One Way by S.J. Morden

When the small crew of ex cons working on Mars start getting murdered, everyone is a suspect in this terrifying science fiction thriller from bona fide rocket scientist and award winning-author S. J. Morden. It's the dawn of a new era - and we're ready to colonize Mars. But the company that's been contracted to construct a new Mars base, has made promises they can't fulfill and is desperate enough to cut corners. The first thing to go is the automation . . . the next thing they'll have to deal with is the eight astronauts they'll send to Mars, when there aren't supposed to be any at all.Frank - father, architect, murderer - is recruited for the mission to Mars with the promise of a better life, along with seven of his most notorious fellow inmates. But as his crew sets to work on the red wasteland of Mars, the accidents mount up, and Frank begins to suspect they might not be accidents at all. As the list of suspect grows shorter, it's up to Frank to uncover the terrible truth before it's too late.Dr. S. J. Morden trained as a rocket scientist before becoming the author of razor-sharp, award-winning science fiction. Perfect for fans of Andy Weir's The Martian and Richard Morgan, One Way takes off like a rocket, pulling us along on a terrifying, epic ride with only one way out.

Private company XO is hired by NASA to build a base on Mars, but XO is keen in lowering costs and cutting corners, and instead of sending an astronaut and several robots to do the job, they decide to send seven convicts with an overseer. These seven convicts have skills that will be useful for building the base, and they are promised freedom on another planet, but they are never told the price they should pay for it.

This was one of the most compelling books I have listened to in the last months. I have a sweet spot for hard science-fiction, I think it is my favorite genre ever, but if the story includes interesting characters, then I will become obsessed with a book, as it happened with this one.

The story starts slowly, but I think the build up is important to get to know Frank and his vision of the world. I was able to feel the anguish and the struggle during Frank’s training, and that put me in the right place when the convicts were sent to Mars, I already knew them and cared for them. Things begin to go south quite soon, and although I had my suspicions on the right place already half-way, this was an exciting and intense read. We witness the events from Frank’s perspective, and although the rest of the characters are not as developed as him, Frank is incredibly well written, with flaws, merits, and an interesting back story.

William Hope did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, giving each one a unique voice and style, which made following dialogs a breeze. But the real merit was truly becoming Frank, transmitting the character’s complex emotions, and make me feel that he was alive.

This was a book that I could not put down, and which I became obsessed with. The first thing I did after listening to it was going for the sequel.

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lomeraniel

My name is Elena. Since I was a little child I loved science fiction and fantasy, and I can’t resist a good novel. In 2015, while wait I started to listen to audiobooks and I discovered the pleasure in being able to read while doing my daily tasks, so there’s always an audiobook playing on my phone. If you see me with my Bluetooth headphones on, please be gentle, I get easily startled.

I live with my boyfriend, which I met during my six-year stay in Belgium, four cockatiels, eight lovebirds, and a hamster in Madrid, Spain; and I like to spend my free time knitting and sewing while listening to audiobooks.