Assassin’s Orbit

On the eve of Ileri’s historic vote to join the Commonwealth, a government minister is murdered. Street riots break out daily, people are disappearing with no explanation, and inspectors from the Star Republic arrive to find and destroy “exile-grade mind-domination and reprogramming technology.” Noo Okereke, a private investigator, her partner’s granddaughter Fari Tahir, and Commonwealth spy Meiko Ogawa are forced to team up to solve the murder and help bring peace to Ileri.
John Appel’s Assassin’s Orbit is a fast-paced, action-packed crime thriller. Taking place in and outside the space station Ileri and down the gravity well planet-side, Appel’s aging heroines ignore their years as they keep up with their younger partners and foes. Working outside the station’s police force has its perks, allowing Meiko and Noo to buddy up with Ileri’s underworld as they investigate the murder and avoid being victims of the station’s many kidnappings.

There is never a dull moment in this novel: from one-on-three low gravity fistfights to high-speed air car chases to high-tech body armor battles. If you are a fan of high-action crime dramas in space, give this book a read.