Second Chance Angel

by Griffin Barber, Kacey Ezell

Overview

After a devastating galactic war, disgraced veteran Ralston Muck ekes out a living as a bouncer at Last Stop Station’s premier nightclub, A Curtain of Stars. Night after night he listens to the club’s star performer, Siren, sing her memories and ease some of his aching loss. But when Siren goes missing, Muck finds himself drawn into a world of dirty cops, drug lords, and conspiracies that trace back to the war itself.

The only person he can trust isn’t even human. Angel, Siren’s personal AI, was ripped from the singer’s mind the night Siren disappeared. With no idea what has happened to her human host, and pursued by a killer virus, Angel flees to Muck for answers.

Together they struggle to comprehend the conspiracy that entangles both their lives. Can Muck and the angel on his shoulder recover Siren before it’s too late? Or will he lose everything that matters to him one more time?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781094059761
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Series:	Last Stop Station Series , #1
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Griffin Barber spent his youth in four different countries, learning three languages while holding down jobs in marinas, bars, cafés, and, memorably, cold-calling casino guests. Finally settled in Northern California with a day job as a police officer in a major metropolitan department, he lives the good life with his wife and daughter. 1636: Mission to the Mughals, coauthored with Eric Flint, was his first novel; he has also written numerous short stories. Second Chance Angel is what he hopes to be the first of many collaborations with Kacey Ezell.

Kacey Ezell is the author of the Four Horseman Tales and the Revelations Cycle.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2020

With this fun, noir-tinged thriller, the first in the Last Stop Station series, Barber (1636: Mission to the Mughals) and Ezell (The Worlds Asunder) weave together intrigue, action, and romance, all with a hard-boiled sensibility. Years after humanity lost control of Earth in an intergalactic war, ex-soldier Ralston Muck makes a living as a nightclub bouncer on the space station Last Stop, where he depends on illicit treatments to keep his military modifications in working order. When Siren, a popular entertainer at the club, is kidnapped, her AI enhancement, Angel, is ripped from her body and takes refuge with Muck. Now the unlikely duo must discover what happened to Siren, delving into alien societies and the criminal underworld. As Muck and Angel narrowly escape certain doom time and again while edging closer to the heart of a deadly conspiracy, they develop a surprisingly tight bond. Meanwhile, the AIs that control Last Stop are experiencing new emotions and sensations, leading to unprecedented changes in behavior. The authors expertly contrast claustrophobic interiors and the vastness of space, creating a world that feels both alien and lived-in. Readers will be hooked. Agent: Justin Bell, Spectrum Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Jennifer Jill Araya, David Drummond, and Natasha Soudek narrate a noir-tinged sci-fi romp. Ralston Muck, an ex-soldier, is working as a bouncer when the club’s star vanishes, and he is drawn into a messy scheme. Drummond tinges his portrayal of Muck with a weariness and cynicism that are perfect for someone who has fallen from grace. Araya’s portrayal of Angel, the sentient AI, is both practical and emotionally complex. The simpler AIs, voiced by Soudek, are appropriately devoid of emotion until they become infected by a virus that causes them to deteriorate into inappropriate giggles and profanity. Ultimately, the fridging of a seemingly major character and flawed plot logic may deter some who would otherwise enjoy this solid narration. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2021 - AudioFile