Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

Gonnes don't kill people; people kill people.  Well if that isn't the most cliche thing I have ever read.  Except this is Discworld, where the gonnes can do the killing for themselves, thank you very much.  While the story of Men at Arms is an incredibly fun read from a character development viewpoint, it disappointed after Lords and Ladies.  I guess that is the hazard of reading the series in publication order.

Captain Vimes is about to retire from the City Watch and marry one of the richest women in Ankh-Morpork.  He will turn his badge in for gentlemanly leisure.  He is looking down the barrel of -- okay, okay, I won't finish that cliche pun.  He faces the vacuum that every person who has dedicated their lives to their career faces with complete denial.  It helps that the largest crime spree Ankh-Morpork has seen is occurring.

There was plenty of humor.  Terry Pratchett has never failed me on that.  I'm just too exhausted of the social satire for this one.  First there is the social dissertation on the dangers of guns and their influence on people.  But we don't stop there.  We are then presented with social politics of species and gender and how to make everyone get along.