I was recently allowed the opportunity to read the ARC of Kingfisher Seven, which is the title of a book that was written by Shawn Klomparens (I feel that it is safe to use the past tense because he had unfortunately passed away in 2024), and I wish to thank the author (or his estate), his publisher (Thomas & Mercer.), and the fine folks at Net Galley. This book is going to be released to the public on 12 August 2025.
Klomparens’ Kingfisher Seven is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into a world of danger and moral compromise, dealing with issues that revolve around the world of private industry rocketry. Similar to the real-world Space X, the company (Kingfisher Aerospace) would base its mission on the numerous advances in rocket propulsion, reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, and satellite constellation technology.
With this novel, Klomparens crafts a breakneck plot with precision, balancing action sequences with moments of psychological tension. The pacing is relentless, making it difficult to put down, though some secondary plot threads could benefit from deeper exploration. The plot of the novel centers on a rocket explosion that jeopardizes Kingfisher Aerospace and the broader aerospace industry.
The story revolves around an ex-intelligence officer, Jake Moran, and his team at Cascadia Information Systems, who is hired by Kingfisher Aerospace to investigate the explosion of their rocket, the "Kingfisher Seven". The explosion, which occurred publicly, forces Jake and his team to uncover a plot that could have devastating consequences for the private aerospace industry, as well as posing a threat to the national security of the nation (with consequences of the resulting explosion, combined with the nuclear cargo/fuel contained within the rocket, would have over that portion of the United States bordering on the Gulf of Mexico (or America, depending upon your viewpoint)
Overall, I felt that this was an intriguing read and a topic that I hadn't come across in all my thriller reads. Venturing into the private space world and hacking rockets was very interesting to me, and it played well. I appreciate the detail the author used in the writing. It wasn't too scientific, but it made it seem authentic and that the author knew what he was writing about. The characters were well fleshed out, and you get familiarized with the main protagonist, Jake, and it seems like his 2 companions will stick with him and be more relevant, but the unfortunate passing of Shawn Klomparens means we won't know where they would go next. I found the plot to be original, and the characters were well-developed and full of life.
My only issue with the book was the multiple points of view (POVs) that started the book, and led to some confusion as to which character was speaking at the time.
That said, on my self-determined five-star rating scale, I would give this book a solid four stars and believe that the subject of the book would quickly become a favourite for aficionados of modern thrillers.
As with most of my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.