Demontage, by Justin Richards

[Edwardian Cricketer]

In my ongoing attempt to get to know the 8th Doctor and his various companions, I read Demontage, by Justin Richards. This is second adventure with Fitz, his first adventure away from his home and everything he knows.

At first, I thought this might be a sort of Doctor Who attempt at James Bond but that turned out to be just Fitz being silly. There were parts of the story that seemed to take their underpinnings from The Nightmare of Eden, with creatures coming out of paintings. Richards does this with a truly unique twist that works very well with the story. The case of mistaken identity early in the story is something I saw coming a mile off but I laughed anyway when it happened. The plot twist involving the assassin was something I didn't see and was truly an "ah-ha" moment.

This is another book that I think would have made a great television episode if a bit was trimmed here and the pace picked a bit there. I can't remember if I've said it before but I'll say it now: Justin Richards is probably one of my favorite of the novelists. He defines his characters well and tells a great story. This book is a good example of his writing and I recommend it to anyone trying to get to know the 8th Doctor, Sam, and Fitz.