Pale Blue

A Thriller

By: Mike Jenne

Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell

Length: 22 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

As the Project enters its final phase, air force majors Carson and Ourecky are dispatched on an urgent mission to intercept and investigate a massive orbiting object suspected of harboring nuclear weapons. Emotionally exhausted, with his marriage teetering on the brink, Ourecky reluctantly accepts the assignment; in return for his sacrifice, he is promised an opportunity to go to MIT to pursue the PhD he has long desired.

As they draw close to the mysterious satellite and prepare to destroy it, they are confronted with a dark secret that they will carry forever and are forced to contemplate their own mortality and the dire prospect of dying in space.

On their return to Earth, they are offered an opportunity that's almost too good to pass up, which entails flying into orbit yet again, except under considerably different circumstances. Ourecky wrestles with his decision, knowing that choosing to fly will almost certainly result in the loss of his marriage, while Carson is finally granted an opportunity to fly in Vietnam. Although he is finally allowed to fulfill his dream of flying in combat, Carson soon discovers that there are some fates worse than death.

Pale Blue is the epic, high-flying conclusion to the Blue Gemini trilogy that will leave you breathless.

©2016 Mike Jenne (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Wow- cool what could have been alt reality

The author knows his stuff regarding USAF culture, space craft, the physics, everything. This series of three books took me back to my childhood in the 60's and already an aerospace nut. If the Blue Gemini, DynaSoar and MOL had been allowed to progress who knows what new tech may have become a reality. Alas, short-sighted politicians and massed idiots allowed it all, including Apollo to wither and die.

wow

I hope you write another book series like this one. I was captured by the first book.

trilogy splashdown successful. great series!

this was a great series. not the ending I expected, but it was the ending the series needed. Thank you Mike Jenne!

AWESOME SERIES!!

Loved all 3 books!! Lots of hours but kept me entertained while I "decluttered". At times though, out of the blue, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table hanging on every word!!
Nice narration, story moved right along, rarely any slow parts.
My first book by this author. will be looking for more!!

A satisfying end to the trilogy

Loved this trilogy, lived through the period and some of the events, and the books had a "real feel" to them. As an aging "Astronaut wannabe" ( sized out, too tall at 6'5") who has flown a bit and hung out with a lot of pilots, it has a lot of the correct feel to it. Add to that an interesting plot arc, good character development and it was a "hard to put down" ( was listening as an audiobook) series.

Capstone to a marvelous trilogy

I was astounded by the technical, historical, and emotional detail. As a baby boomer the time period covered was especially poignant. One of the only novels that didn't end abruptly leaving unanswered questions.

Wonderful Series

I was sad when I got to end of Into the Blue Gemini, but upon discovering that I still had two books left in the series, my spirits immediately lifted. Of course, now that I’ve finished the series, I’m sad again all over.

These books are a must-listen for any space geek or even just a lover of Cold War thrillers. Jenne’s technical accuracy is utterly impeccable to my amateur ears, and his character development is even better. As well, the story itself never slows, and you always seem to want to listen for, “just one more chapter.”

Likewise, the narrator for the series, Kevin Stillwell, was a perfect choice. Stillwell nailed at least eight different regional accents along offered perfect impressions of two different presidents. His reading and acting truly brought the story to life. I sincerely hope that Stillwell voices more of Jenne’s work, and I will be patiently waiting.

Emotional ride through the trilogy..

I feel like I've lived a different life. lost dear friends and am happy and sad at the same time. This story is a beautiful blend of real life and science fiction.

A Masterpiece Series

This is the best series I've read in the past 10 years. The characters had such depth that I'll miss them. The revisionist history was so very believable that I'll need to remind myself that it did not actually happen. Many thanks to the author for these 2 weeks of enjoyment. Finally, I must mention the highly emotional final chapters of this thriller. This author is exceptional.

Check Written—Check Cashed—Thriller Check!

Thriller Validation Inside—This would be a valid product label for Pale Blue.

In the second volume this series began to live up to its billing as a thriller in a big, big way. Now that the Cold War is heating up and the clandestine operations take center stage, this story reaches its full potential. Taken as a whole, the entire series is very similar to a Stephen King novel. First the writer gets us involved in the characters as real people, going about their extraordinary lives, then conflict is introduced to increase the excitement. Now, in the third volume, when the characters are in danger we, the listeners, feel the impact more viscerally because the characters have become our companions. But Jenne accomplishes something special here: He lives up to the hype. Have you ever heard the saying, “My mouth don’t write no checks my body can’t cash?” Well, the “Thriller” check written on the cover of book One is cashed here in book Three. Mike Jenne has accomplished that rare goal of creating likeable, and believable characters and puts them in an interesting, entirely believable story that I couldn’t wait to find out what happened—but also never wanted to end.

This book has a strong element of espionage, and it is told from both sides of the street. And the bad guys, comrades from the Soviet Union, are given adequate character development so that their drama is as real as our compatriots. As far as the spy game goes, all I will reveal is that Pale Blue contains The single most ingenious idea for a Dead Drop that I have ever encountered in any spy novel. It makes you think that it must be a recently declassified technique, because if it were not public knowledge it could still be a closely guarded national secret and would still be used in the field.

This third volume brings it all home; living up to its full potential. I am happy to report that, unlike some other trilogies I can think of; this Blue Gemini series has a conclusion worthy of the other two books. If you are considering this series let me assure you that it keeps getting better and better. Books like this are the reason I keep listening. I am thrilled to have discovered it! It was a great experience.

As of this writing (August 2017) this book has only received 33 ratings on the Audible (USA) site, and it has been released for over a full year! I for one am going to spread the word on this series–it deserves a much wider audience. I think it will be a great book to recommend to readers who find themselves too busy these days to sit down and read a book like they used to do when they were younger. Give them this series and watch them rediscover the joy of a great book all over again!

I hadn't experienced Kevin Stillwell as a narrator before this series. For me this tech thriller is the perfect vehicle to launch Stillwell into the public ear. Stillwell is at once completely unobtrusive and seamlessly inventive in his voice characterizations. Stillwell is a prime reason why this is a successful series. I am a sticker for proper pronunciation and I can say that Stillwell was, to my ear, perfect in that regard. His voice characterizations are all spot on. His pacing adds to the dramatic tension. Kevin Stillwell is wonderful. I will look for Mr. Stillwell in the future. The production of this Audible Studios audiobook is pristine.