Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer Series: Finder Chronicles #2
Published by DAW Books on May 5, 2020
Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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As a professional finder, Fergus Ferguson is hired to locate missing objects and steal them back. But it is rarely so simple, especially after his latest job in Cernee. He’s been recovering from that experience in the company of friends, the Shipmakers of Pluto, experts at crafting top-of-the-line AI spaceships.
The Shipmakers have convinced Fergus to finally deal with unfinished business he's been avoiding for half his life: Earth. Fergus hasn’t been back to his homeworld since he was fifteen, when he stole his cousin’s motorcycle and ran away. It was his first theft, and nothing he's stolen since has been anywhere near so easy, or weighed so heavily on his conscience. Many years and many jobs later, Fergus reluctantly agrees that now is the time to return the motorcycle and face his family.
Unfortunately, someone has gotten to the motorcycle before him. And before he can figure out where it went and why the storage unit that held it is now filled with priceless, stolen art, the Shipyard is attacked. His friends are missing, presumably kidnapped.
Accompanied by an untrustworthy detective who suspects Fergus is the art thief and the sole friend who escaped the attack, Fergus must follow the tenuous clues to locate and save his friends. The trail leads them to Enceladus, where Fergus plans to go undercover to the research stations that lie beneath the moon’s thick ice sheet deep in a dark, oppressive ocean.
But all movement and personnel are watched, and the limited ways through the thick ice of the moon’s surface are dangerous and highly monitored. Even if Fergus can manage to find proof that his friends are there and alive, getting out again is going to be a lot more complicated than he bargained for.
I thought Finder was a standalone but lucky for everyone, it was just the first book in the Finder Chronicles series. I love this science fiction, space opera with the main character, Fergus is sort of a detective / Equalizer kind of guy. In Finder, Fergus “retrieves” a lost space ship and returns it to the rightful owner in the middle of a civil war. In Driving the Deep, he has to locate his scientist friends who have been abducted and he deals with some family issues.
I really enjoyed so many things. There is technology and gadgets and even AI. The bad guys, as usual, are about power and control. Unfortunately, they are ruthless and have no trouble with murder. Fergus is the best kind of character, a MacGyver kind of guy with a real compassion.
There is a new character, Zacker, who I’d like to see again. Fergus meets him when he is trying to resolve some personal issues and ends up taking him off Earth to Pluto. Zacker is a retired police detective who has never been off Earth. He turns out to be a handy guy to have on a mission.
This series has a delicious sense of humor which lightens up the action and any violence. There is much danger and suspense in this adventure and Fergus is so alone. Well, he does manage to adopt an abandoned cat. I love these stories and am happy there will be more!
“In the time we have associated, it has been clear to me that your problem-solving methodology works best when you take the most difficult and inobvious path in front of you,” Venetia’s Sword said. ” I cannot speak to why this should work, but it does seem to be your ‘thing’.”
About Suzanne Palmer
Suzanne was born a short distance outside Boston, Massachusetts, a short time before man first walked on the moon. With two somewhat rowdy brothers as her earliest influences, she grew up adept at catching frogs, stomping in mud, and smashing things with sticks. To what extent she has outgrown any of those behaviors, so far, is a matter for debate.
She has been an avid reader of science fiction & fantasy from practically the moment she learned to read. She has also had a lifelong interest in all things creative, though if she has any musical talent it remains so far undiscovered. She won several art competitions as a child, and when she went off to college followed that love. Suzanne has a Bachelors degree of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Even during college years, her artwork had a strong narrative component, and her thesis exhibition consisted of an entire museum exhibit of artifacts from a fictional world. This included clothing, coins, furniture, manuscripts in an entire created language, and an 8′ tall two-legged creature complete with horns, fur, and teeth.
In 2005 she attended the Viable Paradise Writers Workshop on Martha’s Vineyard, and came away from it both unreasonably encouraged and with the rather surprising realization that writing had become an indelible part of her life, even more so than art. She’s been writing ever since, still does art when she can, and otherwise is just plain having fun with it all.
She has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award and the Eugie M. Foster Award. She has won reader’s polls for best stories from Asimov’s, Analog, and Interzone. Her first novel will be coming out from DAW Books in 2019.
Suzanne lives in western Massachusetts with a number of two- and four-legged critters, including one Very Large Fluffy Dog, and is a Linux and Database System Administrator for the Sciences at Smith College.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER-20
I don’t read a lot of sci-fi novel because it’s a difficult genre for me but I’m startint to like the genre more and more so maybe I should try
I enjoy scfi. Keep in mind this has no romance angle. If you want that with your scifi, I’d recommend Jessie Mihalik and Amanda Bouchet .
great cover and i do enjoy scifi. i used to watch the equalizer and macgyver so it sounds like a good fit for me
It’s awesome. I recommend you start with the first one because they are both great.
Well, well… that does sound like a fun sci-fi adventure.
It is. There’s a feel like you get in Star Wars New Hope – little people with smart minds and great tech. There’s a great sense of humor.
I added this to my wishlist for audible. I think I will enjoy this series. Fantastic review 🙂
I hope you love it! I think it’s great.
Okay, I am definitely going to have to add this series to my list. It sounds fantastic, Anne!
I think it is fantastic! I love the action and the humor and the caring all these odd geeks have for each other. (not romance)
Sounds like a well balanced read and I do love seeing all the sci fi gadgets in these stories. Definitely looking more into this one.
Lovely review
I really loved it! If you have any love of space opera, gadgets and tech, you might love it. No romance though.
MacGyver in space? Sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll have to check this out seeing as you loved it enough to give it 5 stars!
IKR??? I would read the first book first. I like the sense of humor too.
I’ve been reading The Murderbot Diaries series and really into science fiction right now. This series is intriguing. And what a fabulous cover! Thanks for steering me to it.
This is the second book and the first one is great too. I hope you love them too. I’m listening to Network Effect. (How I love thee, Murderbot!)
This sounds very much like something I would enjoy. Thanks for bring this author to my attention.
You really might. No kissy kissy! But great humor and real friendships and compassion for others.
This sounds really good. Can it be read as a stand alone?
I wouldn’t. I would start with the first book The Finder – also great, also has humor.