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Celeste Three is Missing
Gregory Topozian has waited half a lifetime for the opportunity to get even with Russian billionaire Viktor Karenkov. Years earlier gangster Karenkov corruptly acquired Topozian’s mining licence and the equipment at his oil exploration site in a remote part of the USSR, in the process murdering his deputy in cold blood. The incident was recorded on CCTV tapes.
Gregory swears vengeance but cannot use the tapes while Karenkov is in Russia building his fortune. He keeps track of his enemy who protects himself with tight personal security, but when the Russian books a flight on the Celeste Three space plane, Gregory conceives an audacious plan to exact his revenge.
Celeste Three, the world's first single orbit passenger plane, disappears whilst on a routine flight. On board with six others is Viktor Karenkov. Celeste has no power, it has been designed to glide back only to its base in Arizona. Gregory Topozian has to find a way to bring the craft down safely so that he can hand Karenkov to the Russian authorities to stand trial for murder. And somebody has to fund the enormous cost of the venture.
Impossible goals? Not for Gregory Topozian, whose strength of will and formidable intellect combine to provide the perfect solution.
Gregory swears vengeance but cannot use the tapes while Karenkov is in Russia building his fortune. He keeps track of his enemy who protects himself with tight personal security, but when the Russian books a flight on the Celeste Three space plane, Gregory conceives an audacious plan to exact his revenge.
Celeste Three, the world's first single orbit passenger plane, disappears whilst on a routine flight. On board with six others is Viktor Karenkov. Celeste has no power, it has been designed to glide back only to its base in Arizona. Gregory Topozian has to find a way to bring the craft down safely so that he can hand Karenkov to the Russian authorities to stand trial for murder. And somebody has to fund the enormous cost of the venture.
Impossible goals? Not for Gregory Topozian, whose strength of will and formidable intellect combine to provide the perfect solution.
Unknown Binding
First published September 19, 2015
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3 people want to read
About the author
Chris Calder
5 books4 followersAfter ten happy years of retirement in rural France, Chris Calder is back in England. He came late to writing novels, penning his first whilst incarcerated in a French hospital following cancer surgery. At the time he spoke little French. Unable to communicate effectively with the staff, he spent his time fleshing out his first novel. Four more have followed; light thrillers leavened with humour.
Chris knows that readers of fiction expect to be diverted and entertained. He loves feedback and believes passionately that taking on board readers’ views improves what he does.
You can find him at: http://www.chriscalder.com.
“You have an aggressive cancer.” That’s what the specialist said. Not what I needed in my seventies, happily retired in France. Recovering after surgery and unable to communicate easily in French, I wrote my first novel. It was based on stuff I experienced during years running my small engineering business. Years of avoiding people in brown envelopes.
Five books to date; four light thrillers, the fifth not. But that one’s in a narrow niche and has potential for sequels. When asked which is my favourite book I say, “The next one.” When asked when I intend to quit, I reply, “Ask me again in twenty years’ time.”
Published:
PAYBACK, written in 2013. A light revenge thriller, based loosely on personal experience.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. A priest charged with helping other priests who have problems. But he has his own demons to confront.
CELESTE THREE IS MISSING. A light thriller, set in the near future of passenger earth-orbit travel. The protagonist waits a long time to get even with a murderous Russian oligarch.
KISMET. A slightly darker thriller. A British Member of Parliament falls foul of ISIS.
Completed, now published as an e-book:
GROWING APART. A story about twin boys conceived in pre-war India by an affair between an English civil servant and a vivacious Anglo-Indian woman. She dies in childbirth and the twins are separated. One is adopted and raised in India, the other is taken by the father to be raised in middle-class comfort in England. They meet 25 years later in dramatic circumstances.
Chris knows that readers of fiction expect to be diverted and entertained. He loves feedback and believes passionately that taking on board readers’ views improves what he does.
You can find him at: http://www.chriscalder.com.
“You have an aggressive cancer.” That’s what the specialist said. Not what I needed in my seventies, happily retired in France. Recovering after surgery and unable to communicate easily in French, I wrote my first novel. It was based on stuff I experienced during years running my small engineering business. Years of avoiding people in brown envelopes.
Five books to date; four light thrillers, the fifth not. But that one’s in a narrow niche and has potential for sequels. When asked which is my favourite book I say, “The next one.” When asked when I intend to quit, I reply, “Ask me again in twenty years’ time.”
Published:
PAYBACK, written in 2013. A light revenge thriller, based loosely on personal experience.
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. A priest charged with helping other priests who have problems. But he has his own demons to confront.
CELESTE THREE IS MISSING. A light thriller, set in the near future of passenger earth-orbit travel. The protagonist waits a long time to get even with a murderous Russian oligarch.
KISMET. A slightly darker thriller. A British Member of Parliament falls foul of ISIS.
Completed, now published as an e-book:
GROWING APART. A story about twin boys conceived in pre-war India by an affair between an English civil servant and a vivacious Anglo-Indian woman. She dies in childbirth and the twins are separated. One is adopted and raised in India, the other is taken by the father to be raised in middle-class comfort in England. They meet 25 years later in dramatic circumstances.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 1, 2017
Revenge is a dish best served cold
Gregory Topozian has waited years to avenge the cold-blooded murder of a close friend by Viktor Karenkov and the theft of his business. Karenkov is so well protected that there are very few chances to bring the man to justice. Celeste Three is a space shuttle-like vehicle which gives joy rides in space to wealthy individuals. Maybe Karenkov’s decision to take a flight will give Topozian the opportunity he is waiting for.
This is not a bad book but neither is it a good one. The plot jumped all over the place such that there was no sense of continuity. The plan to capture Karenkov was unclear for most of the book if indeed there was a plan at all which led to a sense of bewilderment. There was a good deal of detail contained within the text but it was the wrong type of detail. The reader has information on minutiae but lacks details he sorely needs to makes sense of the whole. The dialogue was clunky and wooden at times and there were factual errors which could easily have been researched.
In the final analysis, the characters failed to engage my interest and I had no emotional attachment or involvement to anyone in the book. The whole premise was in many ways ludicrous and the main characters never questioned whether it was the right thing to do to carry out dangerous and illegal activities just because their boss decided it should be done.
If the reader suspends belief it is not a bad plot but one which in the end fails to reach its potential or engage the reader.
mr zorg
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Gregory Topozian has waited years to avenge the cold-blooded murder of a close friend by Viktor Karenkov and the theft of his business. Karenkov is so well protected that there are very few chances to bring the man to justice. Celeste Three is a space shuttle-like vehicle which gives joy rides in space to wealthy individuals. Maybe Karenkov’s decision to take a flight will give Topozian the opportunity he is waiting for.
This is not a bad book but neither is it a good one. The plot jumped all over the place such that there was no sense of continuity. The plan to capture Karenkov was unclear for most of the book if indeed there was a plan at all which led to a sense of bewilderment. There was a good deal of detail contained within the text but it was the wrong type of detail. The reader has information on minutiae but lacks details he sorely needs to makes sense of the whole. The dialogue was clunky and wooden at times and there were factual errors which could easily have been researched.
In the final analysis, the characters failed to engage my interest and I had no emotional attachment or involvement to anyone in the book. The whole premise was in many ways ludicrous and the main characters never questioned whether it was the right thing to do to carry out dangerous and illegal activities just because their boss decided it should be done.
If the reader suspends belief it is not a bad plot but one which in the end fails to reach its potential or engage the reader.
mr zorg
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
November 11, 2019
Gregory Topozian has been waiting a very long time to exact revenge on Russian billionaire Viktor Karenkov. With a lot of forward planning and blackmail it looks like he may just be able to exact his revenge.
This is a great story & well written. I found myself immersed in the plot and the characters were all interesting - even the bad ones! I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it.
This is a great story & well written. I found myself immersed in the plot and the characters were all interesting - even the bad ones! I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it.
February 23, 2016
An intelligently written and enjoyable techno thriller, with a refreshing international slant. It was as fast moving and credible as anything else in its genre and didn't get unduly bogged down in too much techno babble. It was an easy read that reminded me in some ways of Mission Impossible. Look forward to reading more from the author.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews