The English Way of Death [Paperback]

Gareth Roberts is a very witty fellow, the best at doing Season 17 style Doctor Who, a season of the TV series particularly well known for it's humour. He's got a good balance between the jolly and the macabre, and some of his non-regular characterizations here are his best ever. Especially good are the characters of the Colonel, a pompous ex-military type who Romana hitches a lift with, and Felicia, a novelist searching for excitement in her life (she certainly finds it!). They have a great deal of self deception and internal dialogue, and it's quite entertaining to read their thoughts progress through the book. K9 fans can rejoice, as the little robot dog features a lot here, even more than the Doctor, I think. Gareth Roberts sure writes a good K9 too!

I have to say though, Roberts is a bit of an accquired taste in Doctor Who books. There are some jokes and bits of humour that are just a little over the top, like he's trying too hard to make the book humourous. Then again, the show was also pretty over the top in the era he's set it in. The pace of his storytelling gets a bit jumbled too, but they're only minor quibbles really.

Worth a mention are the four illustrations in this book, that feature four key moments in the story. They're in dithered black and white, and in the style of the illustrations from the old "Target" series of television Doctor Who novelizations. This idea wasn't carried on in the Missing Adventures, which is a shame, though the e-books on the official BBC Doctor Who website have similar retro illustrations.

Though not as sharp as "The Romance of Crime" (also by Gareth Roberts, set right before this book), "The English Way of Death" is a worthwhile read for fans of Season 17 Doctor Who.

However, Mr. Roberts has too many of those supporting characters. The villain is very predicatable and generic. The characterization of Tom Baker's 4th Doctor is adequate, but does not explore any new territory. There are a few shining moments when I laughed out loud from The Doctor's wit. Unfortunately, these moments are too sparse, and the Doctor has too little "screen time." Of course, The Doctor and Romana get separated at the beginning, and it seemed I was always reading more about Romana and K9 than The Doctor. This was disappointing because while Romana and K9 are good characters, the Fourth Doctor is a far more captivating hero. The plot itself was also generic and ordinary. Nothing makes this story stand out.

I wish Mr. Roberts had given The Doctor more "screen time," and had spent more time creating a truly memorable and unique plot. It seemed Mr. Roberts was more interested in his supporting cast of locals, than the hero, and I wish it had been otherwise.

If you're looking for a great 4th Doctor book, I highly recommend "The Festival of Death" by Jonathan Morris.