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Spindown
*** A B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree ***
Cyrus Konami is the Chief Inspector on the first colony vessel, Aotea, to leave Earth's solar system. Deep within the machinery of the ship, a suspicious death upends the routine on board. Mysterious signals from deep space add to the confusion, along with a series of debilitating malfunctions.
Cy and Lieutenant Beatriz Mattoso dig into the deceased crewman's background. The first signs point to a tragic accident. Ship scuttlebutt points to the deep-space signals -- is a mysterious force trying to prevent humanity from spreading into deep space? Or are the radical pacifists and cultural separatists who funded the journey somehow involved?
With an increasingly uncooperative populace, a shocking assassination attempt, and a spaceship falling apart around them, Cy and Bea must unravel secrets that threaten the lives of thousands before it's too late...
Cyrus Konami is the Chief Inspector on the first colony vessel, Aotea, to leave Earth's solar system. Deep within the machinery of the ship, a suspicious death upends the routine on board. Mysterious signals from deep space add to the confusion, along with a series of debilitating malfunctions.
Cy and Lieutenant Beatriz Mattoso dig into the deceased crewman's background. The first signs point to a tragic accident. Ship scuttlebutt points to the deep-space signals -- is a mysterious force trying to prevent humanity from spreading into deep space? Or are the radical pacifists and cultural separatists who funded the journey somehow involved?
With an increasingly uncooperative populace, a shocking assassination attempt, and a spaceship falling apart around them, Cy and Bea must unravel secrets that threaten the lives of thousands before it's too late...
350 pages, ebook
First published October 27, 2018
45 people are currently reading
547 people want to read
About the author
Andy C.F. Crawford
9 books16 followersAndy Crawford loves Korean food. He likes pizza too. He probably won't say no to burritos. Or chicken.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 23, 2018
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Suspicious deaths, unheard of on the colony vessel, Aotea will shatter the dreams of galactic colonists on a multi-decade voyage to create a new and peaceful world. Many have never known life outside of a space vessel and now, the only world they have ever known has been polluted with the sins of Earth and mysterious signals from outer space may have played a role.
Is someone trying to stop humanity from populating deep space? How has murder come to the Aotea? Cyrus Konami, a hardened former Earth lawman must first convince his superiors the death is not an accident, but will soon discover all is not as it seems onboard and the enemy may be closer than they knew.
As chaos is unleashed all around, trust is a rare commodity, different factions will rise, all fighting for control. As robots become warriors against humanity and Konami finds himself a suspect, the truth will be revealed, but not until the vessel itself becomes a crippled tomb in space.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in a last ditch effort to keep the vessel alive, it must be taken into SPINDOWN.
Welcome to a world where corporate machinations rule and moral compasses are corrupted in the name of mad science! Andy C.F. Crawford’s SPINDOWN is as rapid-paced as the speed of sound! Brilliant world building sets readers onboard the Aotea, part of a world that seems too good to be true. Feel weightlessness, fear and the determination of one man, clearly a dinosaur for his time as he uses his well-honed Earth Smarts to fight an uphill battle against evil.
Fabulous storytelling from an author with a vivid imagination and the ability to bring the future to life, lightyears from Earth! If you love science fiction, or even if you don’t know if you would, this is adventure and intrigue at its best! Start to finish, what a ride!
I received a complimentary copy from Andy Crawford!
Publication Date: September 28, 2018
Publisher: Andy Crawford
Genre: SCIFI | Action
Print Length: 314 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Suspicious deaths, unheard of on the colony vessel, Aotea will shatter the dreams of galactic colonists on a multi-decade voyage to create a new and peaceful world. Many have never known life outside of a space vessel and now, the only world they have ever known has been polluted with the sins of Earth and mysterious signals from outer space may have played a role.
Is someone trying to stop humanity from populating deep space? How has murder come to the Aotea? Cyrus Konami, a hardened former Earth lawman must first convince his superiors the death is not an accident, but will soon discover all is not as it seems onboard and the enemy may be closer than they knew.
As chaos is unleashed all around, trust is a rare commodity, different factions will rise, all fighting for control. As robots become warriors against humanity and Konami finds himself a suspect, the truth will be revealed, but not until the vessel itself becomes a crippled tomb in space.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in a last ditch effort to keep the vessel alive, it must be taken into SPINDOWN.
Welcome to a world where corporate machinations rule and moral compasses are corrupted in the name of mad science! Andy C.F. Crawford’s SPINDOWN is as rapid-paced as the speed of sound! Brilliant world building sets readers onboard the Aotea, part of a world that seems too good to be true. Feel weightlessness, fear and the determination of one man, clearly a dinosaur for his time as he uses his well-honed Earth Smarts to fight an uphill battle against evil.
Fabulous storytelling from an author with a vivid imagination and the ability to bring the future to life, lightyears from Earth! If you love science fiction, or even if you don’t know if you would, this is adventure and intrigue at its best! Start to finish, what a ride!
I received a complimentary copy from Andy Crawford!
Publication Date: September 28, 2018
Publisher: Andy Crawford
Genre: SCIFI | Action
Print Length: 314 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
December 27, 2018
How far can humanity run from its nature?
Why I don’t like science fiction
I have a huge problem with “science fiction”. A lot of people around me don’t understand that someone could enjoy fantasy and not be automatically interested in science-fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I like spaceships, lasers, surprising and often disturbing technologies as much as the next reader. But those are just “icing on the cake”.
My problem regarding science-fiction has nothing to do with the kind of futuristic advancements the authors prophesize in their books. I don’t know exactly which movie; TV show or book is to blame for my bias. But having read Spindown, I now know where the issue was. You see, my experience with science-fiction work has been mostly disappointing.
I have often found that setting stories in a futuristic environment is meaningless, when that same story could just as well be told in our contemporary world. Why use spatial exploration as a pretext to introduce hostile creatures and start a war against humanity, when the same goal could be achieved by exploring the oceans or under the earth’s mantle?
Too often, science-fiction itself becomes a plot device that the author uses to get his characters out of bad situations. Perfect technologic solutions that solve a specific problem and fit in perfectly with the needs of the plot. Of course, fantasy books do the same thing. But they don’t try to explain things through the laws of physics or nature. They invoke magic and that’s often all that’s needed.
I’m aware that this opinion may seem arbitrary… It may be that a particular blend of bad science-fiction during my teen years have stunted my appetite for science-fiction. Maybe I’m just plain wrong. But I needed to explain where I was coming from before starting this review. One should understand what kind of bias I was saddled with, before reading Spindown.
A fundamental question, is humanity violent by nature?
I’ve read previous books by Andy Crawfod (Sailor of the Skysea and The Pen is Mightier). Both are fantasy books. As such I was expecting Spindown to be the same. But looking at the cover was enough to cure me of the notion. I had my misgivings. And, from the very first pages, I was expecting to get bored. I’m happy to announce, that that did not happen. And as a byproduct, I may have developed an appetite for science-fiction books.
There were two ingredients needed in order to make me enjoy this book. First, the futuristic aspect needed to be more than a “bonus”. I needed to be convinced that it was a pillar of the story, and it needed to fit the story in such a way that alternatives could not. Also, that futuristic setting needed to provide real substance to the story. It’s a thin balance, albeit an arbitrary one, but Spindown manages to walk that line. The setting serves the story and the story serves the setting. In such a way that you would be hard pressed to explain the choices of the main characters without presenting their universe beforehand.
However, if one were to try and reduce the book to its simplest expression, the result is a fundamental question that has been asked before : “are humans good by nature?” It’s a philosophical question that’s been answered in many ways. But rather than try and impose an answer, Spindown lets the reader find his own.
Beyond that great question, there are plenty of other questions one should ask when reading Spindown. Since humanity’s propensity regarding violence is an inherited trait of human evolution… is there any way to be completely free of it? What is the price to pay for peace? How far can one go in the name of peace? Can violence breed peace? And if that’s the case, is such peace capable of lasting?
A lot more thank clichés
Despite all the questions that are brought to the attention of attentive readers, Spindown is a fast-paced book. From the first chapters, the stage is set. The first big change is not unexpected. But from that point on, things escalate quickly. Events are introduced in quick succession, and new depth is brought to light as the plot advances.
The author manages to plant the answers on the reader’s path. And even though some of the chain of events may seem clichéd, there are still a lot of surprises. Surprises that you won’t see coming.
All things considered, Spindown could be described as a crime novel set a few lightyears from Earth. One that will make you think of Agatha Christie’s Orient Express, without being limited by that single comparison.
Why I don’t like science fiction
I have a huge problem with “science fiction”. A lot of people around me don’t understand that someone could enjoy fantasy and not be automatically interested in science-fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I like spaceships, lasers, surprising and often disturbing technologies as much as the next reader. But those are just “icing on the cake”.
My problem regarding science-fiction has nothing to do with the kind of futuristic advancements the authors prophesize in their books. I don’t know exactly which movie; TV show or book is to blame for my bias. But having read Spindown, I now know where the issue was. You see, my experience with science-fiction work has been mostly disappointing.
I have often found that setting stories in a futuristic environment is meaningless, when that same story could just as well be told in our contemporary world. Why use spatial exploration as a pretext to introduce hostile creatures and start a war against humanity, when the same goal could be achieved by exploring the oceans or under the earth’s mantle?
Too often, science-fiction itself becomes a plot device that the author uses to get his characters out of bad situations. Perfect technologic solutions that solve a specific problem and fit in perfectly with the needs of the plot. Of course, fantasy books do the same thing. But they don’t try to explain things through the laws of physics or nature. They invoke magic and that’s often all that’s needed.
I’m aware that this opinion may seem arbitrary… It may be that a particular blend of bad science-fiction during my teen years have stunted my appetite for science-fiction. Maybe I’m just plain wrong. But I needed to explain where I was coming from before starting this review. One should understand what kind of bias I was saddled with, before reading Spindown.
A fundamental question, is humanity violent by nature?
I’ve read previous books by Andy Crawfod (Sailor of the Skysea and The Pen is Mightier). Both are fantasy books. As such I was expecting Spindown to be the same. But looking at the cover was enough to cure me of the notion. I had my misgivings. And, from the very first pages, I was expecting to get bored. I’m happy to announce, that that did not happen. And as a byproduct, I may have developed an appetite for science-fiction books.
There were two ingredients needed in order to make me enjoy this book. First, the futuristic aspect needed to be more than a “bonus”. I needed to be convinced that it was a pillar of the story, and it needed to fit the story in such a way that alternatives could not. Also, that futuristic setting needed to provide real substance to the story. It’s a thin balance, albeit an arbitrary one, but Spindown manages to walk that line. The setting serves the story and the story serves the setting. In such a way that you would be hard pressed to explain the choices of the main characters without presenting their universe beforehand.
However, if one were to try and reduce the book to its simplest expression, the result is a fundamental question that has been asked before : “are humans good by nature?” It’s a philosophical question that’s been answered in many ways. But rather than try and impose an answer, Spindown lets the reader find his own.
Beyond that great question, there are plenty of other questions one should ask when reading Spindown. Since humanity’s propensity regarding violence is an inherited trait of human evolution… is there any way to be completely free of it? What is the price to pay for peace? How far can one go in the name of peace? Can violence breed peace? And if that’s the case, is such peace capable of lasting?
A lot more thank clichés
Despite all the questions that are brought to the attention of attentive readers, Spindown is a fast-paced book. From the first chapters, the stage is set. The first big change is not unexpected. But from that point on, things escalate quickly. Events are introduced in quick succession, and new depth is brought to light as the plot advances.
The author manages to plant the answers on the reader’s path. And even though some of the chain of events may seem clichéd, there are still a lot of surprises. Surprises that you won’t see coming.
All things considered, Spindown could be described as a crime novel set a few lightyears from Earth. One that will make you think of Agatha Christie’s Orient Express, without being limited by that single comparison.
July 19, 2021
This is a police story set in space. The spaceship in question is the product of a semi-religious sect that hopes to create the perfect human society on another planet by rejecting what they see as the root causes of human problems: violence, crime, authoritarianism, bigotry. To accomplish this they left behind what they thought caused or facilitated those problems, like weapons, surveillance, and certain media and entertainment.
The fact it's a police story should tell us things didn't go as planned. People are dying and most of the passengers and crew don't know how to deal with the situation. Fortunately they chose as security chief a former cop who has experience with crime and violence. With the help of some of the crew, he will investigate and... well you'll have to see for yourself how it ends.
This is an easy read, good for passing time, but nothing memorable. I appreciate that being on a spaceship was integral part of the story, not an excuse to call a police story "sci fi". The author drops so many names on the way that I had no idea who was who. I ended up remembering just 3 or 4 and glazing over the rest. The characters aren't fully fleshed out, we know very little backstory for most of them. This may have helped keeping us guessing on who's on the good side and who's on the bad side, but didn't help make me care about them.
The author takes a pragmatic view of humanity. Of course bigotry and violence are bad. But it is naive to think external factors like media or weapons are the cause of human flaws. Humans are tribal and violent because of millions of years of evolution, and to think we can eradicate that in a few decades just by pretending people are inherently good and peaceful is naive and destined to fail. I felt that was the lesson the protagonist taught the rest of the crew, a lesson we should keep in mind. Just like trying to change your spouse into what you want them to be is not only wrong, but doomed to fail, trying to mold society into something contrary to human nature through imposition will inevitably fail.
The fact it's a police story should tell us things didn't go as planned. People are dying and most of the passengers and crew don't know how to deal with the situation. Fortunately they chose as security chief a former cop who has experience with crime and violence. With the help of some of the crew, he will investigate and... well you'll have to see for yourself how it ends.
This is an easy read, good for passing time, but nothing memorable. I appreciate that being on a spaceship was integral part of the story, not an excuse to call a police story "sci fi". The author drops so many names on the way that I had no idea who was who. I ended up remembering just 3 or 4 and glazing over the rest. The characters aren't fully fleshed out, we know very little backstory for most of them. This may have helped keeping us guessing on who's on the good side and who's on the bad side, but didn't help make me care about them.
The author takes a pragmatic view of humanity. Of course bigotry and violence are bad. But it is naive to think external factors like media or weapons are the cause of human flaws. Humans are tribal and violent because of millions of years of evolution, and to think we can eradicate that in a few decades just by pretending people are inherently good and peaceful is naive and destined to fail. I felt that was the lesson the protagonist taught the rest of the crew, a lesson we should keep in mind. Just like trying to change your spouse into what you want them to be is not only wrong, but doomed to fail, trying to mold society into something contrary to human nature through imposition will inevitably fail.
November 25, 2018
The Aotea has left Earth to settle on a different planet and build a new society without all the traits that have plagued human history (violence, hate, greed, etc...). Cyrus Konami was one of the last individuals selected for the journey and is in charge of the basic security of the vessel. As a cop from Earth, he finds this to be an incredibly boring job as he is surrounded by a group of people that were hand-selected for the peacefulness. That all changes as people start dying and the Aotea starts breaking down, all while the ship starts receiving strange signals from space. Konami now needs to figure out how all of these things are connected while dealing with a society that is wholly unprepared for this type of emergency.
Spindown is a fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi mystery. The characters are deep and interesting while the plot has many twists and moves extremely fast. The story itself is also extremely original. I definitely recommend giving it a read.
Spindown is a fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi mystery. The characters are deep and interesting while the plot has many twists and moves extremely fast. The story itself is also extremely original. I definitely recommend giving it a read.
April 13, 2019
It honestly took me a while to get into the story. Perhaps the steep ramp up came from the author's undeniable favouring of "strange" character names. :-)
Anyway, the premise of the Society of a New Humanity, albeit a bit ridiculous as such, served great as a framework to set a critical examination of modern society in, even if some aspects are only covered shallowly. However, that's not the point of this excellent piece of fiction with clever action, a likeable hero and an interesting environment.
I've read three books by Andrew Crawford and found them increasingly well written and composed.
Thumbs up for this most recent work of his. The last chunk of the book really got me glued to the pages like only few books manage to do.
Anyway, the premise of the Society of a New Humanity, albeit a bit ridiculous as such, served great as a framework to set a critical examination of modern society in, even if some aspects are only covered shallowly. However, that's not the point of this excellent piece of fiction with clever action, a likeable hero and an interesting environment.
I've read three books by Andrew Crawford and found them increasingly well written and composed.
Thumbs up for this most recent work of his. The last chunk of the book really got me glued to the pages like only few books manage to do.
November 24, 2018
Well imagined, if stereo-typical, characters inhabit this political re-envisioning of the Colony-ship concept. A workmanlike job well done. Mankind examined in microcosm.
September 3, 2019
4.5 stars but no half stars allowed on Goodreads.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
What a “tangled web” is woven within this sci fi story, a small segment of humanity trying to create a Utopian society and seemingly having become, in the main, successful. But, unfortunately, all is never what it seems. Follow along with them in their journey in Spindown. The title of Spindown is indeed a fitting one for this work. We share their pain and disappointment, as this ‘idealistic’ society is spundown towards its own oblivion.
“Was he a good man?” asked Konami.
Mattoso raised an eyebrow.
Patil looked at him for a long time before responding. “He cared deeply about doing the right thing.”
Konami sensed something unsaid. “But…?”
She looked away. “I’m not sure that he knew what the right thing was.
The naiveté of the characters within this story is expertly portrayed by the author. The world building, too, it’s of an excellent standard. Nothing within the body of the writing is out of place and the pace of the plot development is well metered. After the abrupt start, everything within the story fits together well and flows seamlessly.
So, why did I take off half a star? Well, only once during the read did the story make me feel like I wanted to smash my Kindle upon the corner of the desk (what can I say? I’m an Earther, over fifty years of age with homicidal tendencies and prone to emotional outbursts). Also, at the very outset of the read, I experienced the feeling that I had just been dumped right into the middle of this “thing” (the story). IMO, if the author had presented the “historical” material contained within the “Appendix: Historical Timeline” as a “Prologue: Historical Timeline”, i.e. at the very start of the book instead of at the very end of the book, then the whole work would have flowed right from the very beginning and I wouldn’t have experienced that feeling at the start.
Good value at $0.99 cents, Spindown is made even more appealing. A recommended read.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
What a “tangled web” is woven within this sci fi story, a small segment of humanity trying to create a Utopian society and seemingly having become, in the main, successful. But, unfortunately, all is never what it seems. Follow along with them in their journey in Spindown. The title of Spindown is indeed a fitting one for this work. We share their pain and disappointment, as this ‘idealistic’ society is spundown towards its own oblivion.
“Was he a good man?” asked Konami.
Mattoso raised an eyebrow.
Patil looked at him for a long time before responding. “He cared deeply about doing the right thing.”
Konami sensed something unsaid. “But…?”
She looked away. “I’m not sure that he knew what the right thing was.
The naiveté of the characters within this story is expertly portrayed by the author. The world building, too, it’s of an excellent standard. Nothing within the body of the writing is out of place and the pace of the plot development is well metered. After the abrupt start, everything within the story fits together well and flows seamlessly.
So, why did I take off half a star? Well, only once during the read did the story make me feel like I wanted to smash my Kindle upon the corner of the desk (what can I say? I’m an Earther, over fifty years of age with homicidal tendencies and prone to emotional outbursts). Also, at the very outset of the read, I experienced the feeling that I had just been dumped right into the middle of this “thing” (the story). IMO, if the author had presented the “historical” material contained within the “Appendix: Historical Timeline” as a “Prologue: Historical Timeline”, i.e. at the very start of the book instead of at the very end of the book, then the whole work would have flowed right from the very beginning and I wouldn’t have experienced that feeling at the start.
Good value at $0.99 cents, Spindown is made even more appealing. A recommended read.
April 20, 2019
“He didn’t hate these people, and this ship, and this culture, frustrating as they all were, he decided. It’s not hate, he told himself, just boredom. And perhaps just a slower adjustment than he thought it would be.…I’m not a hateful man, he thought to himself. He even managed to smile and nod to one of the few constables who had demonstrated some aptitude and ingenuity in the drill.…Just bored. And tired”
Chief Inspector Cyrus Konami and a crew member Lieutenant Beatriz Mattoso begin the process of exploring the accidental death of a crew member onboard the Aotea, the first “colony ship” to leave the Solar System. However, the question is,was it really an accident. After all, the Aotea and it’s crew and colonists left all that behind. The Aotea is supposed to give humankind a new chance to start without all the hate and bigotry that defines earth. Can they make it the utopia they hope? Maybe a better question is will they make it at all.
I have been a SciFi “nerd” for most of my 60+ years on earth. SciFi can often become formulaic, but I didn’t find that in this story because Andy Crawford has taken the better aspects of science fiction and fused them with a bang up crime thriller that contains political overtones that kept me turning pages and wanting it to last longer. I highly recommend this book. 5/5
[I received this book from another source and chose to read and review it]
Chief Inspector Cyrus Konami and a crew member Lieutenant Beatriz Mattoso begin the process of exploring the accidental death of a crew member onboard the Aotea, the first “colony ship” to leave the Solar System. However, the question is,was it really an accident. After all, the Aotea and it’s crew and colonists left all that behind. The Aotea is supposed to give humankind a new chance to start without all the hate and bigotry that defines earth. Can they make it the utopia they hope? Maybe a better question is will they make it at all.
I have been a SciFi “nerd” for most of my 60+ years on earth. SciFi can often become formulaic, but I didn’t find that in this story because Andy Crawford has taken the better aspects of science fiction and fused them with a bang up crime thriller that contains political overtones that kept me turning pages and wanting it to last longer. I highly recommend this book. 5/5
[I received this book from another source and chose to read and review it]
April 21, 2021
A good book from a new writer: Spindown is another of a genre I am seeing more often, Mystery- Scifi hybrid. (Is there a name for this?). The main character is an outsider - a former police officer, brought in to tend to a population of a peaceful cult on a long term spaceship journey to a new solar system. The book takes a little while to get going, as the author wants you to get the big picture of life on the ship. Stick with it - the boring job the main character expects become more complicated, as he encounters a death where the details just don't seem quite right...
I appreciated that he explored some differences in culture with the future society. Sometimes I found the language/idiom use a little anachronistic, and I think maybe he should have leaned a little less on the musings of the main character's about cultural differences to spell things out, and just let the reader figure things out. Show, don't tell.
I expect good future books out of Crawford, and a bit more polish as he gets the pacing dialed in. A note that the paper copy of the book I got had a printing error, where the intro still mentioned the E-book version. It also has no page numbers! I messaged the author to make sure no one was selling bootleg books. Details missed in getting the small printrun to shelves. Heck, maybe it will be a collectable version someday...
I appreciated that he explored some differences in culture with the future society. Sometimes I found the language/idiom use a little anachronistic, and I think maybe he should have leaned a little less on the musings of the main character's about cultural differences to spell things out, and just let the reader figure things out. Show, don't tell.
I expect good future books out of Crawford, and a bit more polish as he gets the pacing dialed in. A note that the paper copy of the book I got had a printing error, where the intro still mentioned the E-book version. It also has no page numbers! I messaged the author to make sure no one was selling bootleg books. Details missed in getting the small printrun to shelves. Heck, maybe it will be a collectable version someday...
September 26, 2020
This is Sci Fi. I wasn't convinced it would be. Up until about half way through it was an ordinary story, with a somewhat unique society. That the setting was a space ship was irrelevant. Then the science (currently fiction) became central to the story and the backstory further enhanced its categorization as Sci Fi.
Excellent story. Well paced, speeding up as the action did. Cared about the characters and was caught up in the intrigue. Can you ask for more?
Excellent story. Well paced, speeding up as the action did. Cared about the characters and was caught up in the intrigue. Can you ask for more?
November 20, 2020
A nice space faring adventure about a large group (20k) of would be colonists heading to a distant solar system. They are leaving our current system in hopes of founding a nonviolent colony far from the troubled earth and its current colonies. What could go wrong? Just about everything as it turns out. Let's just say, you can take the people away from their violent planets, but you cant take the violence away from a lot of the people. Or something like that.
November 12, 2018
Takes place a couple hundred years in the future on the spaceship Aotea en route to the moon Samwise. The ship is elaborately imagined. I like the sparks between the characters Konami and Madani. Eventually this takes a violent turn.
May 9, 2019
We are proud to announce that SPINDOWN by Andy C.F. Crawford is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!
September 11, 2019
Spindown is a murder mystery thriller set aboard a gigantic colony ship taking thousands of people fleeing the violence that seems to be an endemic part of life in our solar system to a potentially new start for humanity on the moon of a distant gas giant.
Everyone on board the good ship Aotea has signed on to begin a new life, leaving behind all traces of human history and media in an attempt to avoid repeating our abysmal record of conflicts and wars throughout the ages. At least, that was the plan. Things begin to go wrong when one of the crew meets a suspicious end and then the ship starts receiving odd signals, possibly alien in origin and seemingly from deep space, maybe even from the direction they're heading in.
I really enjoyed it. The characters are well developed, the story romps along at a decent pace and the environment of the ship is well realized but it took me a bit of getting used to the names used like Konami, which I immediately associated with the Japanese entertainment company of the same name, and the difficult to know if I'm pronouncing it correctly, Aotea.
I've read the author's previous books, Sailor of the Skysea and The Pen is Mightier, which are both fantasy tales so this adventure into science fiction is a new direction for him and I think he's done a very good job of it. It's a very good story with plenty of action and mystery and a fair few gaspy moments. Once I guessed what was really going on, which took me a very long way into the book, some of what happens along the way seemed somewhat odd to me. I'd have given it five out of five but for that but don't let it put you off reading it and I kind of hope the author has plans for a sequel or more tales on the journey to Samwise.
I received a complimentary copy of Spindown from the author.
Everyone on board the good ship Aotea has signed on to begin a new life, leaving behind all traces of human history and media in an attempt to avoid repeating our abysmal record of conflicts and wars throughout the ages. At least, that was the plan. Things begin to go wrong when one of the crew meets a suspicious end and then the ship starts receiving odd signals, possibly alien in origin and seemingly from deep space, maybe even from the direction they're heading in.
I really enjoyed it. The characters are well developed, the story romps along at a decent pace and the environment of the ship is well realized but it took me a bit of getting used to the names used like Konami, which I immediately associated with the Japanese entertainment company of the same name, and the difficult to know if I'm pronouncing it correctly, Aotea.
I've read the author's previous books, Sailor of the Skysea and The Pen is Mightier, which are both fantasy tales so this adventure into science fiction is a new direction for him and I think he's done a very good job of it. It's a very good story with plenty of action and mystery and a fair few gaspy moments. Once I guessed what was really going on, which took me a very long way into the book, some of what happens along the way seemed somewhat odd to me. I'd have given it five out of five but for that but don't let it put you off reading it and I kind of hope the author has plans for a sequel or more tales on the journey to Samwise.
I received a complimentary copy of Spindown from the author.
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April 24, 2022Enjoyable sci-fi/murder mystery. The story is fast paced with some exciting action and a convincing portrait of what life might be like on a colony ship. The biggest weakness is the characters. The book starts off positioning the MC as the sole 'real man' in a society of diminutive pacifists. I almost stopped reading at that point. Luckily that fades away and we get some mostly interchangeable, competent and well-adjusted people working to solve the mystery.
January 9, 2021
This was a disappointing science fiction story about a colony ship confronted with either an accident or murder. The author's heavy use of curse words was off-putting and meant that there was little descriptive prose. The characters were not fully developed and it was difficult to sympathize with them.
October 21, 2020
Beware of those who this is for your own good!
Back the blue - even in an interplanetary spaceship. This story was a breath of fresh air, given all the social-justice warts in syfy. Doing the right thing may not be popular, but it works. Well written techno - thriller.
Back the blue - even in an interplanetary spaceship. This story was a breath of fresh air, given all the social-justice warts in syfy. Doing the right thing may not be popular, but it works. Well written techno - thriller.
January 31, 2023
Not really a fan of sci fi but I thought I would try it and quickly realized why I don't like this genre, believability is a big factor with me, and I didn't. There's a book two but I think I will pass.
April 25, 2020
Space mystery
It started a little slow but the plot definitely picked up. I love that both the science fiction aspect and the mystery were both engaging.
It started a little slow but the plot definitely picked up. I love that both the science fiction aspect and the mystery were both engaging.
June 3, 2021
A griping plot that kept me hooked every chapter. Plenty of action and intrigue in a fascinating setting only slightly let down by the weak ending.
April 23, 2022
A great "who dunnit" on a space ship. Highly enjoyable.
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