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Duel: Substack Edition
Duel is a tech-noir detective mystery set in LR Scott's Sandbox Earth Universe. Detective James McElroy and his droid assistant DB-431 are solicited by a mysterious young woman to investigate her Corporate Executive father's murder. Her prime his brother.
Critical Acclaim, from Keith (...) Each chapter kept me engaged and invested ... the characters were excellent, [there was] solid interplay. The perceived discrepancies turn to intriguing developments. The fascinating world! [LR Scott should be praised] for his minimalist world building, the detail level and explanations and overall length, the ending, all excellent!
Critical Acclaim, from Keith (...) Each chapter kept me engaged and invested ... the characters were excellent, [there was] solid interplay. The perceived discrepancies turn to intriguing developments. The fascinating world! [LR Scott should be praised] for his minimalist world building, the detail level and explanations and overall length, the ending, all excellent!
82 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 12, 2025
This is an excellent world where a genuinely engaging story unfolds. Crime can be so hard to write because it requires knowing the ending and hinting without giving it away. It also requires the reader to learn things as they go, typically, and Scott does this superbly. Also DB (pardon the abbreviation) is written so well and with a light and expert touch. Droids can be tricky to do.
—————Fictionalized Review—————-
The sounds of rummaging can be heard outside your office. You push the door open with a lovers touch, but do not enter. I am in your office, wrecking the place, searching for something.
“Come on, where is it. Where's the review, it's got to be here somewhere!”
I toss a file over my shoulder, turn around, see you. Freeze.
“Ah, you're back. Listen, I know it was you – you stole my review, plagiarized it. Just hand it over and I'll consider us squared.”
You gaze around your office space. It's trashed.
“Come on, I know you have it. The review! @Scoot’s Duel serial? The tech-noir one? Don't play dumb with me.”
You look at the door jamb. It's busted.
“I talked about how each chapter kept me engaged and invested, how the characters were excellent, solid interplay? The perceived discrepancies turn to intriguing developments? The fascinating world! Come on, you know what I'm talking about!”
You see your lunch on your desk, half eaten, not by you.
“Uh, ignore that. Focus – my review: I know you have it. It was eloquent and informative, the way I praised Scoot for his minimalist world building, the detail level and explanations and overall length, the ending, all excellent! Where is it.”
The distinct muffle-buzz of a text on silent. You glance at my jacket pocket. I hold out a solitary finger, remove my phone to read the message. I put my phone back in my pocket
“That was @Erica Drayton over at https://tifpress.com. She uh, she said thanks, she received my review. I guess. Hah… Whoopsie.”
I inch passed you to exit your office.
“Maybe check out that serial, yeah? Here’s a discount,” I hand you a sticky note(https://gibberish.substack.com/keithlong), “Yeah. And the, uh, the wrap is good.”
I gesture a thumb over my shoulder. You glance at your half eaten lunch.
“Never had a steak and Caesar wrap before.”
I give your shoulder a weird-uncle pat, nod, turn, and walk away.
https://losersfiction.substack.com/p/...
—————Fictionalized Review—————-
The sounds of rummaging can be heard outside your office. You push the door open with a lovers touch, but do not enter. I am in your office, wrecking the place, searching for something.
“Come on, where is it. Where's the review, it's got to be here somewhere!”
I toss a file over my shoulder, turn around, see you. Freeze.
“Ah, you're back. Listen, I know it was you – you stole my review, plagiarized it. Just hand it over and I'll consider us squared.”
You gaze around your office space. It's trashed.
“Come on, I know you have it. The review! @Scoot’s Duel serial? The tech-noir one? Don't play dumb with me.”
You look at the door jamb. It's busted.
“I talked about how each chapter kept me engaged and invested, how the characters were excellent, solid interplay? The perceived discrepancies turn to intriguing developments? The fascinating world! Come on, you know what I'm talking about!”
You see your lunch on your desk, half eaten, not by you.
“Uh, ignore that. Focus – my review: I know you have it. It was eloquent and informative, the way I praised Scoot for his minimalist world building, the detail level and explanations and overall length, the ending, all excellent! Where is it.”
The distinct muffle-buzz of a text on silent. You glance at my jacket pocket. I hold out a solitary finger, remove my phone to read the message. I put my phone back in my pocket
“That was @Erica Drayton over at https://tifpress.com. She uh, she said thanks, she received my review. I guess. Hah… Whoopsie.”
I inch passed you to exit your office.
“Maybe check out that serial, yeah? Here’s a discount,” I hand you a sticky note(https://gibberish.substack.com/keithlong), “Yeah. And the, uh, the wrap is good.”
I gesture a thumb over my shoulder. You glance at your half eaten lunch.
“Never had a steak and Caesar wrap before.”
I give your shoulder a weird-uncle pat, nod, turn, and walk away.
https://losersfiction.substack.com/p/...
Displaying 1 of 1 review