'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul' is Douglas Adams 2nd Dirk Gently novel, following on from 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency', and this time sees Dirk investigating the explosive disappearance of his ex-secretary and the decapitation of his latest client. In many ways 'The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul' is a more straightforward novel than it's predecessor, with the main storyline concerning the immortal remnants of the Asgardian gods always being to the fore, though it's still fun watching Adams tie-up the disparate plot-threads using Dirk's holistic detective approach. Sadly one thing common it has with the first Dirk Gently novel is that after a hugely enjoyable build-up the novel ends with a disappointing 'blink and you'll miss it' climax, but the crucial fact that this appears to be an original novel rather than a conglomeration of Adams old Doctor Who scripts makes this ultimately the more enjoyable of the two novels.