From Booklist
Skeletal remains of an unknown human found in a Martian dome raise more questions than just "Who was she?" Survivors must be found, so that the Disty--the aliens who control most of Mars and abhor death--can perform rituals to cleanse the area. Terran forensic expert Aisha Costard believe that, since the deceased was a Disappeared, meaning she was involved in a matter of intergalactic injustice, Miles Flint, who specializes in retrieving Disappeareds, may discover something useful. Initially refusing the job, Miles comes aboard after realizing the deceased wasn't just a Disappeared; her fate harks back to a horrible and forgotten part of Martian history. Full-scale disaster arrives when another hundred victims are found beneath the first, and the Disty erupt in panic, nearly destroying diplomatic relations with humanity and contaminating all Disty communities on the moon. The quick thinking of Miles' former partner, recently promoted to be moonwide security director, proves to be fortunate, too. Rusch's Retrieval Artist series continues to blend mystery and space opera satisfyingly in another stylish entertainment.
Regina SchroederCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
