The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars #1) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham | Rating: ★★★★★

“There weren’t many people in this world who would let you be vulnerable and still believe you were strong.”

I’m in Veronica Mars heaven, guys! First the movie and now the start of a book series? I can barely sit still without squealing in excitement. Veronica Mars, as some of you know, is pretty much my favorite fictional female and I’m so glad to see her return. The Thousand Dollar Tan Line is fortunately for us, the start of a new VM book series, and it has all the mystery, heart and quirks that make Veronica Mars beloved by its fans.

Our story opens shortly after the events of the Veronica Mars movie. Veronica is still in Neptune — obviously, hello — and has taken their reigns of her fathers business while he recovers from the accident that nearly took his life. Fortunately, Veronica has the help of Mac and although they seem to be struggling with business, their spirits are pretty high and there are some great moments between the two.

(I’m totally on board with the two working together again. Love their friendship!)

The main mysteries come into play soon — a girl on spring break goes missing and many suspect foul play. But of course we know that the sheriff won’t be making a move off of his lazy ass to solve it; Veronica is quickly hired to find the missing girl and begins to attempt piecing the puzzle together. And when another girl goes missing, she is confronted with an even bigger mystery and at the very same time has to come face to face with the mother she hasn’t spoken to in over a decade.


And then, ransom notes begin to come into both girls’ family — leaving each of them distressed and yet still hopeful for their daughters’ return.

As the case begins to unfold, Veronica becomes more and more invested in finding the two girls. Through the danger and twists, Veronica will find herself in a mix of potential conclusions to the case: is it human trafficking? A case of having been in the wrong place at the wrong time? What could tie these two girls together?

Through the regular heart pounding mystery, we see everything come together and make sense: the usual plot twists apply. You will not know what really happened until the end of the story approaches.

A lot of the fans of the series will love this in spite of shaky writing or any flaws they may find. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about the lack of Logan and while I love Logan; I think the amount of him was perfect for the story they were trying to tell. Of course, I can’t wait for him to return. I did like that in this we saw the best of Veronica’s friendship with Wallace.

Their interactions were always a favorite of mine in the series. Such a wonderful example of what best friends should be like. And I’m glad we saw much more of him and Mac in this novel. Veronica/Wallace/Mac… my babies.

And I have to say my favorite scene was when Keith bought Veronica a gun, to protect her from this job. He is still very concerned about her having returned to Neptune and you can tell he is a bit disapproving, but their relationship is certainly getting better. They’ve always been one of my favorite family dynamics and I am glad to see it on the mend. Veronica’s reaction to the gun was such a class Veronica Mars moment, it will bring a smile to your face.

We also see many familiar people and settings — which do include ‘Amber’, Dick and Weevil. We can also fill in the blanks on some parts of Veronica’s mothers life, now, and I do like that we’ve been reintroduced to her character. And I think that fans will enjoy this novel and read it as quickly as they can.

Naturally I recommend this to all fans of the series and it is definitely on my summer reads list. Go and buy it, now!