Book Review - Enceladus Station: Fountains by Douglas Alexander

Enceladus Station: Fountains by Douglas Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A twisty tale of murder and corporate cover-up on a 22nd-century lunar outpost of Saturn.

Enceladus Station: Fountains by Douglas Alexander is a twisty tale of murder and corporate cover-up at a frozen research outpost on one of Saturn’s moons. The combination of science fiction, mystery, and a near-future setting created an intriguing story that kept me reading until the satisfying, clever conclusion.

By the 22nd century, space travel is routine, with humanity living, working, and visiting remote parts of the galaxy in only hours rather than years. Lt. Mark Grant is sent to the corporate research outpost on one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, to investigate the murder of one of the medical doctors stationed there. But on his arrival, he’s greeted by the disturbing scene of yet another attack; this time in the Research Center, where scientists have been studying the moon’s precious water resources. The amount of blood pooled on the floor and smeared on monitors, keyboards, and access keypads of the locked facility indicates someone has been gravely wounded, yet the body has somehow vanished without a trace, and Dobson Pharmaceuticals, the corporate partner of the outpost, has suspiciously sent their own team of deadly clones to locate and eliminate the victim.

Part sci-fi, part action/adventure, and part riveting mystery and corporate cover-up, I was grabbed by the story from the start. The setting, an underground research facility on the outermost edge of our settled galaxy, is atmospheric with the seeping condensation on its walls and floors, constant cold infiltrating one’s very bones, the dim to suddenly clinically bright lighting, decrepit behind the scenes maintenance passageways, and the ubiquitous presence of the Pricklies, small alien insect-like creatures labeled pest, yet clearly displaying signs of awareness and intelligence.

The story is told from multiple points of view, not just that of the investigating officer, Lt. Grant, which gives the reader insight into the many working parts of the plot. However, the shared perspective also seemed to prevent me from really connecting with Grant himself or his investigation. There is some emphasis on a couple of minor characters, perhaps as possible red herrings, but their presence is not followed up on, so the opportunity is not taken. Characters with critical involvement early in the book disappear and a secret meeting with shadowy operatives goes nowhere. A couple of characters change names from introduction to reappearance, such as Dr. Eric Harris, who is later called Jonas, and there are more typos and errors than I was comfortable with in a finished book. However, the resolution is excellent and serves up a well-done Agatha Christie drawing-room-style reveal, with Grant gathering together all the players and presenting his conclusions.

I recommend ENCELADUS STATION: FOUNTAINS to readers of science fiction mysteries.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Book Review - The Prison Dome II: Bitter Pills by Warren Wagner

The Prison Dome II: Bitter Pills by Warren Wagner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very satisfying return to the South Dakota Penitentiary Dome and the lives of its unintended permanent residents.

Thirty years ago, the state of South Dakota developed the “Prison of the Future’ known as the “Dome,” where the prisoners are thrown into an inescapable wilderness area with no onsite warden or guards. “The Dome” is where society sends the worst of the worst, and in all the years of its existence no one has ever fulfilled their sentence and returned home.

The Prison Dome II: Bitter Pills is the sequel to author Warren Wagner’s outstanding debut novel, The Prison Dome: Survive or Die Trying, published in 2021. While most characters are familiar faces, a couple of new, strong personalities step into the spotlight and the resulting plot is riveting.

The Entry Camp has settled into a workable routine with Grant reluctantly agreeing to helm the community and ably assisted by Chuck and Jim. Communication and trade opportunities with the other two established camps, River and Christian, have slowly developed and improved despite the high level of mistrust and suspicion. Still, all the groups exist on the thin edge of failure as food sources, especially larger game, grow scarce, and their agricultural endeavors meet with limited success and are not extensive enough to truly provide what is needed. The author does a great job conveying their fragile existence, always one poor season of crops away from disaster. The tension is heightened by the presence of small, roving bands of prisoners who don’t belong to any of the organized camps and exist by preying on their weaknesses and any perceived opportunities they find.

While Grant has accepted his role as leader of the Entry Camp, Chuck still has an important voice in decision-making. He has stepped back somewhat, consciously trying to avoid any resemblance to Belinda, the former despot of the camp, who enslaved new prisoners as they came through the portal. New to "The Dome" is Melita Albright, separated from her three young children when she was imprisoned for armed robbery. She is a strong female protagonist and, at least initially, a sympathetic character as she did what she did to provide food for those kids. However, I was a little confused by her sudden plan to prostitute herself and other like-minded female prisoners to get out of daily chores. She never resorted to this before coming to "The Dome," and I thought it was out of character. She is quickly disabused of the notion by everyone she mentions it to, thankfully, because there is a delicious slow-burn romance with Chuck brewing.

The plot starts off with a twist when one of the portal guards is shoved into the Dome by a malicious prisoner and can’t be released immediately. This puts the entire prisoner population at risk because the prison forces are going to rescue their man no matter the cost, which includes shooting any prisoner on sight. The action sequences of Tony Russo ending up inside were heart-pounding as he frantically worked to escape the gas bomb, machine gun, and the perceived danger from the inhabitants. Even though he’s observed the Entry Camp prisoners save numerous new inmates’ lives when they are first dumped inside the Dome, he’s bought into the media-manufactured hype regarding what goes on inside and is absolutely terrified.

With the threat of the prison forces entering "The Dome," the unsustainable food resources, and an evil opportunist ready to do anything to bargain his way back outside, THE PRISON DOME II: BITTER PILLS is a fantastic dystopian story and follow-up to the previous novel.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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