Book Review: Resident Alien Vol. 4 by P. Hogan et al.

Resident Alien Volume 4: The Man With No Name written by Peter Hogan and art by Steve Parkhouse

Space alien Dr. Harry is involved in two adventures this time. First, a mysterious fire breaks out downtown and a homeless man dies. The identity of the man is unclear: fingerprints turn up nothing and dental records are slow in coming. Second, he meets his assistant Asta's dad, a Native American who has guessed Harry's secret and is willing to help out with the whole alien on a strange planet situation. That's good since the Feds are snooping around, hoping to get a lead on the space alien who has been passing around counterfeit money (an early indiscretion for Harry). Both stories move together nicely, though naturally the friendship is just beginning and will continue on into another volume.

The mystery is fun if slight and the new friendship moves the overall plot along.

Recommended.

Book Review: Resident Alien: The Sam Hain Mystery by P. Hogan et al.

Resident Alien: The Sam Hain Mystery written by Peter Hogan and art by Steve Parkhouse

The space alien masquerading as Dr. Harry Vanderspiegle has another adventure, this time investigate whether a favorite author from the 1970s really lives in his quiet adopted home town of Patience, Washington. The light mystery leads to a darker mystery. The on-going story of whether Harry will be rescued by his people or discovered by Earth people moves forward a bit too.

This is an entertaining, quick read.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde by P. Hogan et al.

Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde written by Peter Hogan, artwork, colors, and letters by Steve Parkhouse

See my review of the first volume here.

Doctor Harry is back and on another case. Recovering from his leg wound in the last volume, a temporary replacement for the town doctor in Patience is hired by the mayor. This frees Harry up to investigate a seeming suicide. A young blonde woman checked into a hotel and was found dead from poisoning. The room had an open champagne bottle and a suicide note. A quick search for evidence throws doubt on the assumption of suicide and suspicion on the town mayor, who had visited the blonde the night of the death. Harry knows instinctively that the mayor is innocent and investigates on his own, taking him to the dead woman's college in Seattle.

The story is entertaining if more lurid than the last story. The mystery was interesting enough but it's really only appropriate older kids. Some of the side plots from the last story (like his Native American nurse who has figured out he's from outer space) get some attention but not enough to move that part of the story any further. Until the very end of the book.

Mildly recommended.

Book Review: Resident Alien Vol. 1 by P. Hogan et al.

Resident Alien Volume 1: Welcome to Earth written by Peter Hogan, artwork, colors, and letters by Steve Parkhouse

An alien crash landed on Earth three years ago and has been lying low in a small northwest town passing himself off as a retired doctor. The alien has a mental power that makes humans see him as just another human. Well, one in a million humans wouldn't be fooled, but it's a small town so odds are in his favor. The town might be too small, though, because the local doctor is killed, forcing the cops to ask him to examine the body so they can get a lead on the killer. The county coroner is a long way off. The alien (who goes by the name Harry Vanderspeigle) realizes it will only look suspicious if he refuses to help. The local mayor, being a politician, hornswoggles Harry into filling in as the town doctor until they get someone new. You can imagine how quickly that happens. Harry is interested in solving the crime and becomes more interested when another murder happens.

The story has a creative premise that is executed well. Harry is likable and it's easy to sympathize with his desire to lay low, hoping his message back home sends some help. That's hardly the focus of the story. The murder mystery is, though there's no way for the reader to guess the culprit. Still, the investigation is entertaining enough along. The little bits of backstory generate interest in the bigger story. Of course, the book ends with someone figuring out Harry is not from around here, creating a natural (if predictable) cliffhanger.

Recommended. I'll be reading more of this series.