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The Tanner Sequence #3
The Void
2403 AD
It would be easier to kill him than to trust him.
Transporting a serial killer might seem like a simple job for CCF Homicide Investigator Kyle Tanner. After spending years apprehending murderers, he's ready to hang up his pistol. Babysitting a prisoner will bring him to Alpha Centauri, where he can search for a way to escape the CCF forever.
If he makes it.
When his ship breaks down in deep space and a CCF research vessel comes to his aid, Tanner realizes he's in terrible the scientists on board have blocked his distress call. And when Tanner's prisoner escapes, he begins to suspect that the proximity of the research vessel had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the CCF's relentless reach.
Facing near-certain death by his own organization, Tanner must unravel a tangled skein of vengeance, duplicity and murder in deep space. But he's being held at the will of master puppeteers, and if he can't cut the strings, he'll dance straight to a gruesome, excruciating death….
A Tanner Sequence Novel
106,000 words
It would be easier to kill him than to trust him.
Transporting a serial killer might seem like a simple job for CCF Homicide Investigator Kyle Tanner. After spending years apprehending murderers, he's ready to hang up his pistol. Babysitting a prisoner will bring him to Alpha Centauri, where he can search for a way to escape the CCF forever.
If he makes it.
When his ship breaks down in deep space and a CCF research vessel comes to his aid, Tanner realizes he's in terrible the scientists on board have blocked his distress call. And when Tanner's prisoner escapes, he begins to suspect that the proximity of the research vessel had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with the CCF's relentless reach.
Facing near-certain death by his own organization, Tanner must unravel a tangled skein of vengeance, duplicity and murder in deep space. But he's being held at the will of master puppeteers, and if he can't cut the strings, he'll dance straight to a gruesome, excruciating death….
A Tanner Sequence Novel
106,000 words
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2015
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Timothy S. Johnston
9 books35 followersTimothy S. Johnston is a lifelong fan of techno-thrillers and science-fiction thrillers in both print and film. His greatest desire is to contribute to the genre which has given him so much over the past four decades. He wishes he could personally thank every novelist, screenwriter, filmmaker, director and actor who has ever inspired him to tell great stories. He has been an educator for nearly twenty years and a writer for twenty-five. Timothy is the author of The Furnace, The Freezer, and The Void. He lives on planet Earth, but he dreams of the stars.
Visit www.timothysjohnston.com to register for news alerts, read reviews and learn more about his current and upcoming techno-thrillers. Follow Timothy on Facebook and Twitter @TSJ_Author.
Visit www.timothysjohnston.com to register for news alerts, read reviews and learn more about his current and upcoming techno-thrillers. Follow Timothy on Facebook and Twitter @TSJ_Author.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 3, 2022
Ugh, DNF at 10%.
This book is definitely not for me. The characters are non-entities. The support characters are even worse. And thr author doesn't make much effort to show, not tell. In fact, the whole story is one big exposition where the author is telling us what the characters are supposed to think or feel... only it's not very convincing.
As a reader who loves character driven stories, I loose interest quickly when the book doesn't have that. I can sometimes stick around if the worldbuilding is good, or the story is engrossing. Unfortunately, this book lacks both.
PS: I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is definitely not for me. The characters are non-entities. The support characters are even worse. And thr author doesn't make much effort to show, not tell. In fact, the whole story is one big exposition where the author is telling us what the characters are supposed to think or feel... only it's not very convincing.
As a reader who loves character driven stories, I loose interest quickly when the book doesn't have that. I can sometimes stick around if the worldbuilding is good, or the story is engrossing. Unfortunately, this book lacks both.
PS: I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read
April 14, 2021CCF Homicide Investigator Kyle Tanner has experienced his share of untenable situations. In the previous two novels of this series, The Furnace and The Freezer, he got up close and personal with a massive sun and found himself sinking through the ice of one of Jupiter’s moons. In between these extremes exists the void, a patch of space occupied by two seemingly unrelated ships, both suffering from a mysterious power loss and computer malfunction. Once again, Tanner must solve the case in order to find a way out.
Tanner is transporting convicted serial killer Reaper to Alpha system for execution. Travelling with him is his partner, Shaheen. Their jump ship loses power, stranding them in deep space, giving us the setting for The Void. Though she is a talented engineer, Shaheen is unable to figure out the cause of the breakdown. Every system in the ship is dead. She suspects it’s a computer malfunction but, without power, is unable to diagnose it. Tanner spends the time questioning his prisoner. There is something about the case that nags at him, a detail he can’t quite nail down.
After two days, they are approached by a CCF research vessel. A day later, Tanner is investigating a new murder. Hours after that, the bodies are piling up faster than he can count.
Having read The Furnace and The Freezer, I was prepared for the body count. Tanner probably isn’t a popular dinner guest. His cases might make interesting stories, but put in him one place long enough and two things happen: someone tries to kill him and lots of other people die.
When his prisoner escapes, the tenuous connection between the two stalled craft solidifies. Their proximity in time and space is not a coincidence and, as always, there is a countdown until the end.
Under the murder mystery in space theme of all three books lays the deeper, more insidious plot of the Council. Basically, a military dictatorship, the Council strives to control every aspect of citizen’s lives, even down to the jobs they do and where they do them. Their overbearing presence makes the settled systems of the galaxy as claustrophobic as the settings of Johnston’s novels. From the beginning of the sequence, Tanner has questioned the absolute authority of the Council, but has never contravened it. He is a loyal soldier but, in The Void, his patience is pushed to the absolute limit by a Council Representative and this frustration spills of the page, ratcheting up the tension of the plot. In turn, the twists of the plot expose the seamy underbelly of a society under watch.
The Void works well as the conclusion of ‘The Tanner Sequence’ and I enjoyed watching Tanner lose his temper and gain some temperance as he navigates the terrible twists and turns of his latest case. The biggest surprise isn’t the ending, though, it’s how he gets there.
The story of the council has more mileage. If Timothy S. Johnston doesn’t revisit Tanner, or that world, I’m sure his love of Science Fiction and suspense will have him writing something equally thrilling.
Written for SFCrowsnest.
Tanner is transporting convicted serial killer Reaper to Alpha system for execution. Travelling with him is his partner, Shaheen. Their jump ship loses power, stranding them in deep space, giving us the setting for The Void. Though she is a talented engineer, Shaheen is unable to figure out the cause of the breakdown. Every system in the ship is dead. She suspects it’s a computer malfunction but, without power, is unable to diagnose it. Tanner spends the time questioning his prisoner. There is something about the case that nags at him, a detail he can’t quite nail down.
After two days, they are approached by a CCF research vessel. A day later, Tanner is investigating a new murder. Hours after that, the bodies are piling up faster than he can count.
Having read The Furnace and The Freezer, I was prepared for the body count. Tanner probably isn’t a popular dinner guest. His cases might make interesting stories, but put in him one place long enough and two things happen: someone tries to kill him and lots of other people die.
When his prisoner escapes, the tenuous connection between the two stalled craft solidifies. Their proximity in time and space is not a coincidence and, as always, there is a countdown until the end.
Under the murder mystery in space theme of all three books lays the deeper, more insidious plot of the Council. Basically, a military dictatorship, the Council strives to control every aspect of citizen’s lives, even down to the jobs they do and where they do them. Their overbearing presence makes the settled systems of the galaxy as claustrophobic as the settings of Johnston’s novels. From the beginning of the sequence, Tanner has questioned the absolute authority of the Council, but has never contravened it. He is a loyal soldier but, in The Void, his patience is pushed to the absolute limit by a Council Representative and this frustration spills of the page, ratcheting up the tension of the plot. In turn, the twists of the plot expose the seamy underbelly of a society under watch.
The Void works well as the conclusion of ‘The Tanner Sequence’ and I enjoyed watching Tanner lose his temper and gain some temperance as he navigates the terrible twists and turns of his latest case. The biggest surprise isn’t the ending, though, it’s how he gets there.
The story of the council has more mileage. If Timothy S. Johnston doesn’t revisit Tanner, or that world, I’m sure his love of Science Fiction and suspense will have him writing something equally thrilling.
Written for SFCrowsnest.
March 29, 2015
The worthy final of The Tanner Sequence.
My full review will be available on 30th of March 2015.
FULL REVIEW
The Delivery
The 304 pages are divided into 34 consecutively numbered chapters framed by a prologue and an
epilogue. Narration is in first person via main character Lieutenant Kyle Tanner , CCF investigator.
This is the third and as far as I know the final appearance of Lieutenant Kyle Tanner , CCF investigator.
After the hot like hellfire environment in The Furnace and the ice-cold environment in The Freezer it is the great blankness between the stars where most of the story takes part in The Void.
The story starts with a gory mess left by a serial killer which is nothing for the faint heart. It is up to Kyle Tanner to arrest the "Grim Reaper". One more success in the career of the CCF investigator.
After the disturbing prelude the reader gets a rest in form of information about Tanner's private life and a first insight into his thoughts about future. This part is welcomed and necessary for the story at the same time.
With the start of the serial killer transfer to Alpha Centauri the wheel is set into motion. In case you read The Furnace and/or The Freezer before, you count the pages until the real drama starts.
In this regard The Void is no exception.
What follows is the third classic murder mystery spiced with science taking place in a distant future. The description of the claustrophobic location - two space ships in the great blankness between the stars is excellent and breathtaking.
I admire the fact that the reader does not know more than investigator Kyle Tanner . Even when you try to avoid guessing you will fail after a short time. More less permanently new pieces of information coming in and together with Kyle Tanner you have to put together the jigsaw pieces which sometimes lead you in a completely wrong direction.
The crew of the research vessel looks innocuous at first sight. Tanner is a master when it comes "to peel" the many layers of the personality of each crew member.
There is a complex relationship between the crew members who furthermore have different ranks and therefore different authorities and there motives and there is one dead crew member .... Incredible.
But that is not half of the complexity. Add to this the serial killer AND Shaheen who is Kyle lover and is also on board of the transfer ship. Both are in discussion about their future.
I think for clarification I have to add the both vessels are stranded in the great blankness.
It does not take long and the life of Kyle is in serious danger. With that, tons of action comes into play.
So far I did not talk about politics which play of course an important role too. It seems the whole galactic situation is condensed on board the vessel.
Like in The Furnace and in The Freezer science is an important ingredient. There are moments where you think Kyle Tanner is one man CSI team. In lack of a physician - WHAT?? No physician on board the research vessel?? - it is up to the investigator to perform a postmortem investigation. The description of the postmortem clearly shows that the author must have spent some time in a real morgue. It is no spoiler when I tell you the postmortem is one of the key elements to understand what happened.
The more I think about the book after reading it the more I admire what Timothy S. Johnston delivered. While reading I did not realise the real complexity of the story. In fact there passages where the difference between string puppets and puppeteers is blurred.
Even I know that this is for now the last book in the Tanner Sequence, I have been surprised by the end. I found it most satisfying and it comprise the possibility of more stories starring Kyle Tanner .
Like The Furnace and The Freezer, The Void works as a stand-alone. BUT BUT BUT I really recommend to read all three books because all three are excellent classic murder mysteries spiced with science, action and emotion taking place in a distant future at extraordinary and unique environments and you learn more about Lieutenant Kyle Tanner , CCF investigator.
The Inevitable
Timothy S. Johnston did it again for the third time and I begin to discover why The Void is the last book in the Tanner Sequence for now. Each book is set in an extraordinary and unique environment without they would have delivered only half the fun.
I have had a superb, nailing and most entertaining time with Kyle Tanner and other characters and all my guesses went wrong.
The Void is the more than worthy end of the Tanner Sequence. It delivers a lot for different readers.
If one of the following expressions should ring a bell then you should have a look at The Void:
murder mysteries, science fiction, thrillers, medical mysteries, locked rooms, conspiracy, horror
You are looking for
Classic murder mysteries spiced with understandable science, tons of
action and roller coaster emotions at extraordinary and unique locations taking place in a distant future
then read
The Furnace,
The Freezer ,
and from today (30th March 2015) on
The Void
Additional Information
THE VOID by Timothy S. Johnston (Carina Press, 2015) is now available! Purchase here:
www.timothysjohnston.com/voidpurchase
Website: www.timothysjohnston.com
Reviews: www.timothysjohnston.com/voidreviews
TSJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timothy.s.johnston.author
TSJ on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TSJ_Author
TSJ on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TSJ_Author
TSJ on Instagram: www.instagram.com/TSJ_Author
Purchase links: www.timothysjohnston.com/voidpurchase
My full review will be available on 30th of March 2015.
FULL REVIEW
The Delivery
The 304 pages are divided into 34 consecutively numbered chapters framed by a prologue and an
epilogue. Narration is in first person via main character Lieutenant Kyle Tanner , CCF investigator.
This is the third and as far as I know the final appearance of Lieutenant Kyle Tanner , CCF investigator.
After the hot like hellfire environment in The Furnace and the ice-cold environment in The Freezer it is the great blankness between the stars where most of the story takes part in The Void.
The story starts with a gory mess left by a serial killer which is nothing for the faint heart. It is up to Kyle Tanner to arrest the "Grim Reaper". One more success in the career of the CCF investigator.
After the disturbing prelude the reader gets a rest in form of information about Tanner's private life and a first insight into his thoughts about future. This part is welcomed and necessary for the story at the same time.
With the start of the serial killer transfer to Alpha Centauri the wheel is set into motion. In case you read The Furnace and/or The Freezer before, you count the pages until the real drama starts.
In this regard The Void is no exception.
What follows is the third classic murder mystery spiced with science taking place in a distant future. The description of the claustrophobic location - two space ships in the great blankness between the stars is excellent and breathtaking.
I admire the fact that the reader does not know more than investigator Kyle Tanner . Even when you try to avoid guessing you will fail after a short time. More less permanently new pieces of information coming in and together with Kyle Tanner you have to put together the jigsaw pieces which sometimes lead you in a completely wrong direction.
The crew of the research vessel looks innocuous at first sight. Tanner is a master when it comes "to peel" the many layers of the personality of each crew member.
There is a complex relationship between the crew members who furthermore have different ranks and therefore different authorities and there motives and there is one dead crew member .... Incredible.
But that is not half of the complexity. Add to this the serial killer AND Shaheen who is Kyle lover and is also on board of the transfer ship. Both are in discussion about their future.
I think for clarification I have to add the both vessels are stranded in the great blankness.
It does not take long and the life of Kyle is in serious danger. With that, tons of action comes into play.
So far I did not talk about politics which play of course an important role too. It seems the whole galactic situation is condensed on board the vessel.
Like in The Furnace and in The Freezer science is an important ingredient. There are moments where you think Kyle Tanner is one man CSI team. In lack of a physician - WHAT?? No physician on board the research vessel?? - it is up to the investigator to perform a postmortem investigation. The description of the postmortem clearly shows that the author must have spent some time in a real morgue. It is no spoiler when I tell you the postmortem is one of the key elements to understand what happened.
The more I think about the book after reading it the more I admire what Timothy S. Johnston delivered. While reading I did not realise the real complexity of the story. In fact there passages where the difference between string puppets and puppeteers is blurred.
Even I know that this is for now the last book in the Tanner Sequence, I have been surprised by the end. I found it most satisfying and it comprise the possibility of more stories starring Kyle Tanner .
Like The Furnace and The Freezer, The Void works as a stand-alone. BUT BUT BUT I really recommend to read all three books because all three are excellent classic murder mysteries spiced with science, action and emotion taking place in a distant future at extraordinary and unique environments and you learn more about Lieutenant Kyle Tanner , CCF investigator.
The Inevitable
Timothy S. Johnston did it again for the third time and I begin to discover why The Void is the last book in the Tanner Sequence for now. Each book is set in an extraordinary and unique environment without they would have delivered only half the fun.
I have had a superb, nailing and most entertaining time with Kyle Tanner and other characters and all my guesses went wrong.
The Void is the more than worthy end of the Tanner Sequence. It delivers a lot for different readers.
If one of the following expressions should ring a bell then you should have a look at The Void:
murder mysteries, science fiction, thrillers, medical mysteries, locked rooms, conspiracy, horror
You are looking for
Classic murder mysteries spiced with understandable science, tons of
action and roller coaster emotions at extraordinary and unique locations taking place in a distant future
then read
The Furnace,
The Freezer ,
and from today (30th March 2015) on
The Void
Additional Information
THE VOID by Timothy S. Johnston (Carina Press, 2015) is now available! Purchase here:
www.timothysjohnston.com/voidpurchase
Website: www.timothysjohnston.com
Reviews: www.timothysjohnston.com/voidreviews
TSJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timothy.s.johnston.author
TSJ on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TSJ_Author
TSJ on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TSJ_Author
TSJ on Instagram: www.instagram.com/TSJ_Author
Purchase links: www.timothysjohnston.com/voidpurchase
March 30, 2015
Previously published at TheQwillery.com
The Void is the last book in a exciting science fiction thriller series by Timothy S. Johnston. Throughout this series, I've been continually impressed by Johnston's skill in blending different genres. He ends the series on a high note. With each book, Johnston picked a fascinating setting in space, near the sun, a frozen moon and now in the last book dead space. In the area between solar systems, nothing is surrounding our hero Kyle Tanner for light years... except a person bent on killing him and the woman he loves. It shares similar attributes to lost at sea stories. I loved the feeling of being adrift in an all-encompassing void.
Even though The Void is the last book in the series, it's not necessary for the reader to have read the previous two books. Johnston does a great job of giving readers enough information about past events to keep them from being lost. It's also a nice refresher for those of us who read the other books when they first came out.
The mystery this go round was the best yet. I kept thinking I knew who it was, but I was pleasantly wrong. I also enjoyed the action and pacing in this story as it kept climbing towards a climatic ending that didn't disappoint. Nearly everything changes for Kyle. I found the characters in this book to also be my favorite out of the series. The side characters were the strongest by far and very well developed. I would love to see a series devoted to one of the survivors.
Johnston did a wonderful job of bringing closure to Kyle as a character and to the world Johnston created. Everything changed and developed from book one to this last book. You truly go on a journey through the series. Besides bringing closure, Johnston also allows several options to continue the story and I for one would love to spend more time with Kyle.
The Void is a phenomenal ending to a fast-paced electric series. I'm sad to see it come to an end and hope to read more. There is a lot of violence, strong language, and adult situations, so I would recommended it to adult readers only. For those of you who like to read a whole series all at once with no wait, your wait is over. For those of you that want an exhilarating escape, look no farther. With the strong characters, outstanding world-building and blend of genres there's something for everyone.
The Void is the last book in a exciting science fiction thriller series by Timothy S. Johnston. Throughout this series, I've been continually impressed by Johnston's skill in blending different genres. He ends the series on a high note. With each book, Johnston picked a fascinating setting in space, near the sun, a frozen moon and now in the last book dead space. In the area between solar systems, nothing is surrounding our hero Kyle Tanner for light years... except a person bent on killing him and the woman he loves. It shares similar attributes to lost at sea stories. I loved the feeling of being adrift in an all-encompassing void.
Even though The Void is the last book in the series, it's not necessary for the reader to have read the previous two books. Johnston does a great job of giving readers enough information about past events to keep them from being lost. It's also a nice refresher for those of us who read the other books when they first came out.
The mystery this go round was the best yet. I kept thinking I knew who it was, but I was pleasantly wrong. I also enjoyed the action and pacing in this story as it kept climbing towards a climatic ending that didn't disappoint. Nearly everything changes for Kyle. I found the characters in this book to also be my favorite out of the series. The side characters were the strongest by far and very well developed. I would love to see a series devoted to one of the survivors.
Johnston did a wonderful job of bringing closure to Kyle as a character and to the world Johnston created. Everything changed and developed from book one to this last book. You truly go on a journey through the series. Besides bringing closure, Johnston also allows several options to continue the story and I for one would love to spend more time with Kyle.
The Void is a phenomenal ending to a fast-paced electric series. I'm sad to see it come to an end and hope to read more. There is a lot of violence, strong language, and adult situations, so I would recommended it to adult readers only. For those of you who like to read a whole series all at once with no wait, your wait is over. For those of you that want an exhilarating escape, look no farther. With the strong characters, outstanding world-building and blend of genres there's something for everyone.
March 18, 2015
I didn't realize The Void was the 3rd book in a series when I picked it up. Didn't affect my reading at all. It's a standalone, following Kyle Tanner the murder investigator and his girlfriend from the previous two stories further into their lives, wrapping up the series for those two characters.
Kind of a murder mystery in space. Shades of And Then There Were None, with characters being picked off but not being sure who's doing the picking. It starts out rather gory. So much so that I almost put it down during the first chapter. I don't like descriptive gore.
The gore stopped after that. It was used to set up the character of the Reaper and how horribly he treated his victims, which had great impact at the end of the book.
I reviewed a book where I described the mystery within as frustrating because it wasn't huge enough at the end and too easily covered up. This book felt frustrating because Tanner was frustrated by everyone around impeding him from doing his job and trying to get him into trouble for doing his job. Equipment problems, not having the correct gear when he needed it, trying to figure out who to trust in a new situation - as a reader, it was easy to empathize with that.
The Void was a good science fiction murder mystery. And it made a good wrap up to a series. Enough so that I'm intrigued enough to think about finding the first two books in the series.
Kind of a murder mystery in space. Shades of And Then There Were None, with characters being picked off but not being sure who's doing the picking. It starts out rather gory. So much so that I almost put it down during the first chapter. I don't like descriptive gore.
The gore stopped after that. It was used to set up the character of the Reaper and how horribly he treated his victims, which had great impact at the end of the book.
I reviewed a book where I described the mystery within as frustrating because it wasn't huge enough at the end and too easily covered up. This book felt frustrating because Tanner was frustrated by everyone around impeding him from doing his job and trying to get him into trouble for doing his job. Equipment problems, not having the correct gear when he needed it, trying to figure out who to trust in a new situation - as a reader, it was easy to empathize with that.
The Void was a good science fiction murder mystery. And it made a good wrap up to a series. Enough so that I'm intrigued enough to think about finding the first two books in the series.
Read
March 31, 2015CCF Homicide Investigator Kyle Tanner and his girlfriend Engineer Shaheen Ramachandra are tired of living under the oppressive thumb of the CCF. His mission this time is taking the prisoner he apprehended to Alpha Centauri for execution for his crimes. En route, their ship’s systems power down and they’re stuck in deep space. They’re found by a CCF research vessel and quickly Tanner realizes not everything is as it seems on board. THE VOID is my favorite of the Tanner Sequence novels and I was impressed with how much the main characters, Kyle and Shaheen, have grown over the series. The mystery is very Agatha Christie-ish, with which I was quite impressed. THE VOID keeps you guessing until the very end. To me, the author has brought the Tanner Sequence to a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend this trilogy!
February 7, 2015
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book in a series, which I did not know going into it. I have not read the first two books, but this novel works as a stand-alone, although some details probably would have made more sense if I had read the other books. This is an interesting mash-up of a science fiction novel and a murder mystery. It captured my attention and I genuinely wanted to find out what happened. Some of the action sequences were a bit jumbled, but overall, an interesting read.
This is the third book in a series, which I did not know going into it. I have not read the first two books, but this novel works as a stand-alone, although some details probably would have made more sense if I had read the other books. This is an interesting mash-up of a science fiction novel and a murder mystery. It captured my attention and I genuinely wanted to find out what happened. Some of the action sequences were a bit jumbled, but overall, an interesting read.
June 8, 2016
I liked all 3 books in this series. While they did follow a formula (deep space, 4 scientists, 4 crew) I couldn't put them down. The 3rd book does conclude the series and I will miss Tanner and seeing him evolve as a person but it does hint there is room for same universe sequels which I'd be interested in if it has the mystery element. How about a prequel about capturing the Torcher?
June 8, 2016
The first two in this series were very good, I just wanted compelled to complete the 3rd. DNF.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews