Poor Man’s Sky

The Moon is in turmoil in McCarthy’s dissonant sequel to Rich Man’s Sky. Earth-based homicide detective Raimy Vaught wants nothing more than to be chosen as one of the first 100 people competing to colonize Mars. Instead he’s shipped to the moon to solve a fellow contestant’s murder at a Lunar Monastery. The contaminated crime scene combined with Raimy’s need to depend on the help of his chief suspects to survive makes for an unusual procedural, but there’s little tension. Meanwhile, an elite group of trillionaires who have expanded into space are rocked by labor disputes. McCarthy makes the odd choice to keep the focus on the trillionaires throughout this plotline, sapping the emotion out of the workers’ desperation as their problems are dealt with dismissively by their wealthy overlords. The dual narratives never effectively gel as Raimy uncovers some damning evidence and strike negotiations come to a head aboard Clementine Cislunar Fuel Depot. Series fans will enjoy the depth McCarthy adds to this world through these two disparate narratives, but there’s little else to recommend this one on. (Jan)