Snuff by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
With the news of Terry Pratchett’s declining health, it feels as if each new Discworld novel could be his last. It also made you want to savor each entry a bit more.
Unfortunately, the last couple of entries haven’t been quite among Pratchett’s best.
Thankfully, Snuff is a return to form for Pratchett and while I hope we get more, if this is the last Discworld entry we get, it will be a solid, entertaining high note for the series to go out on.
As I’ve said in other Pratchett reviews, Pratchett makes looking witty, funny and satirical look easy when he’s on the top of his game. And he does that hear. The story of Sam Vines being forced to take a vacation to the countryside with his wife only to find a foul plot unfolding there is well done and keeps the story moving. Part of what makes it work is the constant running gag of how husbands have to defer to their wives on whether they enjoy consuming certain things like bacon, cigars and other products that may shorten the lifespan but are still eminently enjoyable. Add in a bit of social commentary and you’ve got the makings of one of the better Discworld novels in recent memory.
