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First-time author Peach offers a suspenseful, violent horror story set in unknown regions of the universe in this mystery/thriller.

A newspaper headline from the near future informs the reader of widespread devastation on Earth, making it clear that human civilization is on its last legs. Lilith Madison helms the starship Phoenix on the first human voyage through a wormhole in space. Capt. Madison faces a terrifying problem; a killer, who can seemingly walk through walls, is murdering crew members without leaving a trace. Everyone on board is a suspect, including John, Lilith’s second-in-command, and Maggie, her biologist lover. Lilith, Maggie and John form a love triangle that’s told in flashback chapters, which alternate between romance and sex, and violence and terror. The novel is written from Lilith’s point of view. Night terrors plague the somewhat anti-social leader; a narrator, whom the reader does not always trust, explores Lilith’s isolation aboard the Phoenix on its 47-month exploratory trip. The writing itself is direct; there’s not much ornate description or depictions of futuristic technology. In fact, the plot isn’t a means of exploring the would-be progress of human civilization and society; it seems, instead, to serve as a device to remove Lilith from Earth. There’s a lot of action, sex and forward motion. Though the prologue is set during the Phoenix’s final moments, aspects of the ending come by surprise and don’t seem to satisfactorily explain all that preceded it . Still, the ride along the way will keep readers turning pages in excitement and anticipation.

A sleek and sexy sci-fi thriller.