Snuff

by Terry Pratchett
378 pgs  (Discworld series #39)

In Terry Pratchett's 39th Discworld novel, Commander Sam Vimes is forced by his wife to take a break from the daily grind of policing Anhk-Morpork in order to take a holiday with her and their son to the countryside. Fortunately for Vimes, who an only take so much of the fresh air an crime-free days, things get interesting fairly quickly, as he starts to realize the small community hides a dark past.

Very soon after arriving, Vimes begins to notice how the locals act suspiciously anytime goblins are discussed. Vimes, who has employed goblins on the city's Nightwatch, and knowing them to be hardworking, dependable employees, has no issues with them, and considers them his equal. But it's clear the locals consider them vermin and a nuisance.

One evening, when Vimes comes across evidence that a goblin has been murdered, he knows it's up to him to investigate and get to the bottom of whatever secrets the community has been hiding for so long.

Snuff is the perfect example of what made Terry Pratchett such a fantastic writer. His humor was intelligent and witty, his story telling was fun and full of meaning, and he wasn't afraid to intertwine a side-story of Vimes's son's obsession with studying all things poo-related throughout the book.

I have two more books left in the series to read, a series I began reading about 25 years ago. Knowing it's coming to an end, and not because Terry Pratchett decided to end it, but because Alzheimer's decided to, left me feeling oddly melancholy when I finished Snuff, a feeling I'm sure will be repeated and heightened for those last two.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆