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Retirement Starship Mysteries #4
Dangerous Duality
Two dead bodies. One murder weapon. No memory of either.
Marcy Mayhem has had bad shifts before, but waking up between two corpses on the Fresh Start Retirement Starship is a new personal low.
The ship is drifting toward an unknown region of the Oort Cloud, and the passengers are already seeing things they shouldn’t. Ghosts in the halls, ship going off-course in the middle of nowhere and, because this is Marcy’s life now, the cafe still needs running.
Her terrifyingly organized boss, David Brenner, wants order.
Marcy mostly wants not to be arrested.
But as the Fresh Start slips deeper into space madness, Marcy realizes the murders are only part of the problem. Someone is sabotaging the ship; someone is using the chaos to hide the truth, and the evidence keeps pointing straight at her.
Now Marcy has to solve a mystery of doubles, ghosts, learn about the Ship's dark and secret Lower Decks, stop the rebels from sabotaging the ship, while dealing with very picky retirees before the Fresh Start becomes a floating crime scene in the dark.
Because on this retirement starship, even murder comes with complaints.
Books in the series (each can be read independently)
Hydroponic Hazard
Biodome Blues
Cryogenic Clues
Dangerous Duality
Euler's Enigma
Marcy Mayhem has had bad shifts before, but waking up between two corpses on the Fresh Start Retirement Starship is a new personal low.
The ship is drifting toward an unknown region of the Oort Cloud, and the passengers are already seeing things they shouldn’t. Ghosts in the halls, ship going off-course in the middle of nowhere and, because this is Marcy’s life now, the cafe still needs running.
Her terrifyingly organized boss, David Brenner, wants order.
Marcy mostly wants not to be arrested.
But as the Fresh Start slips deeper into space madness, Marcy realizes the murders are only part of the problem. Someone is sabotaging the ship; someone is using the chaos to hide the truth, and the evidence keeps pointing straight at her.
Now Marcy has to solve a mystery of doubles, ghosts, learn about the Ship's dark and secret Lower Decks, stop the rebels from sabotaging the ship, while dealing with very picky retirees before the Fresh Start becomes a floating crime scene in the dark.
Because on this retirement starship, even murder comes with complaints.
Books in the series (each can be read independently)
Hydroponic Hazard
Biodome Blues
Cryogenic Clues
Dangerous Duality
Euler's Enigma
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2026
About the author
Zeph Baxter
39 books6 followersZeph's background includes electrical engineering and computer science, with a Master's from Boston University and a PhD and postdoctoral experience from the University of Stirling, Scotland. He writes cozy mysteries, sci-fi, and LitRPG.
When he wrote his first novel, he was 98% sure he was about to become the next great voice in literature. He quit his job, embraced his destiny, and—yes—grew a long beard, because nothing says “serious writer” like facial hair that could double as a small woodland habitat.
Six months later, the beard was still thriving. The fame? Not so much.
But Zeph didn’t quit. Years later, he’s written several books and is still writing, and dreaming of becoming a full-time author.
For more weird adventures and stories that are a mix of genres, be sure to check out his books.
When he wrote his first novel, he was 98% sure he was about to become the next great voice in literature. He quit his job, embraced his destiny, and—yes—grew a long beard, because nothing says “serious writer” like facial hair that could double as a small woodland habitat.
Six months later, the beard was still thriving. The fame? Not so much.
But Zeph didn’t quit. Years later, he’s written several books and is still writing, and dreaming of becoming a full-time author.
For more weird adventures and stories that are a mix of genres, be sure to check out his books.
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