What do you think?
Rate this book
Space Coast Mysteries #1
Twelve Seconds
The last thing that Air Force Special Agent Greg Marcotte expects to find in the debris field of an exploded unmanned rocket is a dead body with bullet holes in its chest. A phone number in the victim’s wallet leads him to space reporter Justin Harris and a deeper mystery. Why did the dead man call Justin the morning of launch? Why won’t anyone discuss the rocket’s payload? And who else does the killer have in his sights? Justin and Greg must join forces to stop a murderer...who has Justin in his sights.
This book was originally published in the anthology Footsteps in the Dark
This book was originally published in the anthology Footsteps in the Dark
98 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2019
11 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Meg Perry
42 books78 followersI started reading mysteries where a lot of us started - with Nancy Drew. I graduated to Agatha Christie, then P.D. James. My new favorite is Peter Lovesey.
I've had the characters of Jamie Brodie and Pete Ferguson in my head for a long time, but just recently figured out how to tell their stories. Jamie is an academic librarian because I'm an academic librarian and it's the world I know best.
Thanks for reading!
I've had the characters of Jamie Brodie and Pete Ferguson in my head for a long time, but just recently figured out how to tell their stories. Jamie is an academic librarian because I'm an academic librarian and it's the world I know best.
Thanks for reading!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 28, 2022
This was honestly such a refreshing change of pace. It wasn't, by any means, an amazing book but it did have something that set it apart for me and that was that the two MCs didn't have burning chemistry that revolved around looks and sex. The relationship they want to build is the foundation of their interactions and I kind of liked that. Both in their late thirties, there's a certain feeling that they both want to just meet a nice guy and settle down. They want someone to build a life with and that is what comes across here. Both Greg and Justin want someone to share their life with and that, for me at least, made up for the lack of immediate chemistry you might find in any old romance.
The mystery side of things was interesting but by nature a little rushed. This was a rapid fire read and it didn't really need to be bigger than it was. I'll certainly stick around for the sequel.
The mystery side of things was interesting but by nature a little rushed. This was a rapid fire read and it didn't really need to be bigger than it was. I'll certainly stick around for the sequel.
November 19, 2019
A great start to a new series by a tried and tested author. I like the MCs and the Florida / space-science world proved a novel setting for me. Bring on book 2 please.
February 15, 2021
I love this short book and was so glad to see there was a second book in the series. I love the characters and the story line was a great story of a new relationship and a good mystery. My first time reading Meg Perry but I will be reading more.
April 3, 2025
THIS WAS SO BORING I CAN'T EVEN!
What we've got here is a case of good idea meets bad execution.
Justin Harris is a space reporter. He's contacted by a man who has a scoop for him, but the man stands Justin up the morning they agree to met. Then, the man goes missing.
Greg Marcotte is an Air Force Special Agent. I'm not super clear on what that is, but let's just say, he's a space cop. He's in charge of the investigation after a rocket (carrying a mysterious payload) explodes. In the wreckage, they find the remains of a dead man. Totally unrelated, apparently accidental. A bit too coincidental? In the dead man's pocket, he finds Justin's card.
This is also a romance. Journalist and cop must work together to solve the mystery, and in the process, they start fucking. Perfect. What's not to like? I've read dozens of books about this and I'll continue to do so for as long as they keep being written. I LOVE this kind of plot, PLUS, this one's IN SPACE. Well, not really in space, but it's about it, so what's not to love?
Like I said, it's all in the execution. To start with, there was absolutely ZERO chemistry between the characters. No spark. No butterflies. No nothing.
Their meeting is something like: Huh, this guy's cute. I wonder if he's gay. Oh, he's gay? Alright, I'm gonna ask him out. THE END. There is absolutely no substance here at all! It was the most straightforward, boring coming together I've ever read. Even the sex was boring, and we're talking open door graphic smut. BORING.
There was a little attempt at drama in the beginning, when Justin's ex shows up at exactly the same time as Greg, you know, cause the reader needs to see just how perfect Greg is for him instead of the exboyfriend. Justin was in a relationship with his ex for EIGHTEEN YEARS, and they broke up because the ex voted for Trump. Literally. And then when he shows up again, he's telling Justin that he's switched parties and he's now a democrat so they can now be together!
Like, the dude is a major jackass, telling him that if he doesn't get back together with him, Justin will be alone forever because nobody else will want him, blah, blah blah. Seriously shit stuff, right? However, they were together for EIGHTEEN YEARS. They broke up over a political disagreement. When did this guy become such an asshole? For eighteen years, he was the perfect boyfriend and suddenly, he's a jerk? I don't get it. I don't. Sorry, but Justin did not, at any point in time, mention that his boyfriend was emotionally abusive, a manipulator, an asshole. He just voted for Trump. And the moment he's reintroduced into the story, he acts like the worst kind of person there is? Must one go from zero to a thousand in under three seconds?
Why couldn't Justin say that their relationship wasn't working for years because the dude was just a jackass all the time? Why mention Trump? I was so distracted by this pointless bit of drama here that I seriously lost track of what was happening in the story.
Then, there's the murder mystery, which I will proceed to rip to shreds in the following section of the review, was so, SO STUPID.
NOW, spoilers ahead!
So, this company called Ideodax wants to send a communications satellite into space. Problem is, they don't got one. But that won't stop them brilliant scientific minds, and they decide to engage a rocket anyway, so they basically hire a rocket from this other company called Skysomething. But since they don't got no satellite to actually send up there... they decide to send a car insetad. You heard that right. They wanna look good and pretend they're sending a satellite into space even though they don't have one, and they decide to put a CAR in the payload. A CAR. Yes, you heard right. An actual car. A VW Beetle, to be exact.
A secret VW Bettle. Cause only a handful of people know that they're sending an old car into space. Like, literally like five or six people know about this. HOW? HOW DO YOU KEEP THIS A SECRET? Now, I'm obviously not an expert, but it doesn't sound to me like something one can keep hidden for long WHEN SENDING SHIT INTO SPACE IS LITERALLY EVERYONE'S BUSINESS. What about the engineers? What about the people actually working on site. What about the hundreds of personnel that work at the launch pad? I mean... sigh. *SIGH*
The rocket, unfortunately for the brilliant minds behind sending a car instead of a communications satellite, explodes. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. It explodes. KABOOM. And the debris is scattered all over the Florida swamps.
Behind the scenes, trouble is a-brewing. One of the engineers working for the project (I think this person wasn't supposed to know about the car plan, but found out SOMEHOW) wants to talk to the press, so he calls Justin to meet up with him, right? And he never shows up because someone killed him in the Florida swamps so he doesn't tell people that there was a car in the payload, AND they left his body there to be eaten by alligators. Perfect plan.
IF ONLY THE ROCKET HADN'T EXPLODED AND LANDED EXACTLY WHERE THE BODY WAS LEFT.
So of course, we've got the Air Force looking around the debris and... wait... oh? Is this... is this a body?! Waait... THE BODY OF THE ONLY MAN WHO KNEW WHAT WAS IN THE PAYLOAD?? You're kidding! Whoever thought of this brilliant piece of plot twist?
Also... there's car parts everywhere. Huh? Car parts? And they didn't even think to consider that there might have been a car inside the payload until the last chapter? Jesuschrist.
I have major issues with the mastermind behind this plan. The president of the company who wanted to send the car into space, the dude who decides to kill the engineer who found out and leave his body for the alligators. See, he's a murderer. He's killed someone. He needs to keep a low profile and make sure that he isn't suspected. So what does he do? HE CALLS JUSTIN AND PRETENDS TO BE THE ENGINEER TO THREATEN HIM TO NOT SAY ANYTHING OR ELSE.
Of course, by then all the cops are there, and he is arrested immediately.
THE END.
To summarize, everything is wrong with this book, including the fact that the audiobook was narrated by Joel Leslie, who I hate. The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because of a single line that made me laugh.
What we've got here is a case of good idea meets bad execution.
Justin Harris is a space reporter. He's contacted by a man who has a scoop for him, but the man stands Justin up the morning they agree to met. Then, the man goes missing.
Greg Marcotte is an Air Force Special Agent. I'm not super clear on what that is, but let's just say, he's a space cop. He's in charge of the investigation after a rocket (carrying a mysterious payload) explodes. In the wreckage, they find the remains of a dead man. Totally unrelated, apparently accidental. A bit too coincidental? In the dead man's pocket, he finds Justin's card.
This is also a romance. Journalist and cop must work together to solve the mystery, and in the process, they start fucking. Perfect. What's not to like? I've read dozens of books about this and I'll continue to do so for as long as they keep being written. I LOVE this kind of plot, PLUS, this one's IN SPACE. Well, not really in space, but it's about it, so what's not to love?
Like I said, it's all in the execution. To start with, there was absolutely ZERO chemistry between the characters. No spark. No butterflies. No nothing.
Their meeting is something like: Huh, this guy's cute. I wonder if he's gay. Oh, he's gay? Alright, I'm gonna ask him out. THE END. There is absolutely no substance here at all! It was the most straightforward, boring coming together I've ever read. Even the sex was boring, and we're talking open door graphic smut. BORING.
There was a little attempt at drama in the beginning, when Justin's ex shows up at exactly the same time as Greg, you know, cause the reader needs to see just how perfect Greg is for him instead of the exboyfriend. Justin was in a relationship with his ex for EIGHTEEN YEARS, and they broke up because the ex voted for Trump. Literally. And then when he shows up again, he's telling Justin that he's switched parties and he's now a democrat so they can now be together!
Like, the dude is a major jackass, telling him that if he doesn't get back together with him, Justin will be alone forever because nobody else will want him, blah, blah blah. Seriously shit stuff, right? However, they were together for EIGHTEEN YEARS. They broke up over a political disagreement. When did this guy become such an asshole? For eighteen years, he was the perfect boyfriend and suddenly, he's a jerk? I don't get it. I don't. Sorry, but Justin did not, at any point in time, mention that his boyfriend was emotionally abusive, a manipulator, an asshole. He just voted for Trump. And the moment he's reintroduced into the story, he acts like the worst kind of person there is? Must one go from zero to a thousand in under three seconds?
Why couldn't Justin say that their relationship wasn't working for years because the dude was just a jackass all the time? Why mention Trump? I was so distracted by this pointless bit of drama here that I seriously lost track of what was happening in the story.
Then, there's the murder mystery, which I will proceed to rip to shreds in the following section of the review, was so, SO STUPID.
NOW, spoilers ahead!
So, this company called Ideodax wants to send a communications satellite into space. Problem is, they don't got one. But that won't stop them brilliant scientific minds, and they decide to engage a rocket anyway, so they basically hire a rocket from this other company called Skysomething. But since they don't got no satellite to actually send up there... they decide to send a car insetad. You heard that right. They wanna look good and pretend they're sending a satellite into space even though they don't have one, and they decide to put a CAR in the payload. A CAR. Yes, you heard right. An actual car. A VW Beetle, to be exact.
A secret VW Bettle. Cause only a handful of people know that they're sending an old car into space. Like, literally like five or six people know about this. HOW? HOW DO YOU KEEP THIS A SECRET? Now, I'm obviously not an expert, but it doesn't sound to me like something one can keep hidden for long WHEN SENDING SHIT INTO SPACE IS LITERALLY EVERYONE'S BUSINESS. What about the engineers? What about the people actually working on site. What about the hundreds of personnel that work at the launch pad? I mean... sigh. *SIGH*
The rocket, unfortunately for the brilliant minds behind sending a car instead of a communications satellite, explodes. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. It explodes. KABOOM. And the debris is scattered all over the Florida swamps.
Behind the scenes, trouble is a-brewing. One of the engineers working for the project (I think this person wasn't supposed to know about the car plan, but found out SOMEHOW) wants to talk to the press, so he calls Justin to meet up with him, right? And he never shows up because someone killed him in the Florida swamps so he doesn't tell people that there was a car in the payload, AND they left his body there to be eaten by alligators. Perfect plan.
IF ONLY THE ROCKET HADN'T EXPLODED AND LANDED EXACTLY WHERE THE BODY WAS LEFT.
So of course, we've got the Air Force looking around the debris and... wait... oh? Is this... is this a body?! Waait... THE BODY OF THE ONLY MAN WHO KNEW WHAT WAS IN THE PAYLOAD?? You're kidding! Whoever thought of this brilliant piece of plot twist?
Also... there's car parts everywhere. Huh? Car parts? And they didn't even think to consider that there might have been a car inside the payload until the last chapter? Jesuschrist.
I have major issues with the mastermind behind this plan. The president of the company who wanted to send the car into space, the dude who decides to kill the engineer who found out and leave his body for the alligators. See, he's a murderer. He's killed someone. He needs to keep a low profile and make sure that he isn't suspected. So what does he do? HE CALLS JUSTIN AND PRETENDS TO BE THE ENGINEER TO THREATEN HIM TO NOT SAY ANYTHING OR ELSE.
Of course, by then all the cops are there, and he is arrested immediately.
THE END.
To summarize, everything is wrong with this book, including the fact that the audiobook was narrated by Joel Leslie, who I hate. The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because of a single line that made me laugh.
"This is a BFG. You know how to kill them, right?"
"BFG?" Vernon said.
"Big fucking gator, sir."
July 23, 2023
I loved this fun, fairly short story. I live on the Space Coast which is why I chose this book, along with the fact that it was free on smashwords! The smooth, easy writing and my familiarity with Brevard county made reading a pleasure. Greg and Justin were lovable and engaging though I don't see any problem being out around here. I'm hungry for dinner at Siam Orchid now!
April 21, 2025
Very good
I enjoyed the book. I first learned of Twelve Seconds in Footsteps in the Dark and was looking forward to the series. The characters were interesting and there was some light humour throughout. The humour was the type that people would normally say during a friendly conversation, no over the top belly laughs. An easy, enjoyable book with an interesting storyline. Although I had read the short story as part of the anthology, I couldn't recall who the killer was so it was nice to read the book and refresh my memory of the different characters before going on to the next book in the series.
I enjoyed the book. I first learned of Twelve Seconds in Footsteps in the Dark and was looking forward to the series. The characters were interesting and there was some light humour throughout. The humour was the type that people would normally say during a friendly conversation, no over the top belly laughs. An easy, enjoyable book with an interesting storyline. Although I had read the short story as part of the anthology, I couldn't recall who the killer was so it was nice to read the book and refresh my memory of the different characters before going on to the next book in the series.
October 31, 2023
3.5 stars
I was interested in the space theme and the couple was cute but this didn't completely take off.
I read this as a part of Footsteps in the Dark anthology.
I was interested in the space theme and the couple was cute but this didn't completely take off.
I read this as a part of Footsteps in the Dark anthology.
February 27, 2024
An east coast story this time - based around the space industry.
Justin - a reporter at an exploded rocket - and Greg - an Air Force investigator - meet up over a dead body, sparks fly, dates are arranged, investigations are done (over sharing a bit??), bad guys identified!!!
Enjoyed it - quick and easy read
Justin - a reporter at an exploded rocket - and Greg - an Air Force investigator - meet up over a dead body, sparks fly, dates are arranged, investigations are done (over sharing a bit??), bad guys identified!!!
Enjoyed it - quick and easy read
August 16, 2022
I read this story in the anthology Footsteps in the Dark. New to me author and I really enjoyed this novella that appears to introduce a series. Both of the MCs are likable and the premise is different. Will definitely check out further books in the series from this author.
November 1, 2022
The story was entertaining. I thought the romance was a little flat for me. Didn't feel a real connection with the guys but it was kind of real to life. Life can be flat. The mystery was descent. I enjoyed it and the author gives lots of info on space stuff, if that's your thing.
February 10, 2022
Nice characters....and the good plot ;)
January 22, 2024
I read this the first time in the Footsteps in the Dark anthology and really liked it. It was just as good the second time around and I'm really happy to see that the author gave us more of Justin and Greg. I can't wait to see what mystery comes their way next.
Original review: This one was really interesting. I loved the space launch aspect. It's something I never think about but getting an "inside" look was really cool. I liked Justin and Greg a lot. I didn't guess this one at all. I just enjoyed the ride. There was a lot happening here but the action flowed well. So did the romance.
Original review: This one was really interesting. I loved the space launch aspect. It's something I never think about but getting an "inside" look was really cool. I liked Justin and Greg a lot. I didn't guess this one at all. I just enjoyed the ride. There was a lot happening here but the action flowed well. So did the romance.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews