“The Ark” eBook was published in 2015 (November) and was written by Patrick S. Tomlinson http://www.patrickstomlinson.com/). This is Mr. Tomlinson’s second novel and the first in his “Children of a Dead Earth” series.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘PG’ as there are instances of Violence, Mature Language and Mature Situations. This Science Fiction Mystery novel is set in a future where Earth has launched a ship to Tau Ceti with the last survivors of the human race.
The primary character is Bryan Benson, a former star athlete and now the Chief of Police for one of the two habitat modules. The Ark is rapidly approaching it’s destination after eleven generations in flight. A scientist is reported missing and that draws Benson into the story. Soon, the facts spell out a strange murder rather than a missing person.
As Benson continues to investigate, not always making the crew and officers of the Ark happy, he finds that there is something more to this than a ‘simple’ murder. His efforts lead him into the crosshairs of the killer, and he finds himself under scrutiny as a criminal himself. He must fight to clear his name as well as to save the Ark from destruction.
I found this Science Fiction Mystery an enjoyable 7 hour read. The mix of Mystery with the Science Fiction setting was different. The generations of isolation in the controlled society of the Ark have left them in a setting that makes this novel different. I also enjoyed the twists that were alluded to in this book that will bring some interesting turns in the anticipated future installments in this series. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.
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John's Notes 