Scales of Injustice

As Gary Russell himself said back just this past November at Chicago TARDIS the Virgin Missing Adventures were created to fill in the holes left by Doctor Who's TV continuity. That is exactly what The Scales Of injustice sets out to do. Filling in gaps left by 1983's Warriors Of The Deep and the decision not to give Liz Shaw an exit in either Inferno or Terror Of The Autons, this novel may well be one of the most necessary Missing Adventures for fans of the series. For starters Russel seems to know his characters. By the time I reached the end of "Episode One" Russel had proven (to me at least) that I was reading the third Doctor, Liz Shaw and the Brigadier as played by Jon Pertwee, Caroline John and Nicholas Courtney. The same can be said of the entire UNIT family as well right down to Benton and Yates. The chemistry is there in the dialogue and in the descriptions of the characters actions in a way rarely captured in the MA's or its successor the PDA's. If nothing else The Scales Of Injustice features one of the most accurate recreations of the Pertwee era cast. Then there's the new characters thrown into the mix. It is no secret that Russell's stories make strong use of continuity and this novel is no exception to that rule. Infusing elements from across the earthbound stories of the series (even including some references to Remembrance Of The Daleks), Pertwee's first season as well as Virgin's own Who Killed Kennedy Russell brings a new set of villains into the series: Townsend, managing director of the Vault and his henchmen "the Irish twins". Together they make for some fantastic villains especially in the novels final "episode". Add in the Brigadier's wife and daughter into the mix as well to give a personal side to the UNIT era that was missing on TV. Then there's the Silurians and their teenage captive Marc Marshall who between them have some of the novel's best dialogue. All together it is a good mix of supporting characters. Also, Scales Of Injustice features one of the better novel plots as well. By choosing to fill in the gaps I talked about at the start of this review, Russell had his work cut out for him. Here Russell certainly rises to the task without getting so heavy that the story gets stopped in its tracks. In the novel we get the infusing of UNIT, the Silurians, Department C19, Glasshouse, the Myrka (though thankfully not the pantomime horse version seen in Warriors Of The Deep!) and the exit of Liz Shaw. Writing to fit into Season 7's seven episode format Russel never wastes a moment even right down to the cliffhangers which really sells this as a "missing adventure". The highlight though for me was Liz Shaw's wonderfully written exit which, to my mind, was way better handled then the version seen later in Devil Goblins From Neptune. If you aren't turned off by continuity references and instead revel in them then you should find this a terrific Doctor Who novel. The Scales Of Injustice is a missing adventure in every

On the surface, everything seems to be running smoothly at UNIT, but there are forces underway that will change everything. When a young boy is abducted from the seaside, and a policewoman left scrawling pictures of prehistoric animals, it becomes clear that the Silurians are on the move. But, there are more players in this game than are first apparent. Someone is looking to undermine UNIT, and seize control of all of the UK's secret organizations. What are they all up to and why? Overall, I found this to be a very good story. It has lots of action and suspense, and it is great to see the third Doctor back in action. Yes, this book tries to tie up a lot of loose ends, including the departure of Liz Shaw and the dissolution of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's marriage, so it is a more complex story than most of those presented in the television show, but that just makes it a better book. This is an interesting story, with lots of interesting characters. If you are a fan of the third Doctor, then you will enjoy this book!

I've always considered Dr. Liz Shaw an excellent character, extremely underused on TV and subsequently in books and short stories. I was extremely pleased to hear she was the companion for Scales Of Injustice.Gary Russell has created an excellent feel for the early Pertwee era. As I read the book, I could almost hear the Doctor and Liz saying the words. The characterisation was spot on. All the televised Liz stories were set on Earth and had a 'grounded' feel to them - both feet in reality instead of the usual one foot in reality (for stories set in the future or on other planets). Scales Of Injustice had exactly the same feel to it - as if the events described in the book could have happened, or even that they were happening now, behind the scenes somewhere.The book flows smoothly, the prose is easy to read and the plot enjoyable. The Doctor investigates strange occurrences near the coast while Liz teams up with a reporter in London, investigating missing persons. Both trails, however, eventually lead to the Silurians. The Brigadier, meanwhile, has his hands full trying to cope with his disintegrating marriage and a review into UNIT by C19 (the people who clean-up after alien incursions). Ever wondered exactly what happens to the bits of Cybermen, Daleks and the odd Auton arm or two after UNIT are through with them?This story takes place after The Silurians but before The Sea Devils. Gary manages to hold true to televised continuity by making sure the Doctor never meets a Sea Devil. Most of the Earth Reptiles in this novel are either Sea Devil/Silurian hybrids or Silurians.Since Liz has her own seemingly unrelated subplot, she effectively leaves UNIT at the start of the book. She does, however, get her well earned, and well handled farewell to the Doctor at the end of the novel. A few other continuity touches are integrated into the novel. Yates gets promoted from Sergeant to Captain ahead of Benton and we discover how the Doctor first met Ichthar (who the Doctor recognises in Warriors Of The Deep).A magnificent book. Fans of Liz Shaw, the 3rd Doctor or the early UNIT years will love it. For that matter, fans of Doctor Who in general should love it.

Silurians. Secret government conspiracies. Cyber and Auton technology. The final departure of Liz Shaw. Enough? Well, take all that, and a heck of a good story too. Another colony of Silurians has emerged, this one genetically unstable. Without notifying the Brig, the Third Doctor leaves to try to talk to them, but is instead captured. Meanwhile, rogue units in the British Intelligence service are after the Silurians (as well as other objects) for their own agendas. In in the middile of all this, the Brig's wife leaves, and UNIT funding is up for review. Can't say any more without telling you how the story goes. Oh yes. Did you ever wonder what happened to all the leftovers from the various UNIT dust-ups? You'll find out that, too. This book looks to be part of a continuing series with the same themes.