There are TWO different books in this set, each with a totally different set of characters, excluding that of Mr. Dirk Gently, Holistic Detective, who blithely bounces along, making a living somehow "solving" mystery cases.

The foundation of these mystery conclusions sits upon the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things," which is a nice way to write a mystery. A writer can scribble nonsense and throw in coincidences and tie up the ending neatly because everything is connected.

Any Douglas Adams book has a thick sheen of witty ridiculousness. Pithy and friendly, an even balance of admirable and irksome characters.

Murders and interdimensional travel. A few gods thrown in. Was the second book an inspiration for Neil Gaiman's American Gods? I feel like a rug has been pulled out from under me. Having read AG, I nattered on about how original it was in idea... BUT, if I had previously read The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, as I should have, with its much earlier publication date, I would have been much less thrilled by AG. Everyone should read Adams first.