I recently finished reading Problem
on Polonius, a new story from Robert Collins. I always enjoy reading
Robert's work and find it entertaining and interesting. This story is a
low-tech sci-fi adventure that reads like a police procedural. I also enjoyed it
because it has an old-west flavor set in a future where the galaxy has been
colonized by humanity. At 125 pages, it is a quick read and is complete as is.
There are some interesting characters, but the principal character, Mateo
Hobson, stands out, and the story is told from his point of view. There is
plenty of action and intrigue as Mateo goes about solving the mystery and
sorting out the good guys from the bad. The plot is pretty straightforward and
includes some humorous moments that had me laughing out loud.
The planet Polonius has
petitioned the Interstellar Alliance of Independent Worlds for membership to
strengthen their trade possibilities. Before being admitted to the
organization, there are a few problems needing to be investigated and resolved.
One of those problems involves some low-level criminal activity and a
mysterious unsolved murder.
Ensign Mateo Hobson has been
called into the Intelligence Directorate office to investigate and act as he
sees fit.
Mateo meets several characters
on Polonius, both honest and shady. As his story unfolds, he runs into twists
and turns, all the while uncovering the activities of the small underworld gang
known as the Black Hats.
Mateo Hobson, the principal
character of Problem on Polonius, is a young officer in the Alliance
Patrol who has no apparent skill at solving crime, or much of anything else.
What qualifies him for service in the Intelligence Directorate, though, is his
ability to bend or break the rules in favor of doing what is right, even if he
is hurt in the process. One thing in his favor is a relentless curiosity about
fact-finding. He finds himself in a situation where he must put a large and
complicated puzzle together and each question, he asks the people he encounters
gives him another piece to put the whole picture into focus. For not having any
special skills, he comes across as an incredibly skilled investigator by his
instinct. Mateo is the kind of character one can get to know and want to read
more of.
We see his ability for
questioning in exposition of the story as he arrives on Polonius. One of the
first people he encounters on the planet is a minor official whom he asks about
why the places are named after Shakespeare's characters, or why certain
characters are left out. This part of the tale is the most humorous scene in
the book and had me laughing out loud. I read and re-read this passage a few
times because I found it not only funny, but it read like an exchange between
Abbot and Costello.
My takeaway from Problem on
Polonius is how anyone can be successful when one is determined to get to
the truth of a matter. There were several places in the story where Mateo could
have just walked away and given up when things became complicated. His
tenacious personality drove him on to complete his quest. I wouldn't mind
reading more stories featuring this character.
I enjoy Robert Collins' work
because it is light and accessible. Some of what I have read from this author
has an old-western flavor I enjoy, especially when it is set in the frontier of
space. I wouldn't be surprised to see such a story as this appear as an episode
of Gunsmoke or other cowboy type theatrical tome. The low-tech nature of
this tale makes an easy read where one can just sit back and enjoy a good story
without having to overthink what is happening in the scenes. I recommend Problem
on Polonius as an easily digestible, fun story set on a frontier planet
with characters perfect in such a setting.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Robert also has a YouTube
channel featuring his model railroad projects. Visit his channel by clicking
HERE.
To Learn more, follow him on
social media, and to keep up with his writing, visit his blog, One KansasAuthor.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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