on Planet D. When Hal ducks out for a quick coffee date with an attractive young woman, he thinks his luck has finally changed--but under the crust of Planet D swarms a dangerous mass of creepy-crawlies who may have something to say about Hal's luck.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
42 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Simon Haynes
85 books172 followersSimon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock, Harriet Walsh and Hal Junior (MG) series. He divides his time between writing fiction and computer software, with the occasional bike ride thrown in for a laugh.
Simon lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Simon lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Read
July 31, 2011Fantastic story with a hint of romance. Haven't enjoyed a series this much since Discworld. Simon Haynes seems to have the same dry witty sense of humour as Terry Pratchett.
Can't wait for book five! Unfortunatly it's a year off. *sigh*
Can't wait for book five! Unfortunatly it's a year off. *sigh*
January 5, 2012
This one is my favorite Spacejock book yet. I really liked how it was different from the others by throwing a little murder mystery in the mix. I liked Harriet and the story was really good. I hope the next book is just as good!
January 27, 2023
No Free Lunch.
The fourth in Simon Haynes Hal Spacejock series (following A Robot Named Clunk, Second Course and Just Desserts), and the first where Harriet Walsh (from the author's other 'Peace Force' series) cross-overs with Hal.
As I knew that 'going in', I read the first three Hal Spacejock novels before the four Harriet Walsh novels (Peace Force, Alpha Minor, Sierra Bravo and Foxtrot Hotel) before reading this.
Which, unfortunately, proved to be a mistake as I spent a good portion of this novel - well over the first half! - wondering where Harriet's 'sister' Alice or even some of the other characters (with the notable exception of Bernie) had gone, or even why they weren't mentioned at all!
I only found out later that, whilst set beforehand, the Peace Force novels were actually prequels, written later than this one but set before (think like the Star Wars prequels, compared to the original trilogy).
Once I got past that, uhhh, 'disassociation' - once the action primarily moved off the planet of Dismolle to the neighbouring planet Forzen, things did pick up a tad, with Hal and Harriet (and a hint of romance between them) both getting caught up in a murder mystery whilst investigating the disappearance of a wealthy citizen of that planet.
I don't want to give anything away, but I could definitely see elements of the later seasons of Stargate SG-1 here. If you know, you know!
So, yeah, all-in-all, a pleasant enough read but not one that, for me, matched the earlier novels in the series or even the Peace Force novels.
I'll still probably read more of these.
The fourth in Simon Haynes Hal Spacejock series (following A Robot Named Clunk, Second Course and Just Desserts), and the first where Harriet Walsh (from the author's other 'Peace Force' series) cross-overs with Hal.
As I knew that 'going in', I read the first three Hal Spacejock novels before the four Harriet Walsh novels (Peace Force, Alpha Minor, Sierra Bravo and Foxtrot Hotel) before reading this.
Which, unfortunately, proved to be a mistake as I spent a good portion of this novel - well over the first half! - wondering where Harriet's 'sister' Alice or even some of the other characters (with the notable exception of Bernie) had gone, or even why they weren't mentioned at all!
I only found out later that, whilst set beforehand, the Peace Force novels were actually prequels, written later than this one but set before (think like the Star Wars prequels, compared to the original trilogy).
Once I got past that, uhhh, 'disassociation' - once the action primarily moved off the planet of Dismolle to the neighbouring planet Forzen, things did pick up a tad, with Hal and Harriet (and a hint of romance between them) both getting caught up in a murder mystery whilst investigating the disappearance of a wealthy citizen of that planet.
I don't want to give anything away, but I could definitely see elements of the later seasons of Stargate SG-1 here. If you know, you know!
So, yeah, all-in-all, a pleasant enough read but not one that, for me, matched the earlier novels in the series or even the Peace Force novels.
I'll still probably read more of these.
December 19, 2020
Another stupendous success in the comedy genre.
Hal is up to his nuts...and bolts of course as he is hired to take a cargo to a sunny planet called Dismolle, sounds dreadful doesn't it? However, as per usual things start going awry from the get go.
He is asked by a very very good looking young lady, who happens to be the local Peace Keeper Trainee, to be her escort at a swanky upmarket party being held by one of the wealthiest women on the planet. After going to the party and making friends with Ms Walsh the Peace Officer, and frenemies with almost everyone else at the party, including Clunk, Hal's robot business partner, who Hal roped into working in the food serving part of the party, without talking to Clunk beforehand. Ms Walsh receives a call stating that a woman on the nearby planet of Forzen, has gone missing, and that she is needed there to conduct an investigation as that planet has no Peace Force of their own. Hal of course offers to fly Ms. Walsh to Forzen free. But when he arrives at the spaceport, the crew who were supposed to be providing a cleaning service for the Volante, his spaceship, had in fact taken it apart for what they tell him are the 'upgrades' he authorised. As Hal hadn't authorised anything of the kind he's very upset. Now Hal will have to find Ms Walsh an alternative flight to Forzen, while the Volante is put back together.
Hal sends her, very reluctantly, to fly with another freight carrier captain Spearman. Who is in direct competition with Hal for business and who is his rival in all business.
Things go rapidly downhill from their. There is double dealing going on left, right, and center! No one can be sure of the honesty of anyone else...however, the biggest surprise comes near the end and it's well worth the wait.
This story is riddled with humour which was 'laugh out loud' funny!
The robots were brilliant. In fact I want a robot called Clunk or one called Bernie, those two were great characters, although the other robots were equally impressive.
I really enjoyed this book, as its twists and turns were fun to follow along with and the banter was great too.
It makes a good and relaxing read at any time and I didnt want it to end.
Hal is up to his nuts...and bolts of course as he is hired to take a cargo to a sunny planet called Dismolle, sounds dreadful doesn't it? However, as per usual things start going awry from the get go.
He is asked by a very very good looking young lady, who happens to be the local Peace Keeper Trainee, to be her escort at a swanky upmarket party being held by one of the wealthiest women on the planet. After going to the party and making friends with Ms Walsh the Peace Officer, and frenemies with almost everyone else at the party, including Clunk, Hal's robot business partner, who Hal roped into working in the food serving part of the party, without talking to Clunk beforehand. Ms Walsh receives a call stating that a woman on the nearby planet of Forzen, has gone missing, and that she is needed there to conduct an investigation as that planet has no Peace Force of their own. Hal of course offers to fly Ms. Walsh to Forzen free. But when he arrives at the spaceport, the crew who were supposed to be providing a cleaning service for the Volante, his spaceship, had in fact taken it apart for what they tell him are the 'upgrades' he authorised. As Hal hadn't authorised anything of the kind he's very upset. Now Hal will have to find Ms Walsh an alternative flight to Forzen, while the Volante is put back together.
Hal sends her, very reluctantly, to fly with another freight carrier captain Spearman. Who is in direct competition with Hal for business and who is his rival in all business.
Things go rapidly downhill from their. There is double dealing going on left, right, and center! No one can be sure of the honesty of anyone else...however, the biggest surprise comes near the end and it's well worth the wait.
This story is riddled with humour which was 'laugh out loud' funny!
The robots were brilliant. In fact I want a robot called Clunk or one called Bernie, those two were great characters, although the other robots were equally impressive.
I really enjoyed this book, as its twists and turns were fun to follow along with and the banter was great too.
It makes a good and relaxing read at any time and I didnt want it to end.
April 23, 2018
kindle unlimited
Hal Spacejock is a loner, struggling to make his way in a huge, uncaring galaxy. His occasional brushes with the law have left him wary and suspicious of authority.
The Peace Force is a proud and dedicated body of humans and robots who work together to solve crimes and keep the Galaxy safe.
Now, one of them desperately needs the other.
There's also a new spin-off series, Harriet Walsh, featuring the popular Peace Force character from Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch.
Hal Junior 1: The Secret Signal: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Junior 2: The Missing Case: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Junior 3: The Gyris Mission: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Spacejock 1: A robot named Clunk
Hal Spacejock 2: Second Course
Hal Spacejock 3: Just Desserts
Hal Spacejock Omnibus One {Hal Spacejock Omnibus One Hal Spacejock #1-3, PLUS a bonus short story: Hal Spacejock Visit/4.2}
Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch
Hal Spacejock 4.1: Framed
Hal Spacejock 4.2: Visit
Hal Spacejock 5: Baker's Dough
Hal Spacejock 6: Safe Art
Hal Spacejock 7.1: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.2: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.3: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.4: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.5: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.6: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.7: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.8: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.9: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.10: Big Ban
Hal Spacejock 8: Double Trouble
Hal Spacejock is a loner, struggling to make his way in a huge, uncaring galaxy. His occasional brushes with the law have left him wary and suspicious of authority.
The Peace Force is a proud and dedicated body of humans and robots who work together to solve crimes and keep the Galaxy safe.
Now, one of them desperately needs the other.
There's also a new spin-off series, Harriet Walsh, featuring the popular Peace Force character from Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch.
Hal Junior 1: The Secret Signal: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Junior 2: The Missing Case: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Junior 3: The Gyris Mission: science fiction for ages 8-12
Hal Spacejock 1: A robot named Clunk
Hal Spacejock 2: Second Course
Hal Spacejock 3: Just Desserts
Hal Spacejock Omnibus One {Hal Spacejock Omnibus One Hal Spacejock #1-3, PLUS a bonus short story: Hal Spacejock Visit/4.2}
Hal Spacejock 4: No Free Lunch
Hal Spacejock 4.1: Framed
Hal Spacejock 4.2: Visit
Hal Spacejock 5: Baker's Dough
Hal Spacejock 6: Safe Art
Hal Spacejock 7.1: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.2: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.3: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.4: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.5: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.6: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.7: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.8: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.9: Big Bang
Hal Spacejock 7.10: Big Ban
Hal Spacejock 8: Double Trouble
January 28, 2021
Another enjoyable read but...
A great next saga for Hal and Clunk and really enjoyed the cross over with Harriet Walsh. However, the book starts by noting t hat this occurs 2 years after Harris's Peace Force series but, having read the peace force series, I was disappointed to find that most of the characters were missing? What happened to Harriets sister or Dave and Ben? Do great story, funny but left a bit disappointed.
A great next saga for Hal and Clunk and really enjoyed the cross over with Harriet Walsh. However, the book starts by noting t hat this occurs 2 years after Harris's Peace Force series but, having read the peace force series, I was disappointed to find that most of the characters were missing? What happened to Harriets sister or Dave and Ben? Do great story, funny but left a bit disappointed.
February 26, 2020
It was excellent. All the reviews and descriptions give the details.
You'll just have to trust me on this one - read it now.
You'll just have to trust me on this one - read it now.
December 22, 2020
Not a genre I usually follow, I had a sneak peek in Amazon and was hooked.
August 27, 2022
Hal gets mixed up with the Law and comes out on the right side, by accident!
July 15, 2023
Excellent!
The best arc of the story, so far! Space adventures with a « detective mystery » twist! Loved each minutes of it!
The best arc of the story, so far! Space adventures with a « detective mystery » twist! Loved each minutes of it!
January 20, 2017
one of the strongest spacejock books yet
December 29, 2020
This gets lots of positive reviews, but it left me cold. I struggled to raise a laugh or get interested in the story - you might like it though.
July 21, 2008
Well, I tend to be a very serious, somber fellow, so normally I wouldn't be caught dead reading one of those humorous SF/F books*. But, well, I was on vacation, you know? And every once in a while it's fun to lighten up a bit.
The Hal Spacejock books are satirical action tales about a not-entirely-competent freighter pilot (Hal) and his too-serious robot partner (Clunk). I've reviewed the other three books in the series, and my sense all along has been that they're entertaining reads, but that the silliness was occasionally too strong for my taste. There would be scenes where the jokes felt like they interfered with the stories, or broke my suspension of disbelief. Enjoyable, but each time I ended up giving four stars out of five over on old Amazon.
Hal IV, ironically, is a five-star book. Haynes has improved with each of his novels (which is exactly how it should work). This time, Hal joins up with a young peace force officer on her first assignment, while also trying to deal with a rival freighter pilot. Hal makes an interesting deputy, and I was surprised at how well the romantic subplot between him and the peace officer worked. Naturally, the assignment uncovers all sorts of nastiness, and things roll along at a good clip. If you've read any SF at all, you'll probably figure out some of the mystery long before our investigators, but the book also threw in some twists I wasn't expecting.
This book works. The humor flows with the story, and the story is the most cohesive and engaging of all four books. At least one of the twists at the end did feel a bit too coincidental for me, but that was a minor thing. I won't tell you how it all wraps up, but it left me curious to read book five.
Also, Haynes has made the first book in the series available as a free download at http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1... if you want a free taste of the series.
-----
*Yes, that was completely tongue-in-cheek.
The Hal Spacejock books are satirical action tales about a not-entirely-competent freighter pilot (Hal) and his too-serious robot partner (Clunk). I've reviewed the other three books in the series, and my sense all along has been that they're entertaining reads, but that the silliness was occasionally too strong for my taste. There would be scenes where the jokes felt like they interfered with the stories, or broke my suspension of disbelief. Enjoyable, but each time I ended up giving four stars out of five over on old Amazon.
Hal IV, ironically, is a five-star book. Haynes has improved with each of his novels (which is exactly how it should work). This time, Hal joins up with a young peace force officer on her first assignment, while also trying to deal with a rival freighter pilot. Hal makes an interesting deputy, and I was surprised at how well the romantic subplot between him and the peace officer worked. Naturally, the assignment uncovers all sorts of nastiness, and things roll along at a good clip. If you've read any SF at all, you'll probably figure out some of the mystery long before our investigators, but the book also threw in some twists I wasn't expecting.
This book works. The humor flows with the story, and the story is the most cohesive and engaging of all four books. At least one of the twists at the end did feel a bit too coincidental for me, but that was a minor thing. I won't tell you how it all wraps up, but it left me curious to read book five.
Also, Haynes has made the first book in the series available as a free download at http://www.spacejock.com.au/Hal1... if you want a free taste of the series.
-----
*Yes, that was completely tongue-in-cheek.
February 10, 2009
I love the Hal Spacejock books. Life is serious enough. I personally love to escape into Hal's universe. He will boldly go where no man or robot would dare even think about. The mistakes get made and somehow it works out for him. Most of the time there is little or no violence but there are times when you know it should happen. But Hal's luck and good robot keep him alive. Thanks, Simon, for fun!
October 22, 2011
A nice break. This "space opera" is a throw-back to the pulp SF of the 40s-50s with no attempt to bring much real science into an adventure in space. Hal is almost the Bertie Wooster of his world with a trusty robotic Jeeves by his side. Clever plotting and occasional bad puns and double e's make for an amusing and quick read.
February 16, 2009
Easy and entertaining read
December 25, 2015
The fun continues
Read
August 6, 2011Yet another triumph. Haynes' HS books just get better and better. Looks like romance is on the horizon for our Hero! Roll on book 5.
October 12, 2014
Absolutely loved it! The nature of Haynes' writing has me in fits of laughter, often while in public. I could not put this book down!!
Can't wait to dive into #5 :D
Highly recommend.
Can't wait to dive into #5 :D
Highly recommend.
July 26, 2013
Actually hilarious. Devoured the series in a weekend, and I think it's time for a reread.
August 20, 2016
Fantastic. Action, humour, romance, piracy and plenty of gags.
June 24, 2012
And the series just gets better
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews