A murder on the moon leads a lunar engineer into the crosshairs of a global conspiracy in this acclaimed sci-fi thriller.
The Moon smells like gunpowder. Every lunar walker since Apollo 11 has noticed it. Caden Dechert, the chief of the U.S. mining operation on the edge of the Sea of Serenity, thinks the smell is just a trick of the mind—a reminder of his harrowing days as a Marine in the war-torn Middle East back on Earth.
It’s 2072, and lunar helium-3 mining is powering the fusion reactors that are bringing Earth back from environmental disaster. But competing for the richest prize in the history of the world has destroyed the oldest rule in space: Safety for All. When a bomb kills one of Dechert’s diggers on Mare Serenitatis, the haunted veteran goes on the hunt to expose the culprit before more blood is spilled.
But as Dechert races to solve the first murder in the history of the Moon, he gets caught in the crosshairs of two global powers spoiling for a fight. Reluctant to be the match that lights this powder-keg, Dechert knows his life and those of his crew are meaningless to the politicians. Even worse, he knows the killer is still out there, hunting.
“Interesting quirks and divided loyalties flesh out this first novel in which sf and mystery intersect in a well-crafted plot.” —Library Journal, starred review
Genre: Science Fiction
The Moon smells like gunpowder. Every lunar walker since Apollo 11 has noticed it. Caden Dechert, the chief of the U.S. mining operation on the edge of the Sea of Serenity, thinks the smell is just a trick of the mind—a reminder of his harrowing days as a Marine in the war-torn Middle East back on Earth.
It’s 2072, and lunar helium-3 mining is powering the fusion reactors that are bringing Earth back from environmental disaster. But competing for the richest prize in the history of the world has destroyed the oldest rule in space: Safety for All. When a bomb kills one of Dechert’s diggers on Mare Serenitatis, the haunted veteran goes on the hunt to expose the culprit before more blood is spilled.
But as Dechert races to solve the first murder in the history of the Moon, he gets caught in the crosshairs of two global powers spoiling for a fight. Reluctant to be the match that lights this powder-keg, Dechert knows his life and those of his crew are meaningless to the politicians. Even worse, he knows the killer is still out there, hunting.
“Interesting quirks and divided loyalties flesh out this first novel in which sf and mystery intersect in a well-crafted plot.” —Library Journal, starred review
Genre: Science Fiction
Praise for this book
"Could easily be the prequel to The Expanse, where natural resources off-world become the target of competing powers and one man is left in the middle to avoid catastrophe—a truly interesting read!" - Bob Mayer
"In Gunpowder Moon, David Pedreira has crafted an excellent near-future thriller. This one’s got it all—realistic technology, an all-too-believable political conflict, and characters to care about—in a fast-paced story set amid the moon’s austere beauty." - Linda Nagata
"In Gunpowder Moon, David Pedreira has crafted an excellent near-future thriller. This one’s got it all—realistic technology, an all-too-believable political conflict, and characters to care about—in a fast-paced story set amid the moon’s austere beauty." - Linda Nagata
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