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The Dispatcher #2
Murder by Other Means
Welcome to the new world, in which murder is all but a thing of the past. Because when someone kills you, 999 times out of 1,000, you instantly come back to life. In this world, there are dispatchers—licensed killers who step in when you’re at risk of a natural or unintentional death. They kill you—so you can live.
Tony Valdez is used to working his job as a dispatcher within the rules of the law and the state. But times are tough, and more and more Tony finds himself riding the line between what’s legal and what will pay his bills. After one of these shady gigs and after being a witness to a crime gone horribly wrong, Tony discovers that people around him are dying, for reasons that make no sense...and which just may implicate him.
Tony is out of time: to solve the mystery of these deaths, to keep others from dying, and to keep himself from being a victim of what looks like murder, by other means.
Tony Valdez is used to working his job as a dispatcher within the rules of the law and the state. But times are tough, and more and more Tony finds himself riding the line between what’s legal and what will pay his bills. After one of these shady gigs and after being a witness to a crime gone horribly wrong, Tony discovers that people around him are dying, for reasons that make no sense...and which just may implicate him.
Tony is out of time: to solve the mystery of these deaths, to keep others from dying, and to keep himself from being a victim of what looks like murder, by other means.
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2020
254 people are currently reading
2001 people want to read
About the author
John Scalzi
186 books28.7k followersJohn Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,245 reviews
February 13, 2021
How does murder work in a world where 99.9% of murder victims come back to life? Well, one needs to get a bit creative.
This is the second Scalzi novella set in the world just like ours but with one important difference — for reasons unknown, 99.9% of murder victims inexplicably come back to life, transported from the murder scene to their homes or other places they feel safe. Accidental deaths, suicides and diseases still kill, but most murder victims get a reprieve. No wonder a new job appears - the one of “dispatchers”, those who are tasked with killing those about to die - from an unsuccessful surgery, a traffic accident, etc - to give a dying person a 99.9% chance of coming back to life. Some will still die, so most people are unwilling to be the ones pulling the trigger. And of course, a whole bunch of illegal activities started sprouting around after this change in reality.
The Dispatcher introduced us to Tony Valdez, a dispatcher who reluctantly paired up with police detective Langdon on a criminal investigation. In this follow-up, Tony and Langdon are back, teaming up after Tony becomes a suspect in a string of suspicious suicides* and a bank robbery, following one of his less legal dispatching contracts**.
Just like the first book, this one was written for audio and therefore is dialogue-heavy, masterfully performed by Zachary Quinto. It’s clever and fun and is very easy to follow — a bit of engaging entertainment done as noir-lite. I enjoyed the further glimpse of this what-if universe, the further insight into how a world in which murder victims almost always come back to life would work and how people would adapt this new reality to suit both nefarious goals and simply stupid thrill-speaking. In this case it’s not the explanation of why things are happening (we don't know the reasons for these resurrections) but how the world goes on with such fundamental change in it — a change that quickly becomes mundane as the world adapts, as people get accustomed to the new rules and learn how to abide by them and how to get around them. Fascinating, isn’t it, how quickly we normalize the strangest things? We humans are really something else, aren’t we?
And it has just enough snark to remain quite appealing to me.
If there are more sequels, I’m definitely in.
3.5 stars. Three hours well-spent.
————
My review of the first in the series, The Dispatcher, is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is the second Scalzi novella set in the world just like ours but with one important difference — for reasons unknown, 99.9% of murder victims inexplicably come back to life, transported from the murder scene to their homes or other places they feel safe. Accidental deaths, suicides and diseases still kill, but most murder victims get a reprieve. No wonder a new job appears - the one of “dispatchers”, those who are tasked with killing those about to die - from an unsuccessful surgery, a traffic accident, etc - to give a dying person a 99.9% chance of coming back to life. Some will still die, so most people are unwilling to be the ones pulling the trigger. And of course, a whole bunch of illegal activities started sprouting around after this change in reality.
The Dispatcher introduced us to Tony Valdez, a dispatcher who reluctantly paired up with police detective Langdon on a criminal investigation. In this follow-up, Tony and Langdon are back, teaming up after Tony becomes a suspect in a string of suspicious suicides* and a bank robbery, following one of his less legal dispatching contracts**.
* In the world where murder fails 99.9% of the time, those who plan to kill need to get, ahem, a bit creative.
** He should have gone with the choke-club job, really. Hindsight is 20/20.
Just like the first book, this one was written for audio and therefore is dialogue-heavy, masterfully performed by Zachary Quinto. It’s clever and fun and is very easy to follow — a bit of engaging entertainment done as noir-lite. I enjoyed the further glimpse of this what-if universe, the further insight into how a world in which murder victims almost always come back to life would work and how people would adapt this new reality to suit both nefarious goals and simply stupid thrill-speaking. In this case it’s not the explanation of why things are happening (we don't know the reasons for these resurrections) but how the world goes on with such fundamental change in it — a change that quickly becomes mundane as the world adapts, as people get accustomed to the new rules and learn how to abide by them and how to get around them. Fascinating, isn’t it, how quickly we normalize the strangest things? We humans are really something else, aren’t we?
And it has just enough snark to remain quite appealing to me.
If there are more sequels, I’m definitely in.
3.5 stars. Three hours well-spent.
————
My review of the first in the series, The Dispatcher, is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 3, 2021
This was a really good follow up to The Dispatcher. I like the world the author created, I like the characters and I really enjoyed the mystery in this one. It was very clever and intriguing.
The audiobook was excellent. I've already mentioned it in my review for book 1, but there's something about Tony's character and Zachary Quinto's narration that give this series a film noir kind of feel. Looking forward to the next installment.
I don't think this book works as a standalone. I would definitely recommend reading them in order.
The audiobook was excellent. I've already mentioned it in my review for book 1, but there's something about Tony's character and Zachary Quinto's narration that give this series a film noir kind of feel. Looking forward to the next installment.
I don't think this book works as a standalone. I would definitely recommend reading them in order.
November 14, 2020
I enjoyed John Scalzi’s last audible original called “The Dispatch”. “Murder By Other Means” is his second novella in the Dispatcher series. I don’t think it’s a standalone. I think one should listen to the first one in the series to fully enjoy this delightful 3 hours of futuristic/science fiction tale. I am NOT a science fiction lover. I like only a few of the futuristic ones. But Scalzi writes novellas which is the perfect amount for me.
Narrator Zachary Quinto is the perfect voice of Tony Valdez, the licensed killer who is a dispatcher. In this series, Tony gets caught up in a run of suspicious suicides. It appears that someone or an organization is trying to set him up in and ultimately kill him. If you loved the first one in the series, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s clever, fast paced, and enjoyable.
Narrator Zachary Quinto is the perfect voice of Tony Valdez, the licensed killer who is a dispatcher. In this series, Tony gets caught up in a run of suspicious suicides. It appears that someone or an organization is trying to set him up in and ultimately kill him. If you loved the first one in the series, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s clever, fast paced, and enjoyable.
January 29, 2022
This short novel is a fun mystery procedural set in a science-fantasy world where people who are murdered wake up safe at home immediately after they're killed 99.9% of the time. If they die by accident or natural causes, they stay dead. It's a silly idea with no explanation but sets interesting boundaries and conditions for the story. The phenomenon has given rise to a new occupation, dispatcher, one who kills people to insure they'll come back. Scalzi introduces a nifty crime caper within the framework, but the whole initial construct was a little too much for me to accept. It's a quick, fun read, but left me with more questions than it answered.
December 2, 2020
This second Dispatcher novella by Scalzi is picking up quite nicely. It's a quirky mystery revolving around the consequences of a modern society that has to move on since...
Death has a 1/1000 chance of actually happening. Murders usually send us all back to our safe (or rather Save) points. Most of the time, murdering someone just saves them. That other small chance just happens to make them kaput. Ooops.
Fun premise, of course, and working through all the subtleties of this is most of the fun. Very SF. Clever. But in point of fact, it's all Noir. Pretty perfect for fans of that genre, and definitely going strong.
Death has a 1/1000 chance of actually happening. Murders usually send us all back to our safe (or rather Save) points. Most of the time, murdering someone just saves them. That other small chance just happens to make them kaput. Ooops.
Fun premise, of course, and working through all the subtleties of this is most of the fun. Very SF. Clever. But in point of fact, it's all Noir. Pretty perfect for fans of that genre, and definitely going strong.
December 20, 2020
4 Stars
Whether you read or listen to this sequel, it’s highly recommended to do so in order and to start with The Dispatcher first.
Here, we get a nice revisit with Dispatcher Tony Valdez, being an official agent dealing in death so people have a chance to live again. Life has gotten a bit more difficult in making ends meet as state funding has affected many of its employees, and the reliable “legal” Dispatcher duties aren’t as numerous as they once were. In a moment of weakness, Tony reluctantly agrees to do a lucrative shady high risk job under the table, and things soon spiral out of control.
As Tony finds himself embroiled in a complex game of high stakes financial dealings, and subsequently a person of interest in several murders, his own life is on the line, and his one surprising ace in the hole is from his past, a person he’d rather soon forget.
Again, this is available as a bonus freebie for Audible subscribers, and it continues to be expertly narrated by Zachary Quinto. The mystery and suspense was smart as all involved toe (and at times cross) the lines of morality and the law. This kept me rapt, and I can only hope Scalzi will bring us further problems and challenges for our beleaguered Dispatcher!
Whether you read or listen to this sequel, it’s highly recommended to do so in order and to start with The Dispatcher first.
Here, we get a nice revisit with Dispatcher Tony Valdez, being an official agent dealing in death so people have a chance to live again. Life has gotten a bit more difficult in making ends meet as state funding has affected many of its employees, and the reliable “legal” Dispatcher duties aren’t as numerous as they once were. In a moment of weakness, Tony reluctantly agrees to do a lucrative shady high risk job under the table, and things soon spiral out of control.
As Tony finds himself embroiled in a complex game of high stakes financial dealings, and subsequently a person of interest in several murders, his own life is on the line, and his one surprising ace in the hole is from his past, a person he’d rather soon forget.
Again, this is available as a bonus freebie for Audible subscribers, and it continues to be expertly narrated by Zachary Quinto. The mystery and suspense was smart as all involved toe (and at times cross) the lines of morality and the law. This kept me rapt, and I can only hope Scalzi will bring us further problems and challenges for our beleaguered Dispatcher!
September 14, 2020
Although I have a hard time swallowing the ridiculous premise behind these Dispatcher stories, i.e. that suddenly 999 out of 1000 murder victims somehow get miraculously returned to life, this proved to be an engaging detective story with some unique wrinkles. Scalzi's snappy dialogue always makes for an amusing read and/or listen, and Zachary Quinto is excellent as narrator.
December 9, 2020
3.5 stars to 4 stars!
I thought the second book in The Dispatcher series was a nice addition to the plot and characters.
I do not think that you should read/listen to Murder by Other Means without reading/listening to the first book.
The plot is a bit complex with how Dispatchers kill someone to save them.
Yes, it does sound confusing huh?
This series has a nice blend of sci-fi and fantasy to bring forth an interesting concept of where murder is not that uncommon and no one really dies unless it's by suicide or "other means" which get a bit creative.
Murder by Other Means starts off with our main character Tony Valdez taking a side job to make some extra money.
After getting paid, he goes to the bank to deposit the money. While at the bank, a bank robbery completely goes off the rails and Tony realizes that he knows one of the bank robbers.
He's instantly questioned as an inside man for the crime by the Chicago Police Department. But what Tony and the CPD don't realize, is that this bank robbery and everything else that comes after the crime is way more complicated then thought.
And one last thing, Zachary Quinto is an awesome narrator!!
I can't wait to listen to more books by him.
I thought the second book in The Dispatcher series was a nice addition to the plot and characters.
I do not think that you should read/listen to Murder by Other Means without reading/listening to the first book.
The plot is a bit complex with how Dispatchers kill someone to save them.
Yes, it does sound confusing huh?
This series has a nice blend of sci-fi and fantasy to bring forth an interesting concept of where murder is not that uncommon and no one really dies unless it's by suicide or "other means" which get a bit creative.
Murder by Other Means starts off with our main character Tony Valdez taking a side job to make some extra money.
After getting paid, he goes to the bank to deposit the money. While at the bank, a bank robbery completely goes off the rails and Tony realizes that he knows one of the bank robbers.
He's instantly questioned as an inside man for the crime by the Chicago Police Department. But what Tony and the CPD don't realize, is that this bank robbery and everything else that comes after the crime is way more complicated then thought.
And one last thing, Zachary Quinto is an awesome narrator!!
I can't wait to listen to more books by him.
October 4, 2020
90% of the time I really like writing reviews and putting my thoughts in order about how I felt about a book but there is that 10% that just feels like work.
This is one of them.
So I will keep it short.
I really liked The Dispatcher as a standalone novella, and this second installment felt completely unnecessary. If I didn't get this audible for free I would have returned it.
Perhaps if you are a fan of Zachary Quinto you will enjoy the narration.
This is one of them.
So I will keep it short.
I really liked The Dispatcher as a standalone novella, and this second installment felt completely unnecessary. If I didn't get this audible for free I would have returned it.
Perhaps if you are a fan of Zachary Quinto you will enjoy the narration.
September 13, 2020
The fourth star for the audio performance 🙂
August 9, 2022
The second book of the series, Murder by Other Means (The Dispatcher, #2)' describes the mess Tony Valdez got himself into five years after the first book's events.
(Note: Murder by Other Means isn't standalone. Though the stories are loosely connected through the figures of two main characters, the second book does not explain the specifics of the book's world. )
(Note 2: The book is meant for listening, not reading.)
Due to the governmental budget cuts, Tony Valdez and other Dispatchers found themselves in a difficult financial situation, prompting them to take more 'grey area' (or downright illegal) private gigs. The events started to spiral out of control after Tony dispatched a Chinese businessman so the man could appear in his home in China and make a million-worth deal faster than his competitors. People not connected with each other started to commit suicide, and Tony felt he was the center of this madness. Nora Landon was determined to protect Tony and find the one who pushed people to kill themselves.
The second book gained much from being more detailed and developed than the first (3 hours of listening against 2 hours). The text, obviously, consists mainly of dialogues, with descriptions of characters' movements in-between. Again, events happen to Tony rather than he consciously searches for answers: key witnesses tell him the ins and outs, gangsters expose their evil deeds, and only by miracle does Tony stay alive through all the ordeals. Ultimately, the plot lines get so mixed up that every character who has ever appeared on the scene could be suspected of being the bad guy.
Overall, I can't say I fruitlessly wasted my time. The book hooks up and entertains. Maybe, if it were meant for listening, it would win by using multiple narrators instead of only one. But as I wrote in the first book's review, Zachary Quinto nailed the performance with his measured, clear voice.
My review of the first book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(Note: Murder by Other Means isn't standalone. Though the stories are loosely connected through the figures of two main characters, the second book does not explain the specifics of the book's world. )
(Note 2: The book is meant for listening, not reading.)
Due to the governmental budget cuts, Tony Valdez and other Dispatchers found themselves in a difficult financial situation, prompting them to take more 'grey area' (or downright illegal) private gigs. The events started to spiral out of control after Tony dispatched a Chinese businessman so the man could appear in his home in China and make a million-worth deal faster than his competitors. People not connected with each other started to commit suicide, and Tony felt he was the center of this madness. Nora Landon was determined to protect Tony and find the one who pushed people to kill themselves.
The second book gained much from being more detailed and developed than the first (3 hours of listening against 2 hours). The text, obviously, consists mainly of dialogues, with descriptions of characters' movements in-between. Again, events happen to Tony rather than he consciously searches for answers: key witnesses tell him the ins and outs, gangsters expose their evil deeds, and only by miracle does Tony stay alive through all the ordeals. Ultimately, the plot lines get so mixed up that every character who has ever appeared on the scene could be suspected of being the bad guy.
Overall, I can't say I fruitlessly wasted my time. The book hooks up and entertains. Maybe, if it were meant for listening, it would win by using multiple narrators instead of only one. But as I wrote in the first book's review, Zachary Quinto nailed the performance with his measured, clear voice.
My review of the first book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 28, 2022
4.25 Stars — Carrying on from ‘The Dispatcher’ — This equally intriguing novella and Audible exclusive — read by the excellent Zachary Quinto — matches it’s first instalment for intensity and overall panache.
Telling the story of Tony Valdez in an alternate earth, where 999 times out of 1000, anyone whom is murdered, reawakens in their birthday suit in the comfort of their bed. This Strange-but-excellent Sci-fi thriller — written by the irreproachable John Scalzi — Carrie’s the torch in this series well and doesn’t skip a beat, marching straight into the action where it left things, albeit two years down the line.
The protagonist remains a staunch, mysterious character whom is hard to pin down and the series remains better for it, as much as you root for him, he’s not immediately or obviously a good character, but is extremely human and well fleshed out despite not getting a whole lot of background information or introspection — which is a skill and something only the best writers can pull off.
I really enjoyed the narration here, but it is definitely Scalzi’s prose that shines through most — sharp, poignant and sometimes slightly weighty in its vibe. Scalzi is just such a master at the novella, making it feel more like a novel due to the gritty and complex subplot it holds the reader in a constant state of anticipation.
The only slight fallback when compared to its predecessor is the less impactful nature it’s excellent tropes has on the reader, it’s lost a little of its lustre and only gets back that edge towards the final moments. But it’s an excellent res for listen and is as good a sci-fi thriller as any novel I’ve read recently in the genre. It’s quirky, plucky and is the type of story that enables one to ponder a world where murder offered a second chance and what a society so bizarre would possibly look like.
Telling the story of Tony Valdez in an alternate earth, where 999 times out of 1000, anyone whom is murdered, reawakens in their birthday suit in the comfort of their bed. This Strange-but-excellent Sci-fi thriller — written by the irreproachable John Scalzi — Carrie’s the torch in this series well and doesn’t skip a beat, marching straight into the action where it left things, albeit two years down the line.
The protagonist remains a staunch, mysterious character whom is hard to pin down and the series remains better for it, as much as you root for him, he’s not immediately or obviously a good character, but is extremely human and well fleshed out despite not getting a whole lot of background information or introspection — which is a skill and something only the best writers can pull off.
I really enjoyed the narration here, but it is definitely Scalzi’s prose that shines through most — sharp, poignant and sometimes slightly weighty in its vibe. Scalzi is just such a master at the novella, making it feel more like a novel due to the gritty and complex subplot it holds the reader in a constant state of anticipation.
The only slight fallback when compared to its predecessor is the less impactful nature it’s excellent tropes has on the reader, it’s lost a little of its lustre and only gets back that edge towards the final moments. But it’s an excellent res for listen and is as good a sci-fi thriller as any novel I’ve read recently in the genre. It’s quirky, plucky and is the type of story that enables one to ponder a world where murder offered a second chance and what a society so bizarre would possibly look like.
July 28, 2024
Another 3.5 Star story by John Scalzi, told by a 4.9 Star narrator, Zachary Quinto!
The audiobook experience is very new for me. This is the second one for which I have not previously read the text version. Listened to The Dispatcher a couple days ago; ok story, but really enjoyed Zachary Quinto's narration, gave it my undivided attention as I do with most everything I do.
Today I intended to listen to this audiobook, the second in The Dispatcher series, while assembling my new bookshelf 🎧🔧🔩🔨🪓⚙️🧹⌛️.
I've never been much of a "multitasker" (or furniture assembler!) so there was a great chance that either the assembling or the listening would commandeer my undivided attention..........
............the bookshelf, well, it has no review, tomorrow's another day 👩🔧🧩🤷.
.
The audiobook experience is very new for me. This is the second one for which I have not previously read the text version. Listened to The Dispatcher a couple days ago; ok story, but really enjoyed Zachary Quinto's narration, gave it my undivided attention as I do with most everything I do.
Today I intended to listen to this audiobook, the second in The Dispatcher series, while assembling my new bookshelf 🎧🔧🔩🔨🪓⚙️🧹⌛️.
I've never been much of a "multitasker" (or furniture assembler!) so there was a great chance that either the assembling or the listening would commandeer my undivided attention..........
............the bookshelf, well, it has no review, tomorrow's another day 👩🔧🧩🤷.
.
April 19, 2021
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/04/19/...
Murder by Other Means is the second novella in John Scalzi’s The Dispatcher series and I wanted to like it more, but this is one of those cases where comparisons to the first book will be inevitable. Long story short, those are some mega huge shoes to fill, and while this sequel certainly wasn’t bad, it also didn’t quite meet those high expectations either.
Before I get into the meat of the review, I think a crash course on the world of The Dispatcher is in order. Basically, the entire premise of the series revolves around a strange phenomenon that suddenly became reality for everyone on the planet, forever changing the way they think about death. For you see, it has now become nearly impossible to kill anyone. Oh, death still occurs, if it happened to be natural or by accident or suicide. But for some reason, if you were murdered, i.e., your life was deliberately taken by someone else, there was actually a really good chance you’d come back to life—999 out of 1000 times, to be precise. In those cases, the victim’s body would disappear and they would be “reborn” naked, as safe and as whole as the day they were “killed”, right back in their homes. No one knows why it works this way, or how it happens. Everyone has sort of just accepted it, just like how you, as the reader, are expected to accept it and don’t ask too many questions.
But then, you might ask, what happens to the 1 in 1000 that are murdered? Don’t they come back? Nope, those are the unlucky chumps that drew the short straw, and they stay killed—dead. But for a lot of people, that’s a chance they’re willing to take—like those who are ill and are undergoing a risky medical procedure, for instance. Something goes wrong? No problem, get someone to murder them, and BAM, get a do-over.
Needless to say, a system like this is rife for abuse, leading to the government to create a whole new role, and that’s where our protagonist Tony Valdez comes in. He is a Dispatcher, an officially licensed killer. The rules surrounding his profession ensures that those utilizing his services do so safely, lawfully, and humanely. But of course, not all Dispatchers stick to “authorized” jobs, many of them taking contracts from private clients ranging from unscrupulous businessmen to wealthy thrill-seekers since that’s where all the big money is. Tony has always tried to stay above board, but now that times are tough, he’s willing to bend the rules a little, depending on the circumstances. And anyway, this latest job he’s been hired for by a private law firm isn’t the worst he’s had to do, as far as shady deals go. But then, when people connected to the firm and those who have been in contact with him start dying under mysterious circumstances, Tony can’t help to wonder if he’s made a big mistake.
The driving force behind this series is an interesting and wildly imaginative concept, of a caliber I would have attributed to an author like Brandon Sanderson if the details surrounding it hadn’t been so macabre. The reality is, though, you do lose a lot of the novelty after the first book, so for this sequel I’d hoped for Scalzi to build upon what’s already there to keep things fresh. Let’s face it, there’s plenty he could have done, limitless possibilities he could explore, given how I’m sure we all have questions. I’ve already suspended my disbelief far enough to go along with anything he might throw my way, but instead, he decided to play it circumspect and go with a rather unremarkable mystery plot.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mystery. This also being a novella though, there just wasn’t much in the way of development, surprises, or any interesting twists and turns. That said, as long as you don’t mind a more simplistic noir story, Murder by Other Means will still provide a satisfying amount light, easy entertainment. The plot might be undemanding, not requiring the reader to be on alert for any false leads or clues, but that isn’t to say the book was dull. You’ll still get plenty of Scalzi’s brand of humor, as well as the occasional glimpse into the wild and crazy things that people in this world will get up to now that murder is almost impossible. So, even though you’re pretty much led by the nose, at least you’ll have fun.
Ultimately, I’m glad there was a sequel to The Dispatcher. If future books are in the cards though, my hope is that we would get a fresher angle to explore the series concept, or a more original story at the very least. Still, Murder by Other Means made for a fine diversion, and I appreciate the ideas in it for being far more introspective and unique than some of the contrived stuff John Scalzi has been putting out in recent years. There’s a lot of potential here, and I would love to see that developed to its fullest.
Murder by Other Means is the second novella in John Scalzi’s The Dispatcher series and I wanted to like it more, but this is one of those cases where comparisons to the first book will be inevitable. Long story short, those are some mega huge shoes to fill, and while this sequel certainly wasn’t bad, it also didn’t quite meet those high expectations either.
Before I get into the meat of the review, I think a crash course on the world of The Dispatcher is in order. Basically, the entire premise of the series revolves around a strange phenomenon that suddenly became reality for everyone on the planet, forever changing the way they think about death. For you see, it has now become nearly impossible to kill anyone. Oh, death still occurs, if it happened to be natural or by accident or suicide. But for some reason, if you were murdered, i.e., your life was deliberately taken by someone else, there was actually a really good chance you’d come back to life—999 out of 1000 times, to be precise. In those cases, the victim’s body would disappear and they would be “reborn” naked, as safe and as whole as the day they were “killed”, right back in their homes. No one knows why it works this way, or how it happens. Everyone has sort of just accepted it, just like how you, as the reader, are expected to accept it and don’t ask too many questions.
But then, you might ask, what happens to the 1 in 1000 that are murdered? Don’t they come back? Nope, those are the unlucky chumps that drew the short straw, and they stay killed—dead. But for a lot of people, that’s a chance they’re willing to take—like those who are ill and are undergoing a risky medical procedure, for instance. Something goes wrong? No problem, get someone to murder them, and BAM, get a do-over.
Needless to say, a system like this is rife for abuse, leading to the government to create a whole new role, and that’s where our protagonist Tony Valdez comes in. He is a Dispatcher, an officially licensed killer. The rules surrounding his profession ensures that those utilizing his services do so safely, lawfully, and humanely. But of course, not all Dispatchers stick to “authorized” jobs, many of them taking contracts from private clients ranging from unscrupulous businessmen to wealthy thrill-seekers since that’s where all the big money is. Tony has always tried to stay above board, but now that times are tough, he’s willing to bend the rules a little, depending on the circumstances. And anyway, this latest job he’s been hired for by a private law firm isn’t the worst he’s had to do, as far as shady deals go. But then, when people connected to the firm and those who have been in contact with him start dying under mysterious circumstances, Tony can’t help to wonder if he’s made a big mistake.
The driving force behind this series is an interesting and wildly imaginative concept, of a caliber I would have attributed to an author like Brandon Sanderson if the details surrounding it hadn’t been so macabre. The reality is, though, you do lose a lot of the novelty after the first book, so for this sequel I’d hoped for Scalzi to build upon what’s already there to keep things fresh. Let’s face it, there’s plenty he could have done, limitless possibilities he could explore, given how I’m sure we all have questions. I’ve already suspended my disbelief far enough to go along with anything he might throw my way, but instead, he decided to play it circumspect and go with a rather unremarkable mystery plot.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good mystery. This also being a novella though, there just wasn’t much in the way of development, surprises, or any interesting twists and turns. That said, as long as you don’t mind a more simplistic noir story, Murder by Other Means will still provide a satisfying amount light, easy entertainment. The plot might be undemanding, not requiring the reader to be on alert for any false leads or clues, but that isn’t to say the book was dull. You’ll still get plenty of Scalzi’s brand of humor, as well as the occasional glimpse into the wild and crazy things that people in this world will get up to now that murder is almost impossible. So, even though you’re pretty much led by the nose, at least you’ll have fun.
Ultimately, I’m glad there was a sequel to The Dispatcher. If future books are in the cards though, my hope is that we would get a fresher angle to explore the series concept, or a more original story at the very least. Still, Murder by Other Means made for a fine diversion, and I appreciate the ideas in it for being far more introspective and unique than some of the contrived stuff John Scalzi has been putting out in recent years. There’s a lot of potential here, and I would love to see that developed to its fullest.
September 12, 2022
This is such a fun and interesting audio series! The story could do with a little more character building and back story but it's good considering how short they are.
December 1, 2020
Having really enjoyed The Dispatcher, I couldn’t resist getting the second instalment. Once again, Scalzi puts together an entertaining thriller/mystery, which Zachary Quinto improves by his rendition.
We rejoin Tony Valdez, a ‘dispatcher’, a few years after the events of the first novella. Somehow, he has been having to accept the shadier kind of contracts of his profession to make ends meet. Unfortunately, bigger trouble comes knocking at his door and he is once more thrown right in the middle of it.
Don’t expect to find hidden depths. This is an easy, fun, and quick read that will entertain you for 3 hours. The full price for the audiobook however wasn’t.
We rejoin Tony Valdez, a ‘dispatcher’, a few years after the events of the first novella. Somehow, he has been having to accept the shadier kind of contracts of his profession to make ends meet. Unfortunately, bigger trouble comes knocking at his door and he is once more thrown right in the middle of it.
Don’t expect to find hidden depths. This is an easy, fun, and quick read that will entertain you for 3 hours. The full price for the audiobook however wasn’t.
October 15, 2023
Tony kills people. Well kind of, in this world most of the time if you are murdered you don't die. Well at least 99.9% of the time. Tony used to have more solid work in hospitals helping to save people on the verge of death but now budgets don't allow for that he is on the shadier side of things.
Accidentally involved in a bank robbery where another dispatcher proved the 0.1% of the time you still end up dead part true, Tony has found himself in a pickle. He is suspected by the police as being involved since he is a dispatcher too. The other people involved in the crime are ending up true dead and no one knows why or how. If Tony is going to stay alive he has a mystery to solve.
This is an enjoyable little mystery in a weird place where kids don't go bungie jumping for a thrill but actually plunge to their deaths to be resurrected in their homes. Murder doesn't usually work, but if you are clever you can make it happen.
A quick who done it murder mystery.
Narration:
Zachary Quinto's voice is like butter. Fantastic to listen to.
Accidentally involved in a bank robbery where another dispatcher proved the 0.1% of the time you still end up dead part true, Tony has found himself in a pickle. He is suspected by the police as being involved since he is a dispatcher too. The other people involved in the crime are ending up true dead and no one knows why or how. If Tony is going to stay alive he has a mystery to solve.
This is an enjoyable little mystery in a weird place where kids don't go bungie jumping for a thrill but actually plunge to their deaths to be resurrected in their homes. Murder doesn't usually work, but if you are clever you can make it happen.
A quick who done it murder mystery.
Narration:
Zachary Quinto's voice is like butter. Fantastic to listen to.
October 4, 2020
Rating: 3.5 stars
I never expected a sequel to The Dispatcher so was naturally intrigued when I saw this come up in one of my Audible recommendations. The world Scalzi has come up with, where murder is almost impossible, is fascinating. Or, as Tony Valdez points out, not impossible - you just have to get creative to commit a murder now.
Tony is presented a with quite a nasty puzzle to solve if he wants to survive, all starting after he accepts a morally questionable Dispatch job. Tony is racing against the clock as the body count starts to raise, with all the evidence pointing his way even though he couldn't have possibly caused any of the deaths.
It's a clever story and an entertaining read. I'd love to see what Scalzi would do with a full length novel in this world as the ending felt rushed this time around.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Zachary Quinto. It took me a bit to get used to his narration as the main character sounded monotonous in the beginning. As more characters added, it got better. This is currently available in the Audible Plus catalog for members.
I never expected a sequel to The Dispatcher so was naturally intrigued when I saw this come up in one of my Audible recommendations. The world Scalzi has come up with, where murder is almost impossible, is fascinating. Or, as Tony Valdez points out, not impossible - you just have to get creative to commit a murder now.
Tony is presented a with quite a nasty puzzle to solve if he wants to survive, all starting after he accepts a morally questionable Dispatch job. Tony is racing against the clock as the body count starts to raise, with all the evidence pointing his way even though he couldn't have possibly caused any of the deaths.
It's a clever story and an entertaining read. I'd love to see what Scalzi would do with a full length novel in this world as the ending felt rushed this time around.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Zachary Quinto. It took me a bit to get used to his narration as the main character sounded monotonous in the beginning. As more characters added, it got better. This is currently available in the Audible Plus catalog for members.
July 8, 2021
I don't suppose John Scalzi could write a totally bad book--well, he did write REDSHIRTS--but this one was pretty soggy and hard to swallow. You can read the premise up on top -- you will also discover the blurb-writer can't do basic arithmetic, as Scalzi explicitly states the risk of permanent, real death by murder is one in a thousand. And it's a pretty silly premise, I thought. Anyway, this is the first of his Dispatcher novellas I've read, and boy did it suffer by my reading it right after Martha Wells' latest Murderbot confection. This one was more like a day-old Dunkin doughnut, one of those cakey ones that aren't that good even fresh. Mind, it's not a hopeless case, and there are flashes of Scalzi goodness here & there. But, in my judgment, this is third-rate Scalzi. 2.5 stars, and I'm wobbling over rounding up or down. I'm likely done with The Dispatcher stuff. Sigh. I hate to see him wasting time on this, when he could be writing something I'd really like to read!
May 18, 2021
I thought the first novella in this series had figured out all the twisted ways Scalzi could take the idea behind the story. Oh no I was so wrong. New plot twists and turns made this a interesting and enjoyable read. This is why he is in the top 3 of my favorite new SiFi writers. Very recommended
February 19, 2024
Written by the talented and witty John Scalzi and narrated by Zachary Quinto I always remember him as Sylar from Heroes. They are a fantastic combination for this series. I enjoy these Dispatcher novellas they have a definite Sci-Fi feel to them with an undercurrent of noir running throughout.
Scalzi delivers snappy dialogue, interesting twists, and the premise that sounds just wild and out there when you’re listening to this, but it’s just so easy to feel sucked in and completely absorbed. I love his style.
In this world only one out of a thousand murders are successful. People can still die in other ways: accidents, suicide, illness, or error in surgery. The occupation of dispatcher came about to purposely kill someone to give them a 99.99% chance to survive what otherwise might have been fatal. For example, a person is hit by a car and they are dying from their injuries a dispatcher is called in and kills the person on purpose, preventing death from natural causes. The body disappears if they’re successful only to reappear in the person’s home naked, confused, but unharmed. No one knows why it works or how, only that it does. This phenomenon has changed life and death as we know it.
In Murder By Other Means the question of how exactly does one commit murder when there’s a 99.99% failure rate arises.
Tony Valdez is a dispatcher who has to take some sketchy jobs to make ends meet because times are tough and legitimate opportunities are scarce. He is a witness to a bank robbery and soon after people involved as well as investigators start dying permanently. He starts looking into the robbery and the suspicious deaths because he fears he will be wrongly accused, but is there a chance he could be next?
Scalzi delivers snappy dialogue, interesting twists, and the premise that sounds just wild and out there when you’re listening to this, but it’s just so easy to feel sucked in and completely absorbed. I love his style.
In this world only one out of a thousand murders are successful. People can still die in other ways: accidents, suicide, illness, or error in surgery. The occupation of dispatcher came about to purposely kill someone to give them a 99.99% chance to survive what otherwise might have been fatal. For example, a person is hit by a car and they are dying from their injuries a dispatcher is called in and kills the person on purpose, preventing death from natural causes. The body disappears if they’re successful only to reappear in the person’s home naked, confused, but unharmed. No one knows why it works or how, only that it does. This phenomenon has changed life and death as we know it.
In Murder By Other Means the question of how exactly does one commit murder when there’s a 99.99% failure rate arises.
Tony Valdez is a dispatcher who has to take some sketchy jobs to make ends meet because times are tough and legitimate opportunities are scarce. He is a witness to a bank robbery and soon after people involved as well as investigators start dying permanently. He starts looking into the robbery and the suspicious deaths because he fears he will be wrongly accused, but is there a chance he could be next?
January 26, 2025
In Murder by Other Means John Scalzi returns to the story of Tony Valdez, dispatcher. Intentional murder has become nearly impossible after an inexplicable phenomenon, twelve years past, began returning murdered people naked, safe, and whole to their home beds. No one understands why, but the world has adapted. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, a profession created because of this dramatic change. Dispatchers intentionally terminate (murder) people who otherwise would die from other causes (operating table failures, accidents, etc.) giving them another chance at life. This unexplained phenomenon is as huge as it is inexplicable, yet the world quickly adapted.
Of course, criminals also adapted. This change presents both opportunities to exploit and challenges to overcome. The possibilities for fast travel and escape (for those willing to endure a temporary death to achieve it) are quite handy. But what does a bad guy do when he needs to murder someone in this world? He must become creative, and find other means. Tony’s dispatcher job gets him dangerously entangled with these nefarious criminal adaptations.
Murder by Other Means is a strong and exciting sequel to The Dispatcher. Like its predecessor, it’s an audio original brilliantly narrated by Zachary Quinto. It’s clever, suspenseful, with snappy dialogue — think of it as modern, audio noir. Good stuff.
Of course, criminals also adapted. This change presents both opportunities to exploit and challenges to overcome. The possibilities for fast travel and escape (for those willing to endure a temporary death to achieve it) are quite handy. But what does a bad guy do when he needs to murder someone in this world? He must become creative, and find other means. Tony’s dispatcher job gets him dangerously entangled with these nefarious criminal adaptations.
Murder by Other Means is a strong and exciting sequel to The Dispatcher. Like its predecessor, it’s an audio original brilliantly narrated by Zachary Quinto. It’s clever, suspenseful, with snappy dialogue — think of it as modern, audio noir. Good stuff.
April 30, 2023
I am reviewing these three novellas all together.
The Dispatcher and its sequels were both available on Audible, so I grabbed them but then listened to the second one first by accident. Still, it worked out all right. The novellas work as standalones. It’s the present day and a mysterious phenomenon has made it nearly impossible to kill people—they can die of natural causes and suicide, but not murder.
Our hero, Tony, is a dispatcher: He kills people about to die so that they don’t stay dead. Each story is a mystery involving Tony and the police. The plots are so detailed I went and listened to all the novellas a second time (in the right order this time). How would criminals behave if murder was almost impossible? The novellas explore this scenario.
It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction. Narrated by Zachary Quinto—at first I was worried because it wasn’t Wil Wheaton, but Quinto does a superb job here.
It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Occasional lewd comments
Violence/Gore: A number of deaths, suicide/murder, sometimes disturbing but not very graphic. Many come back to life.
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
The Dispatcher and its sequels were both available on Audible, so I grabbed them but then listened to the second one first by accident. Still, it worked out all right. The novellas work as standalones. It’s the present day and a mysterious phenomenon has made it nearly impossible to kill people—they can die of natural causes and suicide, but not murder.
Our hero, Tony, is a dispatcher: He kills people about to die so that they don’t stay dead. Each story is a mystery involving Tony and the police. The plots are so detailed I went and listened to all the novellas a second time (in the right order this time). How would criminals behave if murder was almost impossible? The novellas explore this scenario.
It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction. Narrated by Zachary Quinto—at first I was worried because it wasn’t Wil Wheaton, but Quinto does a superb job here.
It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Occasional lewd comments
Violence/Gore: A number of deaths, suicide/murder, sometimes disturbing but not very graphic. Many come back to life.
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
February 28, 2021
I really enjoyed the first instalment of this made for audio novella series by John Scalzi. The basis of the storytelling is so fascinating in a world where murders are no longer a threat. Well, maybe for 999 times out of a thousand where the person who was killed will come back to the world in a place where he or she felt safest at, albeit completely naked. This longer sequel was just as engrossing as the first with just a bit of a lull in the middle. The mystery of the strange deaths kept me engaged nonetheless, and with the excellent Zachary Quinto narrating the story it was solid entertainment all round.
September 13, 2020
John Scalzi is a master of accessible, interesting, short, speculative fiction. The Dispatcher is right in his wheelhouse. If you liked Locked In, you will like both the Dispatcher productions.
BTW, Zachary Quinto is the perfect choice for narrator. I know that Wil Wheaton is John Scalzi's normal go-to-guy for audio productions. But, I think he would have been the wrong choice here. Zachary Quinto's disconnected-sounding delivery is perfect for a character who has a job that sets him apart from the rest of humanity.
BTW, Zachary Quinto is the perfect choice for narrator. I know that Wil Wheaton is John Scalzi's normal go-to-guy for audio productions. But, I think he would have been the wrong choice here. Zachary Quinto's disconnected-sounding delivery is perfect for a character who has a job that sets him apart from the rest of humanity.
September 13, 2020
09/12/2020 Notes:
A+ for Narration by Zachary Quinto
A+ for Mystery
Solid follow up to the Dispatcher and lots of tangents explored for a world where people can come back from death. I hope Scalzi writes more of the novellas in this world! =)
A+ for Narration by Zachary Quinto
A+ for Mystery
Solid follow up to the Dispatcher and lots of tangents explored for a world where people can come back from death. I hope Scalzi writes more of the novellas in this world! =)
December 16, 2021
It's a goofy concept, terribly contrived: in a world otherwise much like our own, it has somehow become impossible (well, really hard, anyway) to commit murder, because whenever you kill someone on purpose, they come back to life. Almost all the time, anyway. Nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, the intended victim awakens, stark naked but safe at home.
That thousandth time... well, that risk just keeps things exciting.
John Scalzi offers no reason for this change, either—a change which, in The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means, happened within living memory (just a dozen years ago, in fact).
However, one thing you already know as a human being (okay, I'm assuming) reading this review: where most people see a problem, a few see opportunity. A new profession, the "dispatchers," get paid to murder people (legally) (mostly), in order to cause their resurrection.
Because sometimes dying is the best way out of a bad situation—or a good way to solve an urgent problem. Or, at least, it's a fun way to spend a Saturday night.
It also leads to conversations like this one:
The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is a very short book—a novella, really—but I don't think it's a page longer than it should be.
And yes, dagnabbit, I did it again... somehow I failed to notice that The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is a sequel. I'd read it to the end before being reminded that I had skipped the first.
I guess that's a tribute to Scalzi's skill too.
For those who love pigeonholes: I would shove this one into "science fantasy"—it's our own world, with just one surreal alteration. And although he gives us no tidy explanation for the divergence, Scalzi does play fairly with the reader thereafter—he works out the consequences of his goofy premise logically, and abides by them with considerable rigor.
So, cards on the table time: if you like your speculative fiction a little loopy, with a neat conceit and a hardboiled protagonist right out of film noir (think Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem or Noir by K.W. Jeter, for example), then The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is likely to be another favorite for you as well.
But maybe read the first one first anyway, ya know?
That thousandth time... well, that risk just keeps things exciting.
John Scalzi offers no reason for this change, either—a change which, in The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means, happened within living memory (just a dozen years ago, in fact).
However, one thing you already know as a human being (okay, I'm assuming) reading this review: where most people see a problem, a few see opportunity. A new profession, the "dispatchers," get paid to murder people (legally) (mostly), in order to cause their resurrection.
Because sometimes dying is the best way out of a bad situation—or a good way to solve an urgent problem. Or, at least, it's a fun way to spend a Saturday night.
It also leads to conversations like this one:
"If he'd been murdered, he'd still be alive," Langdon said.Trust me—or trust Scalzi, rather; he manages to keep everything going through brevity and sheer momentum, a tribute to his skill as a writer.
"Right. Whoever it was would kill him, and he would come right back."
—p.75
The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is a very short book—a novella, really—but I don't think it's a page longer than it should be.
And yes, dagnabbit, I did it again... somehow I failed to notice that The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is a sequel. I'd read it to the end before being reminded that I had skipped the first.
I guess that's a tribute to Scalzi's skill too.
For those who love pigeonholes: I would shove this one into "science fantasy"—it's our own world, with just one surreal alteration. And although he gives us no tidy explanation for the divergence, Scalzi does play fairly with the reader thereafter—he works out the consequences of his goofy premise logically, and abides by them with considerable rigor.
So, cards on the table time: if you like your speculative fiction a little loopy, with a neat conceit and a hardboiled protagonist right out of film noir (think Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem or Noir by K.W. Jeter, for example), then The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is likely to be another favorite for you as well.
But maybe read the first one first anyway, ya know?
May 5, 2024
4.5 stars
November 20, 2022
A competent sequel and a solid addition to the Dispatcher series. I enjoy listening to it, but it's not particularly deep or surprising. It's simply a solid and short audiobook.
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