Second Contact

In the year 2065, Max Becker, lawyer and major in the U.S. Army, is ordered to defend Commander Wilbur Jennings, captain of the spaceship Roosevelt , against the charge of having murdered two of his crewmen. Jennings freely confesses that he killed two people, but says they were alien impersonators. He refuses to let Becker enter a plea of insanity, claiming that he is the innocent victim of a conspiracy. With the help of his computer-hacker friend Jaimiesp ok Nchobe, Becker tries to gather evidence to convince Jennings that he is wrong. In the process, Becker discovers that he himself is marked for extermination. Resnick (Santiago) weaves a tight and well paced SF murder mystery with a pleasingly logical, yet unexpected resolution. (Apr.)