Now this is a refreshing change of pace from what I've been reading....a small-town murder mystery, with a reclusive Doctor-cum-amateur-sleuth as our hero. The only thing separating RESIDENT ALIEN, VOLUME 1: WELCOME TO EARTH! from your typical Matlock/Murder She Wrote whodunit is the fact that the kindly, reclusive Doctor is, in fact, an Alien. Alien as in "Little Green Man" Alien.
After crashing to Earth 12 years ago, the nameless Alien has been quietly passing as Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle, using telepathy to mask his true appearance, and biding his time waiting for a rescue that may never come. Harry's quiet life comes to an abrupt end as he's asked to look at the body of a murder victim by the local Sheriff . The victim is the town's only Doctor, and soon Harry is called upon by The Mayor to fill in for the deceased Doctor until a permanent replacement can be found. As he gets involved in the day-to-day lives of his Patients, Harry finds a lust for life that has been sorely lacking, and also discovers the joys of solving a mystery, as another dead body is found, and the possibility that the small town of Patience may harbor a Serial Killer becomes more and more real.....
Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse have outdone themselves with RESIDENT ALIEN, creating a memorable cast of characters that are a joy to read, especially the loveable Alien, Harry. The mystery is engaging, and the solution took me by surprise. I'm looking forward to revisiting Patience and Harry again, hopefully in the very near future.
Dark Horse provided a review copy.
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