The Last Dance

The Near-Earth Mysteries, Book 1

By: Martin L. Shoemaker

Narrated by: Joyce Bean, Natalie Naudus, Whitney Dykhouse, Rebecca Mozo, Christopher Lane, Donna Postel, Leon Nixon, Ron Butler

Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

At the heart of a mystery unfolding in space, the opposing forces make a treacherous journey between Earth and Mars.

In space, mutiny means death - that’s why Inspector General Park Yerim is taking her investigation so seriously. The alleged mutineer is Captain Nicolau Aames, whose command of the massive Earth-Mars vessel Aldrin has come under fire. The vast System Initiative says he disobeyed orders, but his crew swears he’s in the right.

En route to Mars, Park gathers testimony from the Aldrin’s diverse crew, painting a complex picture of Aames’s character: his heroism, his failures, even his personal passions. As the investigation unfolds, Park finds herself in the thrall of powerful interests, each pushing and pulling her in a fiery cosmic dance.

Corruption, conflicting loyalties, and clashing accounts make it nearly impossible to see the truth in fifty million miles of darkness, and Park faces danger from every direction. All eyes are on her: one way or another, her findings will have astronomical implications for the Aldrin and the future of space travel.

The full list of narrators includes Natalie Naudus, Whitney Dykhouse, Rebecca Mozo, Christopher Lane, Donna Postel, Leon Nixon, Ron Butler, and Joyce Bean.

©2019 by Martin L. Shoemaker. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"The production uses an ensemble of eight narrators, most of whom play characters who lend their perspective on events.... Thanks to narrator Natalie Naudus's portrayal, listeners can hear every bit of Park's inexperience and doubt as she strives to unravel the ALDRIN's secrets. The rest of the narrators skillfully fill in the gaps of this complex mystery. The result is one exciting ride into the dangers of space." —AudioFile Magazine

I want to go!

The cycler ship Aldrin is populated by a crew so believable they seem like someone you know or would at least like to know. The interactions between these characters were powerful and complex, dragging me into the narrative quickly, so when we find they are all in trouble for supporting the actions of their mutinous captain I was immediately invested. And the scale of the issues and associated mysteries needed a space ship captain that was bigger than life and Nick Aames' persona fits the bill perfectly. Shoemaker's did his homework and that shows in this realistic and accurate portrayal of humanity's near future in space. It makes me want to go into space even more...yes even if I were commanded by Nick Aames.

This was so amazing

This was such a tearjerker, and a deep story, and a good adventure that I almost cried. Maybe I cried a little…

An excellent character investigation

An investigation into an interesting character, told through different narrators compiled into a volume of smaller stories. However, I will admit none of the stories feel well-paced. The Bosun's story felt drawn out and dry whereas the Commander's story felt short and somewhat inconsequential. Despite that, it's incredibly entertaining. There's an excellent story here. It's very well grounded for a space opera, and I felt gradually closer to the edge of my seat every chapter until the end.

Interesting story and great narrators

Really enjoyed the story even though one of the main characters is a complete jerk. Loved the tech concepts for getting to Mars. The narrators are fantastic. Looking forward to another book in this series.

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Great characters

I love stories that are character studies. I love sci fi. This combines the best of the two.

Hard Scifi wit deep character development

Loved that this book involved a lot of actors without using a theatrical approach, this helped to clearly development the different characters.

Intricate

This started slow for me but I'm glad I stayed with it. Very interesting book. An IG investigation of a ship's capitain and a particular incident starts in the present and recounts stories from various character's POV. Great cast of characters make up the ship's crew.
It was narrated by several different people whiçh gave it the feel of the multiple crew interviewed as part of the investigation.

Good but some parts are a little over the top

Decent story but some parts are stretching the limits of fiction. Would be nice if the author had some more believable scenarios to move the plot along.

Excellent preHistorical Speculation

A truly enjoyable sci-fi story. Commerce between Mars and Earth, and the egos, dangers, and dramas are enjoyably imagined and entertainingly delivered by a huge cast of able performers.