Well-known antiquities dealer, Alex Benedict, gets a mysterious message from popular horror writer, Vicki Greene, a woman he has never met before. She asks for his help, but by the time Alex and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, track her down, they find she has undergone a mind-wipe and is no longer the person she was. Before the mind-wipe, she had transferred a large amount of money into Alex's account.

He feels an obligation to find out what happened to Vicki Greene. They trace her footsteps on a distant planet she had recently visited. Salud Afar is so far beyond the galaxy the night sky is devoid of stars, save for one vastly distant star that is sometimes called The Devil's Eye.

The travelogue of the sites and history and people of Salud Afar is interesting and not without adventure and excitement between the sight-seeing. The mystery is solved around two-thirds through the book and what remains is a planet-shattering secret that, when revealed, will affect the human Confederacy as well as the worlds of the insectoid, mind-reading Mutes, as the two space-faring civilizations inch closer and closer to war.

The last part is full of missions and diplomacy and politics and PR, with huge stakes, as well as action and suspense. It seemed like a very different kind of story than the first part, but it ultimately all hung together and had a satisfying conclusion. ( )

In my very first blog article, I listed Jack McDevitt at the top of favorite hard-scifi writer's list. In my opinion, the dude is awesome. Great characters, realistic scifi, and he can spin a yarn.

This novel once again makes it plain why I love his writing. The Alex Benedict series has been a wonder to read. But I think this book should be a part of the Chase Kolpath series. Alex's superluminal pilot takes center stage in this book. I love her down home, yet adventurous spirit. I'm also digging that Alex and Chase can be the best of friends but not get romantically involved. The plot kept me going and I was disappointed each time I had take a break from reading. I truly did not see the covers of this book's mystery unravel until the author wanted me to, despite many clues!

If you are new to the series, you could easily jump right into the AB world with this novel. However, I suggest you start with A Talent For War and work your way up to fully enjoy the experience. ( )