Nemesis Games

The crew of the Rocinante takes advantage of a lengthy repair to leave Captain Holden behind on Tycho and go off in separate directions to take care of long-postponed personal business. All three are immediately thrust into peril in disparate facets of a new conspiracy with unknown villains trying to take control of the solar system and cut off access to the galaxy beyond (through the gateways of the rings). Minor characters from earlier novels are pulled into the plot, and, although this feels like a setup for the new television series scheduled for this fall, it's fun to get reacquainted. Though the fifth in the series (after Cibola Burn), this is the start of a new story arc and is a fine entry point. This story is all about characters, and both existing fans and those new to the "Expanse" series will enjoy Jefferson Mays's fine performance.