Independent "rock rat" prospectors trying to get rich out there face not only the bleak hazards of space but ruthless claim-jumping and piracy from hissable bad guy Martin Humphries. Though exposed for murderous sabotage in book 1, this wicked industrialist and his giant corporation Humphries Space Systems remain major players. Soon HSS minions bring murder and arson to the Ceres asteroid base.

Also, with the enjoyable implausibility of a TV soap, Humphries is emotionally involved. Though consoling himself with mistresses he has the hots for lovely Amanda Cunningham, currently married to leading rock rat Lars Fuchs, who's determined to track down HSS's sadistic hitman Harbin... Man the lasers! Space-pirate ahoy!

Meanwhile on an Earth ravaged by the greenhouse effect and fundamentalist government, diplomatic overtures to the now independent Moon have a positively Ruritanian flavour:

Jatar Pahang was not only the world's most popular video star, she was also the mistress of Xu Xianqing, chairman of the world government's inner council, and his secret envoy to Stavenger and the government of Selene.

It adds up to pleasantly unlikely and over-the-top adventure, with Humphries and Harbin repeatedly and literally getting away with murder, while Fuchs isn't so lucky when innocent rock rats die in a revenge strike by his own privateer ship. The resulting cliff-hanger finale is a sure-fire hook for further mayhem amid the asteroids in book three.

Also Grand Tour 09