It's been two years since my Science Fiction Cozy Mystery Dark Side of the Moon was published. Since then a number of people have been asking, when is the next novel in the series. Well, when is now. I just released it. This one is called
Stormy Weather.
This sequel to
Dark Side of the Moon finds Carolyn Masters and Michael Cheravik investigating some glitches in the weather controls in Armstrong City on the moon. Meanwhile, Carolyn is juggling her criminal investigations with her job as a history professor and a member of the provisional lunar council trying to come up with a constitution for the new Luna republic. The mystery deepens when the glitches in the weather controls leads to an investigation of sports bookmaking, big time wrestling, steroids for the brain and murder.
Stormy Weather continues the tradition of Dark Side of the Moon of placing a cozy mystery in a science fiction setting. Even people who claim not to enjoy sci-fi have praised Dark Side of the Moon. This story expands on that as our sleuths visit some of the lunar settlements we haven't seen before, like the "company town" of Aldrin on the other side of the tube tracks. While maintaining the cozy mystery elements of a small town setting, closed community and unofficial or semi-official detectives working the case, Stormy Weather adds a touch of the exotic in the setting of a lunar colony.
This book emphasizes the science in science fiction. Taking a "hard science fiction" approach to the genre, the author builds a future culture based on an extrapolation of technology already in the works. However, the story blends in elements of that which will not change. Most of us could find ourselves quite at home in Armstrong City, at least until you forget and jump up too quickly propelling yourself to the ceiling.
Is this a cozy mystery or science fiction? It is a bit of both. Mystery fans will find a complex murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns and red herrings. Science fiction fans will enjoy the dynamics of a future world set in a lunar colony very like our own world, yet totally different at the same time.
Fans of Michael and Carolyn now have another treat to enjoy. Here's an excerpt from Chapter One:
“Today is another beautiful day in
Armstrong City. The Weather Department scheduled clear, sunny weather with
temperatures in the high 70's for the rest of the week. No rain in ---”
“Jeeves,
snooze clock radio five minutes.” I rolled over and scrunched my pillow into my
face. I dreaded the day ahead. Accreditation committee meetings in the morning
and curriculum committee in the afternoon. Why do I let myself get roped into
these things?
Just
as I began to drift back to sleep, the deep British male voice of the home
management system jarred me awake, “Ms. Masters. You have a vid call waiting
from Dr. Cheravik. Do you wish to receive this call or record a message?” I
don't know why but the default AI bugged me.
“Since
you already woke me up, I may as well take the call. Jeeves, brew some tea and
cancel the snooze.”
I
staggered to the comm console. “Answer call, audio only this side.” The screen
flickered to life. On screen was a snow globe with the words, “Dr. Masters,
we're needed.”
“I
knew it was a mistake to lend you my collection of Avengers chips, Michael Cheravik.”
“I
love those vids. So crazy. But this is serious. Have you looked outside today?”
Mike was already dressed in his usual garb – ill-fitting black suit, white
shirt and black tie not quite tightened properly. He didn't have to tell anyone
he used to be a detective.
“No,
I was resting peacefully in bed before I was rudely interrupted, first, by an
overly cheerful weather forecaster and, then, a sight gag from a 1960's spy
vid.”
“Well,
you should look outside. I mean it. Go look outside.”
“Jeeves,
Shades open. Window glass one-way.”
Rain
poured down. Drops spattered against the window.
“Okay,
what do you want me to see?”
“It's
raining.”
“Yes,
so what? I lived ten years in San Francisco. I have seen rain before.”
“But
the forecast for today is sunny and clear.” Mike leaned forward slightly
obviously expecting me to pick up some hidden meaning in the rain.
Finally,
I got it. On Earth, a forecaster might get it wrong, but on the moon we make
our own weather. The forecast is 100 percent accurate. In two years of life in
this underground dome made to look like a small town, the forecast has never
been wrong. Today was supposed to be sunny. It was raining. Something failed
somewhere.
“Okay,
so something is wrong with the weather system. What does that have to do with
us?” I was afraid I knew the answer. Two years ago, we solved the first
reported murders on the moon and averted a plot to push an asteroid into the
earth by lunar separatists. Since that time, Mike’s experience with the Dallas
Police Department and my time at the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit marked us as
the “pros” to call in when the local “security counselors” feel out of their
depth. Mike enjoys the chase more than I do.
“It's
not just a glitch. Someone inserted a virus causing the system to go haywire.
They want me to investigate. Since you are on the provisional lunar council, I
thought I'd drag you along.”
“Thanks
a bunch. If I had known, how much work it would take to get a new government
installed on the moon, I would never have supported lunar independence and I
would certainly never let them put me on the council.”
Mike
Laughed. “You don’t fool me. You’re in your element. You rage about committee
meetings, but you eat it up.”
He
was right, but I hated to admit that Michael Cheravik was right about anything.
“Okay,
so what do you want me to do?”
“Meet
me at 2000 Lovell Drive. Wear comfortable shoes. You will need to do some
walking.”
My novels Dark Side of the Moon and Stormy Weather have been well received. If you read either and would like more of the adventures of Carolyn Masters and Michael Cheravik, we have a treat for you. This volume includes five short stories featuring our intrepid sleuths. Whether it is searching for the thief who a figurine from a church nativity scene or tracking down a perp who is using poisoned roses to disable his victims, Carolyn and Mike take on the moon's most difficult mysteries with style and a sense of humor. 
