February 11, 2019
Billionaire Nathan Joyce invites veteran cave diver James Tighe, the protagonist of this uneven near-future thriller from bestseller Suarez (Change Agent), to compete for a spot on the crew of the first manned expedition beyond the moon. Joyce has launched a Kickstarter campaign, for which he’ll provide matching funds, to enable a rocket to land on an asteroid and extract valuable resources such as water and iron, part of a hyperambitious plan to alleviate climate change. The overly long description of the rigorous process to winnow the candidates slows the action without deepening characterizations. Tighe’s efforts to make the cut alternate with sections involving financial intrigue as an inexperienced Luxembourg attorney, Lukas Rochat, stumbles on one of Joyce’s major secrets. Predictably, Tighe ends up in space, along with some of the other prospects with whom he’s bonded. Suarez does his usual fine job of integrating hard science into the plot, but this effort lacks the impact of his prior books. Readers will hope for a return to form next time. Agent: Rafe Sagalyn, ICM.