Consequences is the third of the SF mystery Retrieval Artist Series set on the Lunar Colony of Armstrong's Dome, but this case will see Miles Flint, Retrieval Artist set against his friend and former partner, the now Assistant Chief of Detectives, Noelle DeRicci.

Flint has undertaken to Retrieve a women who has been pardoned by an alien government seeking admission into the InterGalactic Alliance. What Flint doesn't know is why his client, after being reunited with her parents, is murdered along with her parents and why he is being set up as the fall guy.

When DeRicci finds one of Flint's cards in a jacket pocket of one of the murder victims she immediately goes to visit him and when Flint refuses to answer her questions due to reasons of security as a Retrieval Artist, DeRicci is hurt by his refusal to trust her. Her trust in Flint's integrity will be put to a far greater test as the case progresses.

The Government of Etae has petitioned the Alliance to request admission as a member world, but their bloody past is still relatively recent and the wars have been the stuff of nightmares in their brutality and when the Dome is bombed from the inside it is assumed the Etae contingent was responsible.

As Flint sorts through the crime scene data from the triple murder and digs further into the murdered women's history his discoveries could impact the entire solar system. Of course that's provided he lives long enough to share his findings and something or someone is dead set against this information coming out.

What is the connection between the pardoned mercenaries, all but one of whom are now dead? Who tried to blow a hole through Armstrong Dome? And can Flint find the proof he needs to clear himself in time?

Another excellent mystery with some very interesting twists in a great series. Enjoy your trip to the Armstrong Dome and hope the Dome survives this case.

While recently visiting the local WaldenBooks, I noticed that the third book in The Retrieval Artist Series, CONSEQUENCES, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch had been released. Having read and greatly enjoyed the first two books in this series, I immediately grabbed a copy off the New Releases Shelf, read over the back cover blurb, took in the majestic space station scene depicted on the cover art and knew that I had found what I was looking for—a good old fashioned science fiction detective murder mystery set on the Moon with characters that I was already familiar with! What else could any fan of science fiction want?

For fans of Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Retrieval Artist Series, this book is sure to please. For those who aren't aware of this series, but who find themselves fans of good old fashioned science fiction detective murder mysteries, do yourself a favor and pick this book up. This one grabbed me fairly quickly and didn't let go until I was on the very last page. However, if you do decide to pick up a copy of CONSEQUENCES, you might want to go one step further and pick up copies of the first two Retrieval Artist novels first: THE DISAPPEARED and EXTREMES. Although each book is a separate story unto itself, it doesn't hurt to catch up on some of the history of the two main characters—Noelle DiRicci and Miles Flint.

In CONSEQUENCES, Kristine Kathryn Rusch once again delves into the socio-political structure of other cultures, both human and alien, and yet she is able to bring them home to the reader as if we've been aware of these things all our lives. This story deals with several plot-lines, all intertwined, that follow a single planet's attempts, despite several bloody wars and a history marred by violence, to finally join the Alliance. The person representing this planet' s government, however, is considered a terrorist by most Alliance citizens, making her unwelcome within the domed community that is the Moon city of Armstrong. Although several members of the council that are willing to assist planet Etae join the Alliance have worked hard to bring the Etean representative to the Moon in secrecy, her identity is discovered and word is soon leaked to the city itself about her presence at the port. This sparks a riot in the streets of Armstrong that results in much violence and some deaths, the very things that the council was trying to avoid…or so it seemed.

What, may you ask, has this to do with a Retrieval Artist and a Moon Police Detective? Everything once you realize that a case that both of them are working on separately is directly related to the planet Etae and its bloody history. Here is where the various plot-lines begin to intertwine and the mystery really takes hold, grips tight, and doesn't let go. Throw in an enhanced assassin, a frame-up for murder and old partners who don't know if they can trust each other anymore, and CONSEQUENCES turns out to be one heck of a wild ride from the Moon to the Earth and back to the Moon again.

At this point, I won't go into any more detail on the various plot twists so as not to spoil this book for any of you out there who might decide to go out and pick up a copy some time soon. Suffice it to say that this book is set in a totally believable future, is full of totally believable characters (both human and alien) and leaves enough to the imagination as you turn the pages to keep those pages turning and keep the reader hooked to see where the various mysteries will lead. Kristine Kathryn Rusch is very talented at creating books full of vivid color and a sense of the "real" while also throwing in enough futuristic content to keep the reader aware that this is science fiction. Both Noelle DiRicci and Miles Flint are great characters, full of flaws and strengths, who don't necessarily have to work together to make the plot work. In fact, for much of CONSEQUENCES, these two characters do not share many scenes together. Instead, they are encountering their own separate problems, resolving their own issues, acting on their individual instincts and trying to do what's ultimately best. Incredibly, all of this fits together seamlessly in the end and their separate story lines eventually lead to the same place. Just as any good old fashioned science fiction detective murder mystery should. At least, that's how I see it.