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Jim Meade, Martian P.I. #1
Rosetta
Murder, betrayal, the fate of Humanity... it's all in a day's work for Jim Meade: Martian P.I.
In a slow orbit around the sun, just beyond Mars, a mining colony known as Rosetta houses thousands of Consortium citizens who mine the valuable ore Humanity uses for space travel. Over the last three years, Rosetta has grown exponentially, from a tiny mining colony, into an economic behemoth that threatens the delicate balance of power between The Consortium and Coalition - two nations who are still healing from a devastating nuclear war that turned Earth into a hellscape of hopelessness and despair.
After a prominent scientist for The Consortium dies in an apparent accident, Jim Meade is hired by the victim's family to find out what really happened to their father Dr. Sanjay Sinjakama. There, Meade finds himself caught up in a power struggle between the diabolical CEO of Nebula Mining Dimitri Koschei, and Lazarus Rincon, the charismatic leader of a vicious cult.
With the assistance of his friend and confidant (the beautiful Emeline Hunan), Meade races against the clock to find Sinjakama's murderer and prevent a catastrophic disaster that might mean the end of all life on Earth.
In a slow orbit around the sun, just beyond Mars, a mining colony known as Rosetta houses thousands of Consortium citizens who mine the valuable ore Humanity uses for space travel. Over the last three years, Rosetta has grown exponentially, from a tiny mining colony, into an economic behemoth that threatens the delicate balance of power between The Consortium and Coalition - two nations who are still healing from a devastating nuclear war that turned Earth into a hellscape of hopelessness and despair.
After a prominent scientist for The Consortium dies in an apparent accident, Jim Meade is hired by the victim's family to find out what really happened to their father Dr. Sanjay Sinjakama. There, Meade finds himself caught up in a power struggle between the diabolical CEO of Nebula Mining Dimitri Koschei, and Lazarus Rincon, the charismatic leader of a vicious cult.
With the assistance of his friend and confidant (the beautiful Emeline Hunan), Meade races against the clock to find Sinjakama's murderer and prevent a catastrophic disaster that might mean the end of all life on Earth.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 11, 2014
I am giving this 3.5 stars and wishing to read another in order to get more background on the central character. This was an interesting concept with some good characters who make it worth reading again to make sure I got all the details. The story runs a bit slowly until you finally arrive at the destination and then things pick up a bit and continues to build. The characters are both fleshed out and not fleshed out depending on how long they are in the book, the main character has a lot more personality and background than any of the others but you still feel that he is lacking somewhat. I like the world that has been created, it has the ring of authenticity mainly because of it's resemblance to the world we now find ourselves living in. The technology is real enough that you would have no problem believing in its existence or at least the possibility that it could be created.
James Meade is a runabout who was born on Mars, this means that he does not bother himself with the politics of either power running things. In this case there is the Consortium, a fascist society that uses its citizens as virtual slaves based on whether they are born into wealth or not, and it is impossible to gain wealth if you are not born to it. The other side is the Coalition who claim to be better and allow for a democratic society, while you can pull yourself up to a higher standard before you can get there you must pay off the crushing debt you have been forced into. This is the world Jim lives in and still is unable to get away from.
When a Consortium engineer is found dead on Rosetta it is decided that Jim will do the investigation because of his neutrality. He is not given much of a choice in the matter and decides that if he has to do it he might as well get paid as much as possible. He figures it will be a simple job with little work involved and a good payday, but he has no idea of what is going on that asteroid far out in the belt. And what he does not know will likely get him killed.
For some reason Meade reminded me of Harry Dresden, not just because they were both PI's but the way he dressed and the use of sarcasm and humor. This is a detective story in space with a noir feel. You have the female bar owner with a heart of gold, the femme fatale, the crime bosses, the crazy zealot wanting to save the world, and our detective who is less and more of hero than you expect him to be. All in all a good read but could have been even better with a more serious mystery.
James Meade is a runabout who was born on Mars, this means that he does not bother himself with the politics of either power running things. In this case there is the Consortium, a fascist society that uses its citizens as virtual slaves based on whether they are born into wealth or not, and it is impossible to gain wealth if you are not born to it. The other side is the Coalition who claim to be better and allow for a democratic society, while you can pull yourself up to a higher standard before you can get there you must pay off the crushing debt you have been forced into. This is the world Jim lives in and still is unable to get away from.
When a Consortium engineer is found dead on Rosetta it is decided that Jim will do the investigation because of his neutrality. He is not given much of a choice in the matter and decides that if he has to do it he might as well get paid as much as possible. He figures it will be a simple job with little work involved and a good payday, but he has no idea of what is going on that asteroid far out in the belt. And what he does not know will likely get him killed.
For some reason Meade reminded me of Harry Dresden, not just because they were both PI's but the way he dressed and the use of sarcasm and humor. This is a detective story in space with a noir feel. You have the female bar owner with a heart of gold, the femme fatale, the crime bosses, the crazy zealot wanting to save the world, and our detective who is less and more of hero than you expect him to be. All in all a good read but could have been even better with a more serious mystery.
April 5, 2020
"A fistful of Dollars" meets Occupy Wall Street.
At least it's enough science fiction to claim the name.
Doesn't anyone proofread books anymore? This book follows the unfortunate trend toward publishing what reads like the first draft. How else would we get gems like the following: "But first he needed to shake the boys behind him first," "...and exited the bar quickly...as he exited..." (Johnson loves "quickly", used it three times on page 21), "You know can't trust..." (and numerous other dropped words), "...broken as it was in nearly four places," and my favorite "a shot nearly missed his head." (Oh, my!)
Okay at best.
At least it's enough science fiction to claim the name.
Doesn't anyone proofread books anymore? This book follows the unfortunate trend toward publishing what reads like the first draft. How else would we get gems like the following: "But first he needed to shake the boys behind him first," "...and exited the bar quickly...as he exited..." (Johnson loves "quickly", used it three times on page 21), "You know can't trust..." (and numerous other dropped words), "...broken as it was in nearly four places," and my favorite "a shot nearly missed his head." (Oh, my!)
Okay at best.
January 3, 2014
I enjoyed Rosetta. It combined the hard-boiled detective novel with a well-wrought science fiction world including, in the tradition of early Robert Heinlein, a discussion of ideas of personal morality and political justice.
Jim Meade's character was well drawn. He is definitely a lone ranger type, and his ambivalent attitude to violence grated at times. But he was sufficiently individual to be likeable. I particularly enjoyed the development of Suresh and Atma,drawn out of their subservient shells by Meade's democratic bluster. Emeline, Meade's romantic interest, was not so roundly drawn, but her role in the plot was essential. The villains were suitably villainous - evil but sufficiently articulate to argue the toss between between freedom and tyranny, democracy and demogagy.
Jim Meade says he would like enough money to pay an editor. I symphathise. But I nearly gave up on the book (and I am glad I didn't) because of repeated spelling mistakes like 'excited' for 'exited': one, the spelling was wrong,and two, better words can be found.
Overall, an entertaining read with enough of both action and ideas to keep the reader interested
Jim Meade's character was well drawn. He is definitely a lone ranger type, and his ambivalent attitude to violence grated at times. But he was sufficiently individual to be likeable. I particularly enjoyed the development of Suresh and Atma,drawn out of their subservient shells by Meade's democratic bluster. Emeline, Meade's romantic interest, was not so roundly drawn, but her role in the plot was essential. The villains were suitably villainous - evil but sufficiently articulate to argue the toss between between freedom and tyranny, democracy and demogagy.
Jim Meade says he would like enough money to pay an editor. I symphathise. But I nearly gave up on the book (and I am glad I didn't) because of repeated spelling mistakes like 'excited' for 'exited': one, the spelling was wrong,and two, better words can be found.
Overall, an entertaining read with enough of both action and ideas to keep the reader interested
September 18, 2013
This is a great idea, sort of a cross between Charles Dickens and Raymond Chandler set in space, and the stars it does receive are based mainly upon that idea and the world-building I encountered in the lengthy prologue and first chapter.
While it's a good set-up, the author's universe is dystopian and confusing, having two superpowers with such similar names and activities that I couldn't keep them separate. At roughly 10%, when the two remained confused in my mind and the slogging through examples of social injustice threatened to outweigh the plot, I gave it up. Sorry, but despite the great idea, there's not enough here to hold me.
Note that an editor and proofreader might have helped the story. The professional cover art is awesome and the main reason I picked up the book in the first place.
While it's a good set-up, the author's universe is dystopian and confusing, having two superpowers with such similar names and activities that I couldn't keep them separate. At roughly 10%, when the two remained confused in my mind and the slogging through examples of social injustice threatened to outweigh the plot, I gave it up. Sorry, but despite the great idea, there's not enough here to hold me.
Note that an editor and proofreader might have helped the story. The professional cover art is awesome and the main reason I picked up the book in the first place.
November 1, 2020
A hard boiled detective story set in space. Jim Meade is a man who lives by the rules, his rules, not societies. Jim finds himself trying to save the world when he thought he was just trying to solve a murder.
The characterizations are good. You like Jim and his Leroy Jethro Gibbs type of rules. He struggles to be a hard nosed, no nonsense tough guy but can't hide his innate goodness.
Emeline was a bit of a contradiction. She was introduced as a major butt kicker but the author seems conflicted with that role. Several times in the book, she squeals or cowers when her character seems more likely to knee someone in the groin.
The concept and ensuing rendition were well done. The plot moved quickly and there was plenty of action. I am fond of this style and look forward to reading more by Johanson.
I recommend the book.
The characterizations are good. You like Jim and his Leroy Jethro Gibbs type of rules. He struggles to be a hard nosed, no nonsense tough guy but can't hide his innate goodness.
Emeline was a bit of a contradiction. She was introduced as a major butt kicker but the author seems conflicted with that role. Several times in the book, she squeals or cowers when her character seems more likely to knee someone in the groin.
The concept and ensuing rendition were well done. The plot moved quickly and there was plenty of action. I am fond of this style and look forward to reading more by Johanson.
I recommend the book.
December 18, 2013
This book was recommended on a recent episode of The Incomparable podcast. It was an enjoyable read but the author needs an editor badly—he has good ideas but his writing gets in their way. I liked the Jim Meade character and his manservant Suresh, but the other characters were one dimensional. The nefarious surprise plot of he villain was fairly obvious, so I was disappointed in the overall story. There were some fun action sequences, however, that would have benefitted from another revision or two.
December 25, 2013
For a free Kindle book, this was a fair sci-fi novel. The story was a bit weak in places but otherwise adequate. The main characters show promise, with the Martian PI, Jim Meade, having a cowboy outlook on life, or maybe "frontier" is the right word. I would like to encourage this indie-author but I couldn't stretch to four stars. He acknowledges that he has to manage without an editor until sales pick up. The book does need a good editor because there are flaws, however, they tend to be subtle and slight and there are few egregious errors.
January 10, 2014
Though I found the concept intriguing, and the beginning sequences fast paced, I couldn't finish it. I had the e-version and perhaps this was the problem. I began to come across blatant editing problems (repeated phases, actions that were described twice on the same page ex: he took his last shot of whisky twice---just phrased differently.) This was irritating and disappointing after a promising start. Perhaps this was just a problem with this edition?
June 27, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It is a great scifi detective story. My one criticism is that it could use some additional editing as there are some typos and other things, but when it comes to these kind of independent books I think it is fair to give some leeway. The story is still great and I was very invested in the characters, especially the main character of Jim Meade.
December 7, 2012
This being the first book of a series I expected it to be much rougher than it turned out to be. While a few of the situations that Jim Meade found himself in were very predictable, that was not the case for the majority of the book. I found the book to be an enjoyable read and would recommend it to others. There is no doubt that I will look for the next book in this series.
May 27, 2012
This is the first book in a series. Jim Meade, a PI on Mars. Lots of action, great banter and snark. There is a correlation between politics today and the plot of this book. Keep an eye out for more RJ Johnson!
May 2, 2013
Rosetta is solid first book. Maybe a dozen typos in 300 pages. Enough that a few stood out, but not nearly enough to take away from the story. You've got a Martian PI investigating a murder on an asteroid with intrigue, cool tech, and interstellar whiskey. What's not to like?
August 19, 2013
I don't often read books that take place in space, but I do love a book with action and interesting characters and locations and this book fit that bill. There were a few typos in the text but the editing wasn't bad for a self-published title.
December 18, 2013
This story was a return to classic-style, science fiction writing while using current science technological possibilities. The characters were interesting and the story believable. The story makes me want to know more about Meade, both his past and future story.
June 9, 2015
Start Here
If you're interested in reading this series start here. I made the mistake of reading the follow up Under New Management first instead of this which is the beginning of this sf mystery series.
If you're interested in reading this series start here. I made the mistake of reading the follow up Under New Management first instead of this which is the beginning of this sf mystery series.
May 13, 2014
An entertaining, interesting read. Not earth shaking or trendsetting sci-fi, but the author created an interesting world and wrote a good story within it.
January 19, 2013
The first book in a series has to do a LOT. Not just deliver a solid story but establish a solid universe. Rosetta did well on every level.
June 19, 2013
well done near future story. I look forward to reading more.
Read
December 7, 2013False
February 12, 2014
Sort of enjoyed this. The story seemed to run out a biot towards the end. Also enjoyment spoiled by numerous typos and errors - a cardinal sin for a self published book.
July 30, 2014
Decent space opera. Don't think I would go out of my way to read more in the series, but it was entertaining enough.
August 20, 2014
Fun exciting story
January 9, 2020
Great scientific novel
R J Johnson has used this platform to raise several issues which are relevant to our society today. Power corrupts those seeking more power. There is an inclination that wealth and class is the source of this power. However there is always hope for change. And it may take only one person to achieve it.
R J Johnson has used this platform to raise several issues which are relevant to our society today. Power corrupts those seeking more power. There is an inclination that wealth and class is the source of this power. However there is always hope for change. And it may take only one person to achieve it.
June 25, 2023
Saving humanity is all in a days work for Jim Meade
Investigator private eye is roped into saving two worlds only if he cab stay alive. This was well written keeping g my attention unto the end nice and clean.
Investigator private eye is roped into saving two worlds only if he cab stay alive. This was well written keeping g my attention unto the end nice and clean.
August 19, 2019
A fun mix of sci-fi and P.I. fiction.
January 27, 2013
I was really excited to read this book; it had a good concept, an intriguing plot, and a lot of recommendations.
But then I started to read it, and what it actually has is some of the clumsiest writing I've ever encountered (sometimes to the point of being unintelligible) and editing so poor that the publisher should be heartily ashamed of putting it in print in that condition. I'm extremely disappointed.
But then I started to read it, and what it actually has is some of the clumsiest writing I've ever encountered (sometimes to the point of being unintelligible) and editing so poor that the publisher should be heartily ashamed of putting it in print in that condition. I'm extremely disappointed.
January 1, 2014
I liked the premise (hard bitten P.I. on Mars) but didn't like the execution much. Going to put it down for now and maybe try it again later.
January 17, 2016
I could not get into this book -- the story was disjointed and the writing needed some serious editing.
did-not-finish
January 6, 2018didn't really get very far, wasn't in the mood, wasn't catching me. This has been in my TBR pile for so long I thought it best just to shelve it else where. Maybe some day I'll try again.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews