My rating: 2 stars
Publisher: Orbit
I was so excited to read this but it just turned out just a smidge above okay.
I don't know what happened and I've never had this experience with a KSR book but this just didn't captivate me and took me a week to get through. It had all the usual elements I enjoy, a murder on the moon, a lunar settlement/colony setup and a good amount of politics. I didn't find the main character terribly compelling either. The parts were all there, the mechanics proficient but this just wasn't the read for me. Still, I'd read a sequel (because the end felt like there should be more forthcoming). Neutral on recommending. If you're going to begin with KSR, don't begin here.
Summary: American Fred Fredericks is making his first trip, his purpose to install a communications system for China's Lunar Science Foundation. But hours after his arrival he witnesses a murder and is forced into hiding.
It is also the first visit for celebrity travel reporter Ta Shu. He has contacts and influence, but he too will find that the moon can be a perilous place for any traveler.
Finally, there is Chan Qi. She is the daughter of the Minister of Finance, and without doubt a person of interest to those in power. She is on the moon for reasons of her own, but when she attempts to return to China, in secret, the events that unfold will change everything - on the moon, and on Earth.
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