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Colony Mars #4
Jezero City
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B0745KRZ25
When a colonist dies in tragic circumstances, just a few sols before a major terraforming experiment, Dr. Jann Malbec begins to suspect that all is not what it seems. Her fears begin to grow when every attempt she makes to investigate the death is thwarted by the ruling council on Mars.
In desperation she resorts to secretly recruiting a recently arrived colonist, Mia Sorelli, an ex-cop with a troubled past, to quietly look into the incident. But Mia has some very good reasons why she left her old life on Earth behind. Nevertheless, she reluctantly accepts the assignment even if it means hooking up with the malcontented, semi-sentient droid, Gizmo.
But what Mia uncovers goes way beyond anything she or Dr. Malbec could ever have imagined. As she investigates she begins to suspect that a terraforming experiment may be compromised by those who seek to undermine the future of the colony.
Mia must now face down her old fears if she is to save, not just herself, but the entire population of Jezero City.
This book can be read as a standalone novel.
When a colonist dies in tragic circumstances, just a few sols before a major terraforming experiment, Dr. Jann Malbec begins to suspect that all is not what it seems. Her fears begin to grow when every attempt she makes to investigate the death is thwarted by the ruling council on Mars.
In desperation she resorts to secretly recruiting a recently arrived colonist, Mia Sorelli, an ex-cop with a troubled past, to quietly look into the incident. But Mia has some very good reasons why she left her old life on Earth behind. Nevertheless, she reluctantly accepts the assignment even if it means hooking up with the malcontented, semi-sentient droid, Gizmo.
But what Mia uncovers goes way beyond anything she or Dr. Malbec could ever have imagined. As she investigates she begins to suspect that a terraforming experiment may be compromised by those who seek to undermine the future of the colony.
Mia must now face down her old fears if she is to save, not just herself, but the entire population of Jezero City.
This book can be read as a standalone novel.
195 pages, ebook
First published July 21, 2017
1067 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
February 13, 2018
It took me several chapters to really get into this fourth book but after I finally did, I enjoyed it. It's set 10 years after they colonized Mars in the earlier books so I think you definitely need to read those first to get the backstory.
November 12, 2017
I was disappointed in this book, after enjoying the other books in the series quite a bit. The story moved along quickly, and at times jumped ahead and left out a lot information. I was glad of this though, because really I just wanted to finish the book. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the main character had used less fowl language, and the fact that the “GD” word was used multiple times in this book really bothered me. Anyway, the book was okay but I definitely won’t be reading it again.
May 22, 2025
Very good installment in this series.
July 2, 2022
Ten years has passed since the last novel and life on Mars has become much more complicated as a great many people have become colonists. It’s obvious that what might be called the bureaucracy of civilization has not kept paced with the growth in population and both government and corporate agencies are struggling to influence the planet while pretending they aren’t.
The heart of this story is a murder mystery which only Jann wants to believe involves a murder. I thought this was the weakest element of the story. Once again, Jann is the only person who seems to be able to imagine that there are evil, conniving, power-hungry people out there and the stakes are obviously high. On the one hand is the continued independence of Mars and on the second hand is a corporation that is about to lose all of its special privileges and doesn’t want to. So naturally, no one on the council is willing to consider that letting one of the power-players conduct a completely independent investigation into an employee’s death that occurred when their rover unaccountably broke down might be at best a conflict of interest. Then they start suggesting without producing any evidence that the corporation is responsible for the mishap because of poor maintenance, but somehow it’s that corporation’s demand for evidence and suggestion that the accusation is meritless and possibly a coverup that is called out for being insulting, provocative, and without merit. It just didn’t make any sense.
The best part of the book is the new main character, Mia, who, with the help of the droid, Gizmo, has to find out the truth. It’s a good little mystery, I just wish that better reasons could have been invented to explain why everyone else on the planet is an idiot.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
The heart of this story is a murder mystery which only Jann wants to believe involves a murder. I thought this was the weakest element of the story. Once again, Jann is the only person who seems to be able to imagine that there are evil, conniving, power-hungry people out there and the stakes are obviously high. On the one hand is the continued independence of Mars and on the second hand is a corporation that is about to lose all of its special privileges and doesn’t want to. So naturally, no one on the council is willing to consider that letting one of the power-players conduct a completely independent investigation into an employee’s death that occurred when their rover unaccountably broke down might be at best a conflict of interest. Then they start suggesting without producing any evidence that the corporation is responsible for the mishap because of poor maintenance, but somehow it’s that corporation’s demand for evidence and suggestion that the accusation is meritless and possibly a coverup that is called out for being insulting, provocative, and without merit. It just didn’t make any sense.
The best part of the book is the new main character, Mia, who, with the help of the droid, Gizmo, has to find out the truth. It’s a good little mystery, I just wish that better reasons could have been invented to explain why everyone else on the planet is an idiot.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
July 10, 2019
A rather different idea than the first three, a lot less sci-fi and not nearly as scary or action filled, in fact it almost isn’t sci-fi anymore, I feel like the story could be set anywhere on earth really for the most part and so gone is some of the excitement. Essentially this is now a detective mystery novel and I can’t deny I am a little disappointed - this is not what I signed up for, I wanted more spacey stuff and battles and general action packed Mars-ing!
I think they could and should have left it nicely at the end of the 3rd installment, it ended well for that to happen, now they have tagged this on the end. Having said all that, it's not a terrible book, a good story albeit not sci-fi!
On a separate note, does anyone else imagine the robot Gizmo as the little robot from Short circuit? Because I do! Haha!
I’m going to be harsh here and give it a 3*/5, it deserves about 3.5 but I am rounding down because it is simply not what I thought it was going to be. I will however be reading the next book! I can’t not now having read four of the five!
I think they could and should have left it nicely at the end of the 3rd installment, it ended well for that to happen, now they have tagged this on the end. Having said all that, it's not a terrible book, a good story albeit not sci-fi!
On a separate note, does anyone else imagine the robot Gizmo as the little robot from Short circuit? Because I do! Haha!
I’m going to be harsh here and give it a 3*/5, it deserves about 3.5 but I am rounding down because it is simply not what I thought it was going to be. I will however be reading the next book! I can’t not now having read four of the five!
January 6, 2021
Bored me to death. I should I have stopped at book 2... This is the problem with buying a whole series 😭... One more to go.. Can I do it? I'm not sure
January 21, 2025
Slow start, but good wrap up.
I love an action series. This series has been fun. Started slow and somehow, while I almost quit, it sucked me into the story. Mia wasn’t my fave character, Gizmo was. I felt like the droid had way more personality than she did for much of the book.
I am going to move to another series now, but may come back to this author for more later. The first 3 of this series were more fun, but this one had a more mystery-like storyline.
I love an action series. This series has been fun. Started slow and somehow, while I almost quit, it sucked me into the story. Mia wasn’t my fave character, Gizmo was. I felt like the droid had way more personality than she did for much of the book.
I am going to move to another series now, but may come back to this author for more later. The first 3 of this series were more fun, but this one had a more mystery-like storyline.
March 11, 2019
Mediocre
The good: Gizmo
The best line, also from Gizmo, "It's time to leave the capsule, if you dare."
The bad:
I kid you not, this line was in the book, "Nobody would have found out, and I would not have had to reveal myself this early on, if it wasn’t for your meddling.” Seriously?! How can I take the story seriously anymore when the author is pulling in lines from Scooby Dooby DOOOOO!?
Not once, but twice this line was also used, "Time to die!" If I had a dollar for every time this was used in a really bad movie right before the good guy steps in right at the last second to save the day, well, I could afford better books.
The mediocre: The editing has improved, but there are still puncuation and capitalization errors that just shouldn't be there, especially after being raked over the coals for it for the previous three books.
Also, I couldn't stop thinking about Jasmine, from the book Artemis, the entire time I read this book because Mia's character bears such a similar resemblance. Wronged woman with an attitude finds herself in an unlikely situation, is sassy and brash, but gets her stuff together in the end.
The verdict: It was time for this series to end, given the downward spiral of the storytelling. There ten years between the setting of book three and this one, which I feel was missed opportunity to tap into the number of stories that might have played out during that time. Kirby has talent, he really, really does, but needs the guidance and editorial support from a legit publisher to polish the rough edges off. By far, the weakest book of the series, which is the same way The Belt series ended.
The good: Gizmo
The best line, also from Gizmo, "It's time to leave the capsule, if you dare."
The bad:
I kid you not, this line was in the book, "Nobody would have found out, and I would not have had to reveal myself this early on, if it wasn’t for your meddling.” Seriously?! How can I take the story seriously anymore when the author is pulling in lines from Scooby Dooby DOOOOO!?
Not once, but twice this line was also used, "Time to die!" If I had a dollar for every time this was used in a really bad movie right before the good guy steps in right at the last second to save the day, well, I could afford better books.
The mediocre: The editing has improved, but there are still puncuation and capitalization errors that just shouldn't be there, especially after being raked over the coals for it for the previous three books.
Also, I couldn't stop thinking about Jasmine, from the book Artemis, the entire time I read this book because Mia's character bears such a similar resemblance. Wronged woman with an attitude finds herself in an unlikely situation, is sassy and brash, but gets her stuff together in the end.
The verdict: It was time for this series to end, given the downward spiral of the storytelling. There ten years between the setting of book three and this one, which I feel was missed opportunity to tap into the number of stories that might have played out during that time. Kirby has talent, he really, really does, but needs the guidance and editorial support from a legit publisher to polish the rough edges off. By far, the weakest book of the series, which is the same way The Belt series ended.
August 5, 2024
Like the other books before it, the PhDs living on Mars for years feel like they know less about their fields, Mars, and general academic parlance than I do. And like the other books before it, much of the plot relies on clichés and mustache twirling.
But new to Jezero City is clichéd taglines, repetitive clichés, novel unexplained technologies critical to the plot, and generally a long sequence of groan worthy moments. Minor spoiler: after the bad guy explains his plan, he literally (not joking), says almost exactly "and I would have gotten away with it if not for your meddling." (which is almost exactly what Scooby Doo villains say at the end of every episode). I'm honestly wondering if Gerald Kilby is just putting in ridiculous satirical references on purpose in an otherwise serious book.
One last thing that was good. Since this book seems to follow a common sci-fi sequel pattern of doing a murder mystery, the main character is not a PhD and several other characters were not either. While I think Kilby overcompensated a bit by making the new characters a little too dumb, I did feel a lot better about the main character getting info dumps, tracking down technical mysteries, and other plot devices when I wasn't thinking "why didn't this character learn this in undergrad?"
But new to Jezero City is clichéd taglines, repetitive clichés, novel unexplained technologies critical to the plot, and generally a long sequence of groan worthy moments. Minor spoiler: after the bad guy explains his plan, he literally (not joking), says almost exactly "and I would have gotten away with it if not for your meddling." (which is almost exactly what Scooby Doo villains say at the end of every episode). I'm honestly wondering if Gerald Kilby is just putting in ridiculous satirical references on purpose in an otherwise serious book.
One last thing that was good. Since this book seems to follow a common sci-fi sequel pattern of doing a murder mystery, the main character is not a PhD and several other characters were not either. While I think Kilby overcompensated a bit by making the new characters a little too dumb, I did feel a lot better about the main character getting info dumps, tracking down technical mysteries, and other plot devices when I wasn't thinking "why didn't this character learn this in undergrad?"
December 27, 2019
“You want me to do what?”
“The Avenue seems very alive this sol.”
It would be ten years since the colony on Mars gained its independence from Earth and there was going to be a party. Mia could already feel the excitement building in the population as the time drew closer.
“It’s been nearly thirty years since the first colonist set foot on the planet. We’ve come a long way since then. And in less than a week we will celebrate the tenth anniversary of our independence from Earth, the decennial. Still, Earth continues to try and undermine our independence. This last decade of autonomy has been fought over every single day by the UN. ”
“Life is politics, Mia. Anywhere you get more than two people together, there’s politics. It’s the consequence of being a species that can communicate.”
“You see Mia, that’s the thing about politics. Either you’re playing the game, or it’s playing you.”
The two most important things up here, apart from having air to breathe, were food and social cohesion. Of those, food production was number one on the list. Without food there would be no colony, it was sacrosanct. It was the only thing that really mattered, with the entire colony one-hundred percent focused on this singular task—growing as much food as possible, never stopping and constantly expanding production. Already seventy percent of the physical infrastructure here was designated for growing, processing or storing food.
Everybody had to take part, no exceptions, even the original colonists, the pioneers as some called them. It kept everybody grounded. It was like one big high-tech socialist commune, at least on the surface. But dive underneath and it became clear to Mia that some very clever algorithms based on market economics were working feverishly in the background to prioritize tasks and motivate colonists.
Tasks would go up or down the list in terms of urgency. As they did, they became more valuable to the colonist, with greater credits and skill points being attached to them. This meant that simpler or more pleasant tasks were not worth as much as the more complex or unpleasant tasks. But even if all colonists chose to opt for the more arduous tasks their value would drop as the labour supply rose. In tandem with this, other tasks would rise in value as labour became scarce. It was a form of gamification, and after a while Mia began to see how everybody trusted the system to alert them to what needed to be done and when, so that the colony could grow and prosper—and ultimately nobody would starve to death.
“Shouldn’t you be, like, looking at the road while you’re driving?” She waved a hand in the general direction they were traveling. “I am looking at the road, as you put it. I’m also correlating several simultaneous input streams giving me data on position, velocity, and topography, as well as anticipating course corrections and adjustments based on upcoming terrain anomalies. On top of that I am also monitoring a multitude of other extraneous processes that have no direct influence on our current exercise. I shall not bore you with explaining any of these, as most would be beyond your comprehension.”
“It’s the oldest trick in the book, Lane. If you don’t want something scrutinized then you create a distraction. The more outrageous the better. Everybody starts jumping up and down, looking in the wrong place. So when MASS put this down to an unfortunate accident, everybody accepts it because they’re too busy arguing over whether AsterX was involved or not. It’s a sleight of hand. It’s what magicians have been doing for millennia. Create a distraction to distract the audience while the trick is played out behind everyone’s back.”
“The Avenue seems very alive this sol.”
It would be ten years since the colony on Mars gained its independence from Earth and there was going to be a party. Mia could already feel the excitement building in the population as the time drew closer.
“It’s been nearly thirty years since the first colonist set foot on the planet. We’ve come a long way since then. And in less than a week we will celebrate the tenth anniversary of our independence from Earth, the decennial. Still, Earth continues to try and undermine our independence. This last decade of autonomy has been fought over every single day by the UN. ”
“Life is politics, Mia. Anywhere you get more than two people together, there’s politics. It’s the consequence of being a species that can communicate.”
“You see Mia, that’s the thing about politics. Either you’re playing the game, or it’s playing you.”
The two most important things up here, apart from having air to breathe, were food and social cohesion. Of those, food production was number one on the list. Without food there would be no colony, it was sacrosanct. It was the only thing that really mattered, with the entire colony one-hundred percent focused on this singular task—growing as much food as possible, never stopping and constantly expanding production. Already seventy percent of the physical infrastructure here was designated for growing, processing or storing food.
Everybody had to take part, no exceptions, even the original colonists, the pioneers as some called them. It kept everybody grounded. It was like one big high-tech socialist commune, at least on the surface. But dive underneath and it became clear to Mia that some very clever algorithms based on market economics were working feverishly in the background to prioritize tasks and motivate colonists.
Tasks would go up or down the list in terms of urgency. As they did, they became more valuable to the colonist, with greater credits and skill points being attached to them. This meant that simpler or more pleasant tasks were not worth as much as the more complex or unpleasant tasks. But even if all colonists chose to opt for the more arduous tasks their value would drop as the labour supply rose. In tandem with this, other tasks would rise in value as labour became scarce. It was a form of gamification, and after a while Mia began to see how everybody trusted the system to alert them to what needed to be done and when, so that the colony could grow and prosper—and ultimately nobody would starve to death.
“Shouldn’t you be, like, looking at the road while you’re driving?” She waved a hand in the general direction they were traveling. “I am looking at the road, as you put it. I’m also correlating several simultaneous input streams giving me data on position, velocity, and topography, as well as anticipating course corrections and adjustments based on upcoming terrain anomalies. On top of that I am also monitoring a multitude of other extraneous processes that have no direct influence on our current exercise. I shall not bore you with explaining any of these, as most would be beyond your comprehension.”
“It’s the oldest trick in the book, Lane. If you don’t want something scrutinized then you create a distraction. The more outrageous the better. Everybody starts jumping up and down, looking in the wrong place. So when MASS put this down to an unfortunate accident, everybody accepts it because they’re too busy arguing over whether AsterX was involved or not. It’s a sleight of hand. It’s what magicians have been doing for millennia. Create a distraction to distract the audience while the trick is played out behind everyone’s back.”
October 15, 2025
I've been following the Colony Four Mars series from the beginning, and the first three books really captured what I love about hard science fiction—the technical details of Mars colonization, the realistic portrayal of living on another planet, and the human challenges of building a new society in an unforgiving environment.
Unfortunately, Jezero City marks a significant departure from what made this series special. While the earlier books maintained their focus on the science and survival aspects that define hard sci-fi, this fourth installment takes an unexpected turn into crime thriller territory. The shift feels jarring and somewhat out of place within the established framework of the series.
Don't get me wrong—the book isn't badly written, and I can see what the author was trying to do by exploring different aspects of Mars colony life. The mystery elements are competently handled, and there's still some of the technical detail that fans expect. However, it feels like the author prioritized the crime plot over the scientific rigor and world-building that made the previous books so engaging.
If you're coming to this series for hard science fiction, be prepared for something different here. It's not a bad book per se, but it's not quite what I signed up for when I started this journey. I'm hoping the series returns to its roots in future installments.
Unfortunately, Jezero City marks a significant departure from what made this series special. While the earlier books maintained their focus on the science and survival aspects that define hard sci-fi, this fourth installment takes an unexpected turn into crime thriller territory. The shift feels jarring and somewhat out of place within the established framework of the series.
Don't get me wrong—the book isn't badly written, and I can see what the author was trying to do by exploring different aspects of Mars colony life. The mystery elements are competently handled, and there's still some of the technical detail that fans expect. However, it feels like the author prioritized the crime plot over the scientific rigor and world-building that made the previous books so engaging.
If you're coming to this series for hard science fiction, be prepared for something different here. It's not a bad book per se, but it's not quite what I signed up for when I started this journey. I'm hoping the series returns to its roots in future installments.
May 24, 2021
Since I enjoyed its three predecessors so much, it was a no-brainer that I would enjoy Jezero City: Colony Four Mars. Here the action takes place around the forthcoming decennial of Martian independence, but not everyone is happy about the state of affairs. Jann Malbec is determined that things will go smoothly, and enlists the services of a former police homicide investigator newly arrived from Earth to investigate the explosion of a rover and death of its driver. The narrative we follow throughout the story is subsequently that of Mia Sorelli, who has personal issues of her own in addition to being coerced into doing the type of work she had turned her back on. Fortunately she has been temporarily assigned the near-sentient robot Gizmo to help her. As with the previous volumes in the series, this one is a slim volume of less than 250 pages, easily read in an afternoon and evening, and thoroughly enjoyed. There is enough science to be convincing, but not enough to get bogged down in, and enough action to make the story fast paced without overkill, thus keeping the reader fully engaged. I have the next volume in the series on the shelf waiting for me, and I can't wait to get into it.
May 9, 2018
A good political yarn
Steve Cole using wife Leanna's account.
With these books you have to just let the science go and focus on the people and the politics, and that leaves you with a great story. Anyway, there isn't much weird science in this one.
Ten years after book three, the colony population has grown from 100 to 2000. The new people vote for leaders from their arrival dates, making the original founders a minority. The new politicians are secretly aligning with various hidden power blocs. The ten year exclusive contract with AsterX is expiring, and many corporations are maneuvering for the new contracts. The UN wants Mars back under Earth control. They agreed to provide a nuclear reactor in exchange for permission to explore for signs of life. What the UN types are really doing is looking for valuable minerals they keep secret from the Martian government.
Then someone dies under suspicious circumstances, and a cover up by the UN is obvious. Jann finds a former detective in the colonist background files and sends her to investigate.
Steve Cole using wife Leanna's account.
With these books you have to just let the science go and focus on the people and the politics, and that leaves you with a great story. Anyway, there isn't much weird science in this one.
Ten years after book three, the colony population has grown from 100 to 2000. The new people vote for leaders from their arrival dates, making the original founders a minority. The new politicians are secretly aligning with various hidden power blocs. The ten year exclusive contract with AsterX is expiring, and many corporations are maneuvering for the new contracts. The UN wants Mars back under Earth control. They agreed to provide a nuclear reactor in exchange for permission to explore for signs of life. What the UN types are really doing is looking for valuable minerals they keep secret from the Martian government.
Then someone dies under suspicious circumstances, and a cover up by the UN is obvious. Jann finds a former detective in the colonist background files and sends her to investigate.
July 23, 2024
Hard to believe that this series just gets better and better with each new installment. Jezero City: Mars has really started to solidify and take shape as its own planet. As political positions are shifting and a new generation of pioneers are coming to Mars, allegiances are changing as corporations and governments vie for control of the resources of the planet. Mia, formerly a police detective on Earth, comes to Mars to forget her past but due to the wonderful machinations of Jenn Malbec, is persuaded to help investigate a totally unexpected death of a courier on a routine trip. Mia, using the opportunity to retrieve some property stolen by her former boyfriend, uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the very existence of life on Mars. Same engaging characters, with bite and sass, great story line and written to keep the pages turning, this is another great installment.
March 25, 2020
Not my favourite in the series. It is set a couple of years after the events in Colony Mars 3. The heroes of the previous books (Jann and Nills) make fleeting appearances and one feels let down by it. Sure, there is a new hero in Mia, but to call her vanilla, would be an insult to vanilla ice cream. The cliche of the cop with issues is so worn down, that I struggle to believe that many books and movies still go down this path - feels sloppy, unimaginative and plain old meh...
No, I didn't care for this book. The previous books were much more atmospheric and had one engrossed. This book did not come near those. Sadly.
No, I didn't care for this book. The previous books were much more atmospheric and had one engrossed. This book did not come near those. Sadly.
July 19, 2021
Undercover 'cop' reveals nefarious plan!
Jann Malbec still features in this book, but is no longer the main character. This time its Mia, an ex-cop with a tragic past. This story is set nearly ten years after the last one as Mars prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of independence. A colonist is killed in a tragic accident. However, Jann does not believe it was an accident and enlists Mia to investigate. Mia's investigations lead her to almost be the next 'accident' as the mach indications behind the 'accident' are revealed. A highly entertaining tale with great characters and intrigue.
Jann Malbec still features in this book, but is no longer the main character. This time its Mia, an ex-cop with a tragic past. This story is set nearly ten years after the last one as Mars prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of independence. A colonist is killed in a tragic accident. However, Jann does not believe it was an accident and enlists Mia to investigate. Mia's investigations lead her to almost be the next 'accident' as the mach indications behind the 'accident' are revealed. A highly entertaining tale with great characters and intrigue.
October 11, 2022
This book in the series takes place 10 years after the independence of the Mars Colony. It introduces a new character, Mia Sorelli an ex detective who came to mars after her detective career ended tragically.
This book combines the genres of sci-fi and murder mystery which are two of my favorite genres. I found it to be an enjoyable book filled with some mystery and intrigue and a plot for a mass murder. The character of Jann Malbec takes a secondary role in this book. Over all believable except for one chapter. Chapter 20 “You Want Me To Do What?”, becomes what in my opinion is unbelievable, but still entertaining. So still worth the read.
This book combines the genres of sci-fi and murder mystery which are two of my favorite genres. I found it to be an enjoyable book filled with some mystery and intrigue and a plot for a mass murder. The character of Jann Malbec takes a secondary role in this book. Over all believable except for one chapter. Chapter 20 “You Want Me To Do What?”, becomes what in my opinion is unbelievable, but still entertaining. So still worth the read.
September 5, 2021
Colony #4 takes a new direction than the prior instalments, it could even be read as a stand alone novel.
Taking place 10 years in the future, we finally have new characters including Mia, an ex-cop who became a colonist to escape her tragic past and start a new life, only to become a secret undercover detective at the request of Dr Jann Malbec. She's assigned to work with Gizmo who is his usual awesome self.
There's a very Scooby Doo style reveal of the evil plan however I found it to be quite entertaining overall.
Taking place 10 years in the future, we finally have new characters including Mia, an ex-cop who became a colonist to escape her tragic past and start a new life, only to become a secret undercover detective at the request of Dr Jann Malbec. She's assigned to work with Gizmo who is his usual awesome self.
There's a very Scooby Doo style reveal of the evil plan however I found it to be quite entertaining overall.
June 15, 2018
Excellent Mars colonization series...
I read all the books in the series and consider this review to reflect the entire collection. It was very enjoyable / entertaining, the author did a great job developing the characters from one installment to the next, and he did a good job keeping the science close enough to reality that it felt totally plausible. I highly recommend this series if you like sci fi and space colonization stories
I read all the books in the series and consider this review to reflect the entire collection. It was very enjoyable / entertaining, the author did a great job developing the characters from one installment to the next, and he did a good job keeping the science close enough to reality that it felt totally plausible. I highly recommend this series if you like sci fi and space colonization stories
January 27, 2020
The power and control by the original colonists starts to wane as newer immigrants from Earth begin to act in their own interests. Dr. Malbec employs a former homicide detective who is a newcomer from Earth, to solve a murder mystery that other Council members want to write off as an accident.
As the investigation progresses, a much larger threat to the entire colony is revealed.
Kilby continues to tell a fast-paced and exciting story in this fourth book of the series.
As the investigation progresses, a much larger threat to the entire colony is revealed.
Kilby continues to tell a fast-paced and exciting story in this fourth book of the series.
January 30, 2021
This is the continuing series of the Colony Mars books from Gerald Kilby. This book, like its predecessors, is a high action mystery. It was a reasonably good thriller, continuing the saga of the Mars colony.
Although set on Mars, with occasional mention of Martian specifics, the series could have been written for practically anywhere, (Moon, the bottom of Ocean, etc). The mystery is the focus, not necessarily the setting.
But it was a good read.
Although set on Mars, with occasional mention of Martian specifics, the series could have been written for practically anywhere, (Moon, the bottom of Ocean, etc). The mystery is the focus, not necessarily the setting.
But it was a good read.
October 3, 2022
Listened to this on YouTube. It’s okay. Pretty formulaic, but I listened to the whole thing. I think it’d be better if I’d read the previous 3 entries in the series, but it would probably also be very repetitive. I think there are a few problems (How did Jan know Mia was lied to about her missing boyfriend if Mia was still missing?), but nothing that ruins it.
I’ll probably listen to the others in the series, but I won’t have an urgency to do it.
I’ll probably listen to the others in the series, but I won’t have an urgency to do it.
May 6, 2024
I could not put this book down
The story was so good I couldn’t stop reading it. I would love to see it on TV as a series or blockbuster movie. It was so good. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Let me know if you make it into a movie so I don’t miss it. I would like to say I am now one of your biggest fans! Oh and I read the first 3 books of this series in 6 days! Didn’t get much else done but that’s ok!
The story was so good I couldn’t stop reading it. I would love to see it on TV as a series or blockbuster movie. It was so good. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Let me know if you make it into a movie so I don’t miss it. I would like to say I am now one of your biggest fans! Oh and I read the first 3 books of this series in 6 days! Didn’t get much else done but that’s ok!
November 21, 2024
This one was my least favorite of the four.
Spoilers:
Not only has the colony grown quite large, which I guess I wasn’t a fan of, there was more politics. After all that Jann had done, we now have her on the sidelines. And I thought the escapades in space seemed a little far fetched. I am curious to see where it’s all going to go in the end , though, so I’ll finish the series up. Hopefully we get back to more bio threats and less politics!
Spoilers:
Not only has the colony grown quite large, which I guess I wasn’t a fan of, there was more politics. After all that Jann had done, we now have her on the sidelines. And I thought the escapades in space seemed a little far fetched. I am curious to see where it’s all going to go in the end , though, so I’ll finish the series up. Hopefully we get back to more bio threats and less politics!
September 8, 2025
Loved the Bowie quote.
Fast paced and a page turner. I've read all 6 now. The characters all lack depth but then again it's a thriller. I tend not to like solutions to impossible situations coming out of thin air and that happens a lot. 6 times Mars colonists escape annihilation barely. Realistically no one in their right mind would go near the place. So I should give it 2,but they are all a great read so 4.
Fast paced and a page turner. I've read all 6 now. The characters all lack depth but then again it's a thriller. I tend not to like solutions to impossible situations coming out of thin air and that happens a lot. 6 times Mars colonists escape annihilation barely. Realistically no one in their right mind would go near the place. So I should give it 2,but they are all a great read so 4.
October 8, 2025
Amazing characterisation!
I’ve read the previous three books in the series and found them captivating, but somehow the author has exceeded himself in bringing a new main character into the story and with an incredible, thoroughly believable storyline with relatable characters. Everything that a great sci-Fi story should contain without getting bogged down in unbelievable science. Up there with Arthur C Clarke in my humble opinion. Now looking forward to book five!
I’ve read the previous three books in the series and found them captivating, but somehow the author has exceeded himself in bringing a new main character into the story and with an incredible, thoroughly believable storyline with relatable characters. Everything that a great sci-Fi story should contain without getting bogged down in unbelievable science. Up there with Arthur C Clarke in my humble opinion. Now looking forward to book five!
August 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this series. It was hard to put down once I started book 1
Written very well. Great story read all 4 books in series . I read the books because the books were great entertainment. Again author hit the nail on the head with this series. I'll follow him and read more of his books. Cindy
Written very well. Great story read all 4 books in series . I read the books because the books were great entertainment. Again author hit the nail on the head with this series. I'll follow him and read more of his books. Cindy
June 13, 2019
A follow on from the initial series. Doesn't really need the full knowledge of whats gone on before so could be read on its own.
Newcomer Mia Sorelli is summoned to see Jann Malbec and asked to investigate the death of a driver. She uncovers a plot to kill everyone on Mars and has to deal with it with the aid of Gizmo.
Good story
Newcomer Mia Sorelli is summoned to see Jann Malbec and asked to investigate the death of a driver. She uncovers a plot to kill everyone on Mars and has to deal with it with the aid of Gizmo.
Good story
August 2, 2021
Mars has declared independence and the ten year monopoly of one business is ending and all the other major players are circuling around to get in the best position to take over. One of the corporations is planning a nuclear detonate at the pole to release co2 but Dr Jan Malbec thinks there is something else going on.
Lots of intrigue and action.
A GREAST series
Lots of intrigue and action.
A GREAST series
August 3, 2022
good fun read
I really enjoyed reading it. The characters were realistic and compelling and the plot got more interesting as it progressed. There were scattered references to engineering and science explanations despite that this really isn’t about science and engineering, but really a fun murder mystery novel on Mars
I really enjoyed reading it. The characters were realistic and compelling and the plot got more interesting as it progressed. There were scattered references to engineering and science explanations despite that this really isn’t about science and engineering, but really a fun murder mystery novel on Mars
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