A new publisher. A new author. No doubt both are on tenterhooks to see whether a review can make or break an entrance into the market.

After a communications breakdown at the distant Sorensen Four colony, a small team is sent to investigate. They discover that some interlopers have been picking off the colonists and have to do something to even things out. Interspersed with this is the ramifications back on Earth as to just what is going on and its ramifications.

Nothing particularly new in the idea but like a lot of stories these days, it’s more a question of what can an author do to shake up the mix in a different way. Sadly, I ended up being more concerned for the team and the colony than anything going on Earth which was used to interrupt what was going on but not quite going back where it left off all the time.

After thinking a lot about this book, I don’t think author Crookes has thought this reality out far enough. Other than space-travel, there’s little here to indicate just how advanced humans are in this reality. Showing what the interlopers are - and I shan’t say what here in case it does spoil the surprise for anyone out to buy this book - but indicating no seeding to guide the reader earlier is something I probably wouldn’t have let pass myself.

It also doesn’t have much of a bearing on what they were doing there either unless you were looking for a very sub-standard Blade Runner-like reality. If what they were made any significant difference then it wouldn’t have been so bad but it didn’t really make any difference. It’s all very well having a mystery that the characters have to work out what is going on but to leave the readers totally clueless as well isn’t.

I’m not entirely convinced that this book is tailored for the British market. Bearing in mind the references to certain German names early on, suggests some appeasement or adjustment to tailor for German readers who will undoubtedly lap it up.

Some of the characters were of interest and if author Crookes can sort out his weaknesses in plotting and reality development, he might develop some sort of following.

GF Willmetts