I picked up this month’s novel, Detour, at the independent bookstore Arcadia Books in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and couldn’t wait to get to it. Jeff Rake, creator of Netflix’s Manifest, and bestselling author Rob Hart, wrote the tale of six people bound for Saturn’s moon Titan. There they collect data to determine if Titan can be a habitable alternative to a declining Earth.

The six people include three astronauts and three civilians—one of whom is a scientist with extensive knowledge of Titan. The other two are a lottery winner (the proceeds of the lottery help to fund the trip) and a police detective who saved the lives of the scientist and the founder of the space program.

What I liked about the book

The action is fast-paced with flawed and relatable characters. It’s a quick read with an interesting, mysterious premise.

What I didn’t like about Detour

My daughter, Caitlin, often says that the early drafts of my novels read too fast—she wants more setting and character development. I edit my novels with her in mind, placing the reader into the setting and the adventure. Detour read like one of my early drafts. I wanted to know more about the spaceship as the characters interacted with it. I wanted to feel their fear and their triumphs.

It was also very improbable that a police officer and a random guy who happened to win the lottery would be selected to go on such an important mission. Additionally, they move the training timeline from months to weeks without a good reason, also making the entire mission implausible. And the science is very pseudo.

But what ticked me off was the ending. (SPOILER ALERT) The “astronauts” return to find Earth is not as they left it. Interesting mystery, except it’s not resolved. In fact, the last line of the book is, “TO BE CONTINUED . . .” I spent $31 on the hardcover version of this book and then I find out it’s not complete?

My Devil Particle Series is similar in that it’s one story over four books. But each book has its own resolution. For instance, in The Devil Particle (book one), the reader discovers who has won the Vessel Trials. And in The Vessel (book two), the teenage vessel deals with all the world’s evil. Each novel’s premise is resolved, while the overarching story continues. I would have liked to see that in Detour.

I wanted more (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

I’m intrigued enough by the premise and the mystery behind it to want to read the next book in the series. But I’ll check the ending to see if there’s another continuation. If that’s the case, I’ll probably pass.

How this has affected my writing

When I worked on book three, The Runner, I divided it into two books, ending the first of these without resolving Gaige’s story. Two of my critical readers called me out on it, and I’m glad they did. Sure, I’d have an extra book to sell, but I’d just piss off my readers as Rake and Hart have pissed me off. And that I don’t want to do.

Detour gets 👍🏻  👍🏻 for an interesting premise that’s not complete.