The Last Dance Audiobook By Martin L. Shoemaker cover art

The Last Dance

The Near-Earth Mysteries, Book 1

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The Last Dance

By: Martin L. Shoemaker
Narrated by: Joyce Bean, Natalie Naudus, Whitney Dykhouse, Rebecca Mozo, Christopher Lane, Donna Postel, Leon Nixon, Ron Butler
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At the heart of a mystery unfolding in space, the opposing forces make a treacherous journey between Earth and Mars.

In space, mutiny means death - that’s why Inspector General Park Yerim is taking her investigation so seriously. The alleged mutineer is Captain Nicolau Aames, whose command of the massive Earth-Mars vessel Aldrin has come under fire. The vast System Initiative says he disobeyed orders, but his crew swears he’s in the right.

En route to Mars, Park gathers testimony from the Aldrin’s diverse crew, painting a complex picture of Aames’s character: his heroism, his failures, even his personal passions. As the investigation unfolds, Park finds herself in the thrall of powerful interests, each pushing and pulling her in a fiery cosmic dance.

Corruption, conflicting loyalties, and clashing accounts make it nearly impossible to see the truth in fifty million miles of darkness, and Park faces danger from every direction. All eyes are on her: one way or another, her findings will have astronomical implications for the Aldrin and the future of space travel.

The full list of narrators includes Natalie Naudus, Whitney Dykhouse, Rebecca Mozo, Christopher Lane, Donna Postel, Leon Nixon, Ron Butler, and Joyce Bean.

©2019 by Martin L. Shoemaker. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Fiction Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Solar System Mars

Critic reviews

"The production uses an ensemble of eight narrators, most of whom play characters who lend their perspective on events.... Thanks to narrator Natalie Naudus's portrayal, listeners can hear every bit of Park's inexperience and doubt as she strives to unravel the ALDRIN's secrets. The rest of the narrators skillfully fill in the gaps of this complex mystery. The result is one exciting ride into the dangers of space." —AudioFile Magazine

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The cycler ship Aldrin is populated by a crew so believable they seem like someone you know or would at least like to know. The interactions between these characters were powerful and complex, dragging me into the narrative quickly, so when we find they are all in trouble for supporting the actions of their mutinous captain I was immediately invested. And the scale of the issues and associated mysteries needed a space ship captain that was bigger than life and Nick Aames' persona fits the bill perfectly. Shoemaker's did his homework and that shows in this realistic and accurate portrayal of humanity's near future in space. It makes me want to go into space even more...yes even if I were commanded by Nick Aames.

I want to go!

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This was such a tearjerker, and a deep story, and a good adventure that I almost cried. Maybe I cried a little…

This was so amazing

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An investigation into an interesting character, told through different narrators compiled into a volume of smaller stories. However, I will admit none of the stories feel well-paced. The Bosun's story felt drawn out and dry whereas the Commander's story felt short and somewhat inconsequential. Despite that, it's incredibly entertaining. There's an excellent story here. It's very well grounded for a space opera, and I felt gradually closer to the edge of my seat every chapter until the end.

An excellent character investigation

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Really enjoyed the story even though one of the main characters is a complete jerk. Loved the tech concepts for getting to Mars. The narrators are fantastic. Looking forward to another book in this series.

Interesting story and great narrators

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Decent story but some parts are stretching the limits of fiction. Would be nice if the author had some more believable scenarios to move the plot along.

Good but some parts are a little over the top

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A truly enjoyable sci-fi story. Commerce between Mars and Earth, and the egos, dangers, and dramas are enjoyably imagined and entertainingly delivered by a huge cast of able performers.

Excellent preHistorical Speculation

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A different kind of space story, full of heart and character development with just enough action, suspense and world building. I look forward to reading more by the author.

Loved it!

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I don't remember how I got this book. I think it might have been a first pick or something like that. But I'm extremely happy I have it. The sections, while feeling like disjointed, disparate tales, wind together into an excellently crafted tapestry by the end. The conclusion left me utterly conflicted, only because I was so enthralled in the characters.

An interesting story executed in the most enthralling way possible.

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It's no thriller but Last Dance is a great character driven story I found enjoyable and compelling.

interesting and well written

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