The intrepid, indomitable and mostly incompetent space pilot Hal Spacejock has yet another hare-brained scheme to get rich quick. His ageing but faithful robot sidekick Clunk is not so sure, what with the newfangled stasis controller that Hal bought off of Bent Jimmy, underpowered for the number of containers of fresh food Hal has taken as cargo. If that isn't enough when the stasis controller blows up, the only parts available are on the planet Plessa and the only way to get there is to crew for the insufferable Kent Spearman.

Fortune smiles on Hal when Justine Ortez books a mysterious cargo onto the Volante, promising a hefty retainer. But as is the way when Hal is left to organize things, fortune tends to be laughing at him. From missing the shuttle and having to steal a ship to get into orbit, to inadvertently purchasing a hundred coffee makers, putting him in the hands of the Hand-E-Mart debt collectors, nothing seems to be going right. However Hal in his inimitable style seems to be completely oblivious, while Clunk is left to handle the resulting mess.

This book is dangerous. You should not read it on public transport. The constant sniggering and occasional bursts of hearty laughter are likely to get you strange looks at best, and a consultation with a psychiatrist at worst. But don't fear, it is well worth the risk. Just Desserts, like the others in the Hal Spacejock series, is a lot of fun.

You can't read a chapter without running across a pun, joke or double-entendre that will get you smiling, chuckling or outright chortling. Hal is the quintessential larrakin, taking nothing seriously and always ready to fight for what he believes in, provided he has backup, of course. Clunk is the brains of the outfit, even if they are a bit antiquated, and his exasperation at Hal's antics is balanced by his devotion to the human that saved him from destruction and Hal is as loyal to Clunk as he can be, in his own way. Mates are important to Hal, even if legal niceties aren't.

Even though Just Desserts is packed with quips it is also a great story. You really care about these characters and are on the edge of your seat as you follow their adventures. A real page turner. This is fantastic comedy in every sense of the word, and very addictive.