Maud Woolf

Set in a zany near future, [b:Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock|127547335|Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock|Maud Woolf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1690982546l/127547335._SY75_.jpg|148587185] is narrated by the clone of a famous film star. This clone has been created to dispose of the various other clones that the film star accumulated for various purposes. It's an ingenious concept, with some fun details. I liked the roles of the different clones and car chases that involved fighting with an automated driving system. What seemed to be a cameo from Marie Kondo as a spirit guide also made me smile. However the story takes place over only a few days and the pace is rather limiting. This is part of the reason that I found the love story that ought to be the emotional centre of the book disappointingly lifeless. The assassin-clone protagonist falls in love with another clone, a twist full of interesting psychological implications. Unfortunately these are not explored and their attraction remains mysterious. Moreover there is a fade-to-black for their sex scene, which seems like a missed opportunity. Why even imply clone sex if you're not going to describe it for curious readers? The narrative appears oddly squeamish about the whole love affair. By contrast, clone-on-clone violence is described in visceral detail.

[b:Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock|127547335|Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock|Maud Woolf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1690982546l/127547335._SY75_.jpg|148587185] is a diverting thriller and I can imagine it working well as a film. There's a lot of snappy dialogue and some great action scenes. However I would have liked more emotional depth and exploration of cloning's implications beyond the protagonist. For a novel that does the latter, I recommend David Brin's [b:Kiln People|96478|Kiln People|David Brin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1287261951l/96478._SY75_.jpg|2300358].… (more)