I wasn’t sure I’d be all that thrilled to read a book about a detective and his problems. I’m a science fiction fan and I didn’t see how this could evolve into any kind of military/space adventure story. But I started reading it and was soon so engrossed by the story line that I couldn’t put this book down.
It did help that we get to read about Specialist Belinda Lawson, the Pathfinder Marine, who barely escaped the fall of Earth with the young Emperor. She proved to be very talented in “When the Bough Breaks (Empire’s Corps #3) by knocking some sense into a very wild and uncouth young man while saving his backside until they could be picked up by the Marines who were also fleeing Earth as it destroyed itself.
Now with a new assignment, she’s to make sure a Conference gets held in a floating space habitat, Island One, above Terra Nova. As usual, she’s quietly inserted on to the planet and must find a way to accomplish her mission.
At the same time, we start reading about Imperial Marshal (Deputy Inspector) Glen Cheal. He’s kicking off a raid on a suspected terrorist warehouse stash of stolen goods. What he also kicks off is the beginning of a string of occurrences that bring him and Lawson together to work security for the Conference. Their only problem is they don’t know who or what could effect the Conference. And while it’s going on, the planet below them may be coming apart a the seams.
I really did enjoy this book once it got going. And no, it wasn’t just about some detective solving a mystery. There’s a lot of action through out the book and plenty of combat even if there’s only one Marine around!