A Hard Rain

Star Trek: The Next Generation

by Dean Wesley Smith

Captain Jean-Luc Picard has long enjoyed playing the part of Dixon Hill, a hard-boiled private eye straight out of American pulp fiction. His holographic excursions into 1940s San Francisco, a colorful world of gunplay and gangsters, provide a welcome diversion from his hefty responsibilities as a Starfleet captain.

But not this time.

The starship Enterprise has lost power and control, its own momentum carrying it ever deeper into a dangerous zone of warped space and time. And the only way out is hidden somewhere in the mean streets and back alleys of old Frisco. But so is a cold-blooded murderer…

Now Dixon Hill, alias Jean-Luc Picard, must get to the bottom of a tangled mystery that threatens the lives of everyone aboard the Enterprise!

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek The Next Generation, Fiction, Noir, Mystery, Media Tie In

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

About the author

Pen Names
Edward Taft
Dee W. Schofield
Sandy Schofield
Kathryn Wesley

Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names.

With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons.

Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.

Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.

Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A different sort of Trek novel...and not in a good way. The writers of these books should stick to space opera.

[Bev · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Hard Rain (2002) by Dean Wesley Smith is a Star Trek novel focused almost entirely on Captain Jean-Luc Picard as 1940's private eye Dixon Hill. The real world Enterprise is danger--all ship's systems are offline because of the the ship's proximity to the "Blackness." The engines are working and the ship is drifting towards certain destruction. Commander Data and Geordie LaForge have been working like fiends to develop a device that will counteract the effects of the "Blackness" and go to the holodeck to do test runs of the device.

But...the effects of the "Blackness" is such that their test program is taken over by the last holodeck program run. Which just happens to be the captain's Dixon Hill program. The device's main component (known hereafter as the Heart of the Adjuster) goes missing and it's up to Dixon Hill (the Captain), Data, and Beverly Crusher to take on the gangsters of the 1940s and find out who stole the Heart before the Enterprise is destroyed.

Occasionally, the writing flows smoothly--but mostly the story is wooden as is the dialogue and the book as a whole is pretty much a mess. The best part of the whole novel is Data quoting from all sorts of detective/crime novels from the Mack Bolan Executioner series to Inspector French to various fictional detectives created expressly to mention in the Dixon Hill story. It also appears to be a recycle of the STNG episode "The Big Goodbye"--even down to one of the team getting shot and the holodeck safety measures being off-line so the man's life really is in danger. In "The Big Goodbye" Dixon Hill was apparently hired to find a mysterious object. In this story Captain Picard as Dixon Hill is hunting for the "Heart of the Adjuster*"--which his crew in the real world actually needs. There's also a "Whelan" character who seems to be an echo of the Dr. Whalen who joined Picard, Beverly, and Data on the holodeck in the television episode. If it's meant to be an homage to that episode, it lacks the crisp dialogue and the freshness of the script. Not to mention that the solution of the mystery is downright silly.

*And...speaking of the Adjuster, Captain Picard and company seem to have lost a fair amount of their scientific smarts. This "gizmo" (Picard's word, not mine) that is some sort of important object that Data and Geordie need to fix what's wrong with the Enterprise is officially called an "Adjuster." That's some fancy, high-tech lingo right there. Doesn't even sound like Star Trek technobabble. And why do they need an Adjuster to fix what's wrong? Why because the "Blackness" (yes, friends, another high-tech word for the unknown astronomical field they encounter) is causing the ship's systems to go haywire. [I can be just as technical as the next guy, let me tell you.]

Another little pet peeve...how many times are we going to call Dr. Beverly Crusher the "Luscious Bev"??? I mean, seriously. It doesn't even sound natural for Picard's hardboiled Dixon Hill character.

Not recommended at all--either as a Star Trek novel or as a mystery.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun TNG book

I love Dixon Hill and wish he'd shown up more in the series. I had some issues with this story due to the confusing nature of the macguffin but it was s still pretty fun. I also love the anticlimactic ending.

The premise is Captain Picard is once more playing his "Dixon Hill" simulations, which are pseudo Raymond Chandler novels without any worries about copyright. Data and Beverly are helping him. Due to shenanigans, a vitally important ball of alien matter has been lost in the holodeck and if they shut it off, the alien matter will vanish. This is the Maltese Falcon EXPY that is being tossed between various gangsters. The premise is very silly with what we know of Star Trek technology but better than a typical holodeck malfunction.

The big missing opportunity is giving the holodeck characters more distinctive, well, characters. Which the book doesn't. I don't think Picard would have been as interested in Dixon Hill if the writing had been this cliche ridden (and it's cliche ridden in universe). Cyrus Redblock could have been his own little Moriarty.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 1 out of 5]

The idea of a Dixon Hill novel seems like a good idea in theory; however, Dean Wesley Smith's "A Hard Rain" fails miserably in that category. The Dixon Hill story is called the "The Case of the Missing Heart" which plays out twofold as the holodeck malfunctions again & the Enterprise is caught in an area of space known as the Blackness. The story itself is essentially written as a bad murder mystery with the primary players being Picard as Dixon Hill, Beverly as Bev & Data as Mr. Data. The main plot itself aboard the Enterprise is done through a series of captain's log entries which make references to the other crew members, but don't use them at all with the entire story being set in the fictional world of Dixon Hill. Smith completely misses the boat with a concept that has been done at times before (the resolution to the crisis & the novel is a farce at best) & could've put to better use these characters who only appeared on screen twice in 7 years. Skip this unless you are a fan of the series itself & not a fan of Dixon Hill.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There actually haven't been many holodeck-centred novels, so it's a pleasant surprise to not only get a Dixon Hill novel, but one that successfully maintains the style of the TNG episode "The Big Goodbye" without having to break the story's stride by switching back to the Enterprise. Never has a Captain's Log worked so well in concisely filling-in-the-blanks. This novel might receive its 4 star rating simply for describing Doctor Crusher as "the Luscious Bev".

[Mervi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A crisis for Captain Picard… or a case for Dixon Hill, private detective?
The above line says it all: the story is set in a holodeck in 1940s San Francisco. Each chapter ends with a list of clues from Dixon Hill’s case book. Captain’s Log entries tell us that Enterprise-D is going toward a place called the Blackness. As they get closer, the ship’s systems go offline until the whole ship is in danger.

On the holodeck, Captain Picard as Dixon Hill, his friends Luscious Bev, and Mr. Data along with a handful of other officers are looking for the Heart of the Adjuster. Dix is convinced that one of the local crime bosses has it and he needs a way to talk with them. However, the holodeck is also malfunctioning: all the safety systems are off-line and the killed holo characters come back to life.

This was an interesting idea. The world of Dixon Hill seems to be made for adventures. The story has some fun points, such as Data “taking his gangster stand” and quoting various fictional detectives. However, it has quite a lot of repetition and I didn’t care for the ending of the mystery. But I do enjoy holodeck episodes so overall I enjoyed it.

[Adam Goss · Rating 1 out of 5]

"A clever page-turning thriller" the book blurb says...

*laughing*

Oh, wait, it was serious. Let me laugh harder!!

Oh GOD this book was terrible. DULL. Horribly paced and plotted. Nothing mysterious about this "mystery" and nothing thrilling about it. This novel was weak, at BEST, and I had begun with high hopes for it since it sounded like a great idea. Dean Wesley Smith may make a fine editor (he oversaw the Star Trek Strange New Worlds contest for 10 years), but his writing leaves a lot to be desired. I finished this one (page-turning!) out of sheer desperation that somehow it would all be worth it by the end. Alas, it was all in vain. Maybe this would have worked much better as a short story, it would force the writer to be more concise and tight. As it is though, it's a total waste of time and money.

[Judith Paterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't too keen on this at all. But I did decide to finish it instead of putting it down after a few pages. I hoped the story would improve but it didn't. Didn't like the way Data was portrayed as a 1 dimensional idiot and as for Luscious Bev and her high heels! It was downright disrespectful to a well qualified intelligent character. I know it was only a fantasy within a sci fi novel but I felt it took too many liberties with well established characters

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Trek returns to the holodeck noir world of Dixon Hill as Picard and his crew race against time to find a MacGuffin.

The novel opens in Dixon Hill's world with Picard lamenting he hasn't solved any cases recently as the 30's detective and now he finds himself trying to solve something else: what's become of the Heart of the Adjuster. Complicating things is that the safeties of the holodeck are off (which has become a trope) AND the holodeck characters come back to life within an hour of being killed...AND they are aware they can't be killed by bullets. Points to writer Dean Wesley Smith for including that plot point and taking things in an unexpected direction.

Interrupting this adventure are Captain's Logs from the recent past explaining how the Enterprise got into a situation where they needed to get onto the holodeck and search for this object. They are smart teasers that provide clues for the crew's predicament, though a casual fan of the show/novels will be able to deduce why the Federation ship is in danger.

This was a book I did not want to end. I loved the dialogue, the descriptions of settings, the characters, and, well, just everything about this book. I love noir movies and pulp detective novels, and Star Trek, so this was the perfect combination for me. I mean, c'mon, when Dr. Crusher is constantly referred to as "the Luscious Bev" you know what you're in for. I loved it.

This a holodeck adventure that could have gone on for a series and I would have been a faithful reader.

[Nicolas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This almost made it to three stars despite it's goofiness, but it was ultimately unsatisfying. I don't know who approved of calling Dr. Crusher "The Luscious Bev" nearly every time she's mentioned, but it was a terrible mistake. Next, having the holodeck characters come back to life as part of the malfunction was unnecessary and made everything very low stakes. The resolution, which I won't give away, was just plain dumb. Then the only really intriguing mystery goes unresolved. Honestly, now I'm rethinking that second star.

At least it was short.

We discussed The Big Goodbye and more in this special Trek themed episode of the All the Books Show: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dixon Hill has a case to solve. The Enterprise has lost an experiment in the holodeck. The Dixon Hill story is a lot of fun, and the way it is told is different from your normal Trek books. You don't really know what happened until near the end, and that meant that there were 2 mysteries. Though I do wonder about the holodeck sometimes as it always goes wrong. If you enjoy the Dixon Hill episodes, then this is the book for you. A good read.

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

A time-space event that the Starship Enterprise encounters creates a real time threat that can only be solved by Dixon Hill, the 1940's detective and holodeck alter ego of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Hill and his cronies must solve the mystery to bring the universe back into balance. Highly recommended to those who are fans of Star Trek TNG and Captain Picard's holodeck adventures.

[Jeffrey French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad for a Dixon Hill novel ... as a Star Trek Novel ... eh. It's an easy read coming in under 150 pages. I personally knew what happened about 4 chapters before the end. But it was a fun mystery non-the-less.

[Travis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. Couldn't finish it. Worst Star Trek book I've ever read. I never liked the Dixon Hill story lines in the show.

[Volition · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picard is pretending to be Dixon Hill, but when his internal monologue and thoughts are described they are those of Hill, not those of Picard playing Hill.

That don't make no sense.

[Kurt Milby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A full review to be posted on my blog keeperofwords.net


This will be a short review and off the cuff thoughts that I have. this story as a whole is built upon malfunctions from the hollow deck and also how the crew responds and explores the malfunctions of the holodeck. the story starts out strong but has repetitive plot points where the characters often spend a chapter following leads only to get no further and I'm constantly reminded that time is running out and there's a sense of urgency. I enjoyed the captains logs that Picard uses to explain what is going on outside the holodeck but, the meat of the story takes place in the holodeck.

the story is a spinoff of what happened in the episode "The Big Goodbye" in Star trek TNG and it's also kind of a continuation of Dickson hills detective agency stories. Picard plays Dixon Hill in A Hard Rain as well as Data and Beverley Crusher who both return from the episode as well as others. All in all it's quick and nostalgic fun for those who want more from Dixon Hill as a character and if you enjoyed "The Big Goodbye" this one could provide enjoyment as a quick read for a super boring weekend where stranded in the middle of nowhere and this book is the only substantial form of entertainment.

[Matt Buck · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a good book, and it's an awful Star Trek book. It's a holodeck episode, and those are usually the worst episodes. Trek can do genres other than sci-fi – witness the police procedural of Christopher L. Bennett's Watching the Clock or the political diary that is Articles of the Federation by Keith R.A. DeCandido – but this, a gritty detective noir, just doesn't work. I can see that a Dixon Hill book could be interesting, but combining it with a ticking doomsday clock is tiresome, and none of the supporting cast seem to have any real characterisation. I will say that the solution is unexpected yet also set up, but the whole thing just leaves a bit of a poor taste in the mouth.

[Karen Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Enterprise faces destruction from an area known as The Blackness unless private eye Dixon Hill can crack the case of a missing ball of a crucial element. The area has raised havoc with the ship's internal systems, with the holodeck program of the world of 1940s San Francisco and its mobsters complicating the search.

The story begins with Hill (Captain Picard) already searching for the missing ball and unfolds both through the holodeck scenario and through the captain's logs. The rather large cast of bad guys is fairly easy to keep straight (at least for this reader) and there are several twists and turns in the plot before the Enterprise is saved (of course).

Recommended for fans of TNG, with the characterizations on spot and a decidedly different story than saving a planet.

[Michael Kinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am currently on page 150. By page 80 it was obvious to me what the final outcome will be considering obvious references to a certain orange "crew" member that was continuously spotted throughout the book. My biggest grievance with the book is not the plot twist that I know will come, despite it's obviousness, but that the author feels the need to continuously repeat descriptions with only slight variation, a constant reference to "Luscious" Bev (once is enough, we get the idea), and the nonsense of the crew having any sort of compulsion to act out a hologram program instead of simply blasting every fake person in that place for the sake of finding what they need. A ridiculous premise, and an even more ridiculous end (I presume).

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if I actually can say I didn't enjoyed this due to the structure of the book (which is messy) or the ending (which at this point I am not sure is funny or making me angry). I think the book is a mess. Honestly I just wish they dove head first into the Dixon Hill stuff as the actual problem seemed so convoluted and irrelevant to what was going on with the Holodeck story it became distracting whenever it showed up and I was never certain if the countdown was related to the Enterprise situation or the Holodeck one until it actually happened. Anyway, as I said before I am still undecided if I liked the ending or hate it.

[Leper · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you ask me what's the worst book I've ever read, I would probably name this one. It's a science fiction detective novel with dubious science and moronic detective work. When reading it, I kept folding a finger every time it introduced a new unexplained mystery trying to keep track of them and predict how the author was going to tie everything up. Imagine my surprise when by the time I reached the end I realized that not only had I ran out of fingers, but the author didn't care about loose ends at all.

[Rob Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting different concept for a Star Trek novel.
A Dixon Hill story with Picard's personal logs to explain why he, Data and Crusher are in the holodeck during a time of crisis.
As the Dix story is played out as a straight story, it doesn't quite land perfectly as you would expect Picard and Co. to talk to each other normally during a time of crisis.
The personal log's changing reference to LaForge as Engineer or Chief Engineer was a tad annoying.
Worth a read for something different of a Trek novel.

[Sarah Braggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picard spends the whole book as Dixon Hill, and there is literally a simile or metaphor on every page. The Enterprise is stuck inside a massive black hole, and the one thing that can save them is lost inside the holodeck. Throughout the whole story, the reader endures 1920s mob bosses only to find out that -SPOILER!- Data’s cat is the culprit. This is neither a Star Trek book, nor a good mystery novel.

[Jameson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think its structure killed this book. It was hard to get invested in the ship stuff because it was so paltry and by the time it dovetailed with the holodeck stuff I didn’t care. I get the desire for this kind of gimmicky book but in practice it only makes sense if most of the story is set in space. And I like holodeck episodes.

[Ken Gulick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book down in my quest to read every Star Trek novel. Fun quick read and a nice departure from the norm with a hard boiled mystery with Picard and crew solving a holodeck mystery of Dixon Hill.

[Erik Jay Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and super nerdy. Great.

[Jaelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usual Star Trek Holodeck shenanigans. Really- how were holodecks ever allowed onto ships with all of their safety issues? Also, that ending!

[Crystal C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dixon Hill and the Luscious Bev fail to look down a hallway for a ball that was batted away by a cat. A mafia gang war ensues.

[Teresa Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. A little campy but that was to be expected as it is reminiscent of old time detective novels.

[clifford baggett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow, but not bad