The Third Lynx

Quadrail #2

by Timothy Zahn

Former agent Frank Compton races across the galaxy to prevent an evil group mind from acquiring powerful alien artifacts in the action-packed second installment of the Quadrail series from Hugo Award–winning author Timothy Zahn

Frank Compton saved the universe once—and for that he must die. Having temporarily stalled the Modhri, a sinister alien group intelligence, in its evil schemes for universal domination, the former Western Alliance Intelligence operative just wants to relax in first class with his stunning, half-human partner, Bayta, aboard the worlds-linking intra-galactic transportation system, the Quadrail. But when their peace is disturbed by an annoying human passenger spinning wild tales of alien art objects, and the pest is discovered dead soon after, Compton and Bayta realize there can be no rest. The galaxy remains in grave danger.
 
Now on a mission to find ancient sculptures, relics of a long-extinct alien civilization, Compton must elude a relentless special agent who believes him to be a murderer. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, for everything ties into the Modhri’s secret war against all the planets along the Quadrail lines—and the enemy’s unique ability to enslave the minds of every creature it comes into contact with means an assassin could be anywhere . . . or anyone.
 

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Space Opera, Detective, Espionage, Suspense

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2007

About the author

Timothy Zahn attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his adviser became ill and died. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank Compton, the best trouble-shooter/private eye in the known universe, is at it again. Again, that is, for those of you who are already on the Quadrail train. As for me, I’m a trouble-creator since I acted by impulse in pulling Odd Girl Out off the shelf at the local library and couldn’t put it down. And, because I was captured by Zahn’s storytelling, I read books 4 and 5.

I let the itch fester for a while and then decided that I had to read where it all began, Night Train to Rigel - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Naturally, I have only myself to blame for being a little disappointed in The Third Lynx, because it is full of explanations that I already know from books 3-5. So my rating is very much a product of my mistakes. You may (and I hope will) find this a delightful and exciting continuation of Night Train to Rigel.

[Jesse Whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Third Lynx is actually the second book in Zahn’s Quadrail series. It took me a long time to get around to reading this book because I didn’t really care for the first one. Night Train to Rigel had an interesting premise but kind of spent too much time explaining things to be really exciting.

The Third Lynx has stepped it up a notch, mostly because the setup has been done already and now we can get to the fun stuff. The fun stuff is what Zahn does best: interesting aliens used in surprising and fascinating ways.

If Brandon Sanderson is famous for his surprising use of magic systems then Zahn does the same things with aliens and technology. It’s always fun to see him at work raising the stakes.

The Third Lynx, much like the first book, is kind of a mashup of James Bond and Raymond Chandler noir mysteries but with mind controlling aliens and interstellar trains. There are mysteries layered on top of mysteries and the story folds up in a series of satisfying twists.

When Zahn gets it right I can’t put his book down until it’s done. When he gets it wrong, well, at least I’m along for the ride because it’ll be fun. The Third Lynx is somewhere in the middle.

My biggest hangup, though is in the main character, which is a problem in a first-person narrative because he’s also the only point of view character. Frank Compton is sort of like Sherlock Holmes in his deductive reasoning skills and a lot like Jack Reacher in his shear luck of guessing right with almost nothing to go on. At first he seems impressive but then it starts to feel too easy. He’s always one step ahead of everybody else — but without the personality ticks that make Sherlock interesting (or the Watson to give us some reason to like him). He also is accompanied by Bayta, who is sort of his partner in his job only he is constantly grabbing her arm every time they start walking. I suspect Zahn meant something else but the picture I always have is Compton dragging her behind him while holding on just above her elbow like an angry parent and a rebellious teenager. It sort of ruined the image of friendship they were supposed to have.

The book is fun and Zahn is in form showing us aliens and technology and then building a climax that could only work with that particular combination. There is better Zahn out there but even with this you won’t be bored.

[Nicholas Kotar]

DNF.

It took me a few pages to realize that these character have no real nuance at all. They're just tropes in movement. And I don't have time for tropes in movement.

[Иван Величков · Rating 3 out of 5]

Длъжен съм да започна с това, че ако не сте чели "Нощният влак за Ригел" ревюто ще опропасти загадката в първата час. Книгите са тясно свързани.
Предупредени сте.
"Третият рис" започва там, където свърши предходната книга. Нашият симпатичен шпионин вече работи за квадрелсовата железница, нейните "паяци" и мистериозната раса зад тях. Работата му е да предотврати машинациите на разкрития предишната книга противник/кошерен разум/корален живот.
Отново започваме с убийство в заключена стая, като този път жертвата е мегабогат колекционер на изкуство. Бързо се разбира, че целта е била древен извънземен артефакт, известен като "Рис". Франк, с помощта на Бейта, дивата "катерица" командос и няколко неочаквани съюзници ще преброди галактиката по четворкорелсите и ще се опита да разбере защо аджеба са му притрябвали на личният му доктор Мориати тези грозни извънземни скулптори. По пътя ще развие брутална параноя заради естеството и действията на противника си, ще отнесе бая бой, ще се скара с всичко живо, включително благодетелите си и...
Не мога да не отбележа спада в темпото на втората книга. Вместо да развива брутално добрата вселена в която движи, Тимъти Зан ни играе една, бих казал, доста наивна криминална история на създадения фон. Има ли приключение? - Определено! Чете ли се с лекота? - Да. И все пак липсва онази малка искрица, която прави добрата приключенска фантастика.
Да видим нататък как ще вървят нещата.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an elaborate series of mind games. Basically the way the book works is, the bad guys do X, and then the main character says, "Aha! They did X, because apparently they want Y. But that's actually a cunning misdirection, see, because they would want Z more than Y, and if we respond to X with A then they can do B. So we should pretend to do C, but then actually do D at the last minute." And the amazing thing is he's always exactly right.

I dunno. These sort of mind games always bother me a little, because I'm always like, "Okay, yes, the main character is very clever with his mind games, but the bad guys could just shoot him and that would solve their problem. Alternatively, the main character could report the bad guys to the authorities and that would solve everyone's problem." I think there's probably a reason why nobody ever does that, but I don't think it's a very good one.

[Barbara Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I have to say that I learned something new today. This book is referred to as a space opera.
"Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, melodramatic adventure, interplanetary battles, chivalric romance, and risk-taking. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it usually involves conflict between opponents possessing advanced abilities, futuristic weapons, and other sophisticated technology."

I read Night Train to Rigel and really enjoyed it so decided to check out the second book in the series. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed this thoroughly. It was full of tension and suspense like its' predecessor.

Lynx finds Frank Compton chasing another mystery involving the Modhri group mind, the Spiders and the Chahwyn. In the midst of it, he falls in love with the woman he's struggling to protect, comes into conflict with a federal agent, and finds his life once again on the line.

I enjoy this author's writing style. It is fast-paced action with political intrigue plus well drawn characters, and interesting science. He has created a fascinating world full of interesting humans and aliens.

What makes it unique it that there are no laser gun fights and no space battles. These are replaced by battles of the mind, different dangerous weapons, and a constant running to and from danger. It's a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

[Meggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zahn's sci-fi noir Quadrail adventures continue with book #2, The Third Lynx. Frank and Bayta get drawn into a bucketload of intrigue involving some Nemuti statuettes--think The Maltese Falcon, but they're actually components of an energy weapon.

I found most of this book surprisingly slow-going. As in Night Train to Rigel, Frank is often one step (or more) behind the bad guys, but he also periodically conceals twists and schemes from the reader.

After book #1's setup, I wish we had gotten a little more development of Frank beyond "loner protagonist," and that Bayta and Fayr the Bellidos had been given a few more opportunities to step out of their sidekick shadows.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series. One quibble is that even after the reveal I don't feel like all the pieces were out there. It is less fun if there is no chance of me figuring it out on my own.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy I shouldn’t have waited as long as I did to have read this book! It’s a great and amazing book by a talented author who knows how to pull you in and keeps you hooked till the end! Going to start the next book in the series

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank and Bayta are approached by a well clad stranger for assistance on a private matter. Due to prior plans, Frank declines the offer and puts the encounter out of his mind. Matters become more serious when the stranger is found dead and an ESS Agent declares Frank to be the prime suspect of the murder. Frank and Bayta crisscross galaxies as events snowball into a race against the enemy for answers.

I'm sad to say that book two was not better than book one. I had minor expectations of character growth, plot thickening and a twist or two to keep me on my toes. While I wasn't exactly bored by the first 100 pages, I did feel like I was reading a rudderless story with an unnecessarily long setup. In the first book of the series, I was thrown into a fast moving plot with likable, mysterious characters. Only the last third of this novel read along those lines and I feel disappointed in not getting a bigger view of Frank and Bayta.

I feel that reading this book is important to the overall series. I'm sure there are several important elements have been plopped into the storyline here.

My favorite part of the novel are the scenes where Frank interacts with other species or classes. It's cool to get a little insight into the races, cultures and habits by how everyone talks and acts. It gives an added flourish to the story and colors the world more in my mental play.

A note: Frank is a Ladykiller!

True or False? You have to read the story to find out.

The story has lots of clever moments, a few twists that took me a while to catch up on and the over arcing point--well, I was surprised!

Frank is a great detective and I'm glad to have seen Fayr in action.

Perhaps the novel is a stepping stone to the next book. I'll find out soon how it pieces together.

More Reviews: Silk Screen Views Website

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good offering from Timothy Zahn, this second in the Quadrail series is as good as the first, and adds several new twists to the ongoing story. The bad guy is not Frank Compton's only problem in book 2; he keeps adding people who really don't like him to the list of problems he has to overcome. He and Bayta have quite a few setbacks that take them all over the place in this one. I really like Zahn's concept of the Quadrail - travel the galaxy by train, no fuss or muss unless you're Frank Compton. The bad guy/thing gets more developed in this one also, which gives more oomph to the need to beat him/it to whatever he/it is seeking. Yes, there's a pronoun problem there. Anyway, it's a good book, I liked it, and I'm working on Volume 3.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish Timothy Zahn had stayed with this genre. It's a spy story with a murder mystery that generates a complicated plot. James Bond meets "Murder on the Orient Express" on an interstellar train. This is a lot more fun than the military SF he started with or than the Star Wars novels he eventually wrote.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first sequel to NIGHT TRAIN TO RIGEL continues the adventures of Frank and Bayta most satisfyingly. It's a good science-fiction/P.I./noir-mystery series set on trains... what more could you ask? A really fun read!

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

2013 grade B.

Series book Q2.

Not quite as entertaining or engrossing as books 1 & 3 in the Quadrail series. Fairly easy to put down and come back later. But still quite enjoyable.

[Benjamin Espen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cover is my favorite of the whole series. The first volume I bought was a reprint in ebook form; it has a stylized cover with a man carrying an MP5K, or something much like it. It could easily be the cover for a Tom Clancy-style espionage action book. It isn't bad, but I don't love it as much as I do Mark Zug's cover art for The Third Lynx.

Frank Compton looks wily and self-assured here. I feel like Zug nailed his personality. Bayta, his assistant and liaison with the Spiders who run the interstellar Quadrail service, looks pensive, but nonetheless determined. Rarely do I see a book's characters captured so well in a single image. The Quadrail station itself even gets a nod, at once otherworldly and familiar.

Mark Zug has a website you should check out, he does a lot of art in this style.

Back to Zahn's work, The Third Lynx follows closely on the heels of Night Train to Rigel. Even down to how Frank immediately finds himself in the company of recently murdered man who wanted to send him on a quest. The way in which Zahn departs from the pattern is that he subtly ratchets up the stakes, and the tension.

The first time Frank found a dead man, he rifled through his pockets, found a ticket with his own face on it, and scooted off without getting identified. This time, a former colleague with an axe to grind spots Frank and raises the kind of fuss that isn't helpful to a railroad detective attempting to be low-key.

Frank of course uses his Poirot-like investigative skills to unravel the mystery of the dead man and his connection to the eponymous statue, which is not really a Maltese Falcon reference since it turns out to not be a MacGuffin. What I like most about Frank Compton is that his real superpower in the Quadrail dominated galaxy is that he is a barracks lawyer, always using the many bureaucratic regulations of a post-modern galaxy as his true weapons. Every one of the cultures Zahn created to populate his fictional universe has both its own typical personality, and a need to implement mechanisms of social and legal regulation. Frank is a master of arbitrage between the legal systems of different cultures, and he'll use any leverage he can get.

Anonymity was a useful tool for Frank, but that is the first thing he loses in The Third Lynx. This makes the games he plays more interesting, because he needs to attempt misdirection in plain sight. And his opponent is doing the same thing, at the same time, which you sometimes can only see in retrospect. It isn't just Frank that figures it all out at the end.

[Mike Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle with the Modhri continues!

The Third Lynx is the second book in Zahn’s Quadrail series. The series is set in the near future, about 2080.

The Quadrail is an inter stellar train system that connects the 12 known “empires” of the galaxy. Earth is the newest and smallest member of this network.

The setting for the series is the attempt by the Modhri to control the galaxy by infecting other beings with colonies of polyps that allow the Modhri to take control of their minds.

The Quadrail system is operated by the Spiders, an ancient servant race controlled by the Chahwyn, an advanced but equally ancient race. Neither of these races can fight or engage in violence.

Frank Compton, the main character, is a former government agent now employed by the Chahwyn to fight against the Modhri. The Chahwyn have assigned Bayta, a human woman who can communicate with the Spiders and Chahwyn telepathically, to travel with and assist Compton in this fight.

The Third Lynx begins with Compton and Bayta travelling on the Quadrail when they are approached by a fellow passenger, a Mr. Smith, to assist him on an undisclosed and mysterious endeavor; after rebuffing his offer, Mr. Smith is found murdered in his train compartment, and Compton is initially the main suspect.

The story then reveals that Mr. Smith was on his way to purchase a Lynx. The Lynx are small sculptures of another ancient race that consist of nine individual pieces: 3 Hawks, 3 Vultures and 3 Lynx. Mr. Smith was on the trail of the third Lynx. It soon becomes obvious to Compton and Bayta that the Modhri is also trying to gain control of these sculptures. They also discover the reason these sculptures are so important: when assembled together they form a shoulder fired weapon of advanced technology and extraordinary lethal power.

The story then centers on the race to discover the third Lynx, with Compton and his allies trying to beat the Modhri to the Lynx. Along the way alliances and promises are made and broken, individuals are taken hostage and rescued, and the Modhri is prevented from obtaining the third Lynx.

While over all a good story, as with the second book on any series, it wasn’t as good as the first book. I also thought that it took too long to get into the meat of the story; the first half of the book was spent getting all the characters to their right locations and revealing why the Lynx was so important to the Modhri and the rest of the galaxy. The preview for the third book, Odd Girl Out, already looks like a better story.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not review the first Quadrail book, mainly because I was lazy. These are the first Timothy Zahn books I've read outside of the Star Wars universe. I'll admit that it took me a little bit to get into these books. However, The Third Lynx has sufficiently pulled me in. In fact I feel like I should go back and re-read Night Train to Rigel. I feel like Zahn definitely takes a different approach with the Modhri in this book. The Modhri seems more calculated and cunning, like a Bond villain, leaving you suspicious of everyone.

I've also been reading Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books and I kind of feel like Frank Compton is Zahn's Harry Dresden. As much as I admire Timothy Zahn, he has not yet matched the wit and snark of Harry Dresden. In that sense, Harry Dresden is a much more entertaining character than Frank Compton. Granted the two characters are nothing alike.

Be that as it may, I still really enjoyed this book, more than the first book. There are 3 more books left in the series and I'm looking forward to reading them. Thankfully there are not huge cliffhangers between each book (again, much like the Dresden books). Therefore I can change things up a bit and read something else in between each of the remaining Quadrail book.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - The minor characters were all less interesting (and more annoying) than in the first installment. The plot seemed to be a bit more scattered, with Frank doing what felt like even more guesswork. I wasn't too impressed with the depiction of the antagonist this round, but then again, I woke up to a nightmare of creepy people chasing me last night, sooo. Bayta seemed to be mostly scenery/a plot device that was sometimes able to relay information, without any momentum of her own. Morse was pretty one-dimensional...and the thing with Auslander was pretty eyeroll-worthy.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just want a fast-paced detective story set in space, and if that's the case, this series delivers well. The characters are fairly shallow, but the plot is the driving force here, and has plenty of twists and turns along the way to hold your attention (even on a reread - I remembered most of the major plot points, but still was caught up in the details of how things played out). Given that I've been dipping in and out of books in between the baby screaming, I needed something that was easily enjoyed without needing me to immerse myself in the book, and this worked perfectly.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love sci-fi mysteries!

This is second in the Quadrail series, coming after Night Train to Rigel. Same two main protagonists and same antagonist. What I really like is the science theory behind the world building...understand that I am no physicist or even scientist, but the explanations and ideas behind them seem to follow a logical progression.

The second thing I really like is how the antagonist is learning and changing. You don’t always see that happen on both sides but is pretty important if you carry the same baddy through multiple books.

[Jadyn Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Again, really fun and twisty! Some of the twists I had a hard time following. I had a feeling there was something weird going on with the whole Penny/Compton thing. It just felt off. Though, I thought she was the one doing the manipulating.

One thing that would make this better is if Bayta had more to do. She tends to disappear in scenes a lot and it gives the impression that the author didn't know what to do with her.

[Filip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely better than the previous volume. The characters are more enjoyable and more three-dimensional, the plot, while convoluted is really enjoyable and while the contant being kidnapped and rescued may get a bit tiresome at the end, it is still quite interesting and reaches a satisfying conclusion.

And I didn't see the final two plot twists coming

[John R. Goyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume continues the always intriguing adventure of Frank. Almost too clever, but certainly an entertaining and charming in his own noir way. A good adventure but very little additional information on the Quadrail and previous civilizations. I'm hoping more background material will be forthcoming, though the story even by itself is satisfying.

[Annie Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved book one, but this one was a little disappointing. The pace was slower, and there just wasn't as much excitement. There were a few interesting twists that I didn't see coming, which was fun. But overall, there was just a lot of travel and not as much action. I'm not sure if I'll go on to the rest of the series or not.

[Brian Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is turning out to be a reasonably pleasant pulp sci-fi detective series. The plots are amusing enough and reasonably engaging, but it doesn't require a lot of work. Perfect for short reading periods while riding commuter rail, in my case, which is a simple coincidence on the Quadrail theme.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good pulp reading. Enjoyable if you accept it for what it is and don't overthink it. It's somewhat episodic in that the immanent threat is contained within the story, but it's also an immediate continuation of the first book in the series so I'd recommend starting there.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The continuing saga of Frank Compton as he detectives himself across the universe. Fun, first-person sci-fi mystery pitting our totally lovable hero against the unseen foe. Continuing a great sci-fi series.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t yet read Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express, but the Quadrail series feels like its wild spacefaring grandchild. Mystery, sleight of hand, long cons and solving crimes all on a rich and interesting galactic background. 10/10 I am having a good time.

[James A. Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off on Another Adventure

Our erstwhile intergalactic hero has barely settled back into his New York apartment when he’s charged with two brutal murders. Who framed him and why…can he find the answer and locate a lost girl. He and his companion Bayta are off on the chase.

[Lee Belbin · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many twists and turns, that it totally lost credibility. 50% to long also didn’t help endear it to me, nor the too many ‘just when they were all about to die …”. If not for the length, it would be ok kiddy material.