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Hang on! Hugo-winner Zahn (Cascade Point) takes off on a rip-roaring interstellar train ride with hard-boiled hero Frank Compton, recently fired from Earth's Western Alliance Intelligence for whistle-blowing on the costly Yandro colony boondoggle, a U.N. scheme to make humanity a real interstellar power. From Earth's mean streets, Compton hops the Quadrail, a mysterious galactic system run by the alien Spiders, who give him four months to defuse an interstellar war being engineered by the gestalt entity the Modhri. With Bayta, "The Girl" sent by the Spiders to recruit him, Compton blasts his way through layers of subterfuge and teams of unpronounceable alien baddies. Seeing a new chunk of the truth fall into place about every hundred pages, Compton carries comic-strip action to dizzying extremes in this highballing romp. Situations predictable from tough-guy PI fiction and characters straight out of Dick Tracy (even though some wear chipmunk fur and others inhabit telepathic coral colonies) make this night train a juicily familiar joyride.
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Zahn's latest is a highly readable thriller in space-opera trappings, set a few hundred years from now. The myriad worlds hosting intelligent life are tied together by the Quadrail, an interstellar transport system run by the enigmatic Spiders. Transport of weapons or military equipment isn't allowed, but someone, somewhere, appears to have found a way around the prohibition. The Spiders hire cashiered government investigator Frank Compton (he uncovered a few too many skeletons) to discover how and what threat it constitutes. By the third chapter, beings of a number of species are gunning for Compton from all directions. Zahn's ingenuity, a steady resource during a writing career now a generation long, makes it easy for him to come up with reader-rewarding demonstrations of his characters' similar quality. A great read. Roland Green
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Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00105451924
Seller: Greenworld Books, Arlington, TX, U.S.A.
Condition: good. Fast Free Shipping â" Good condition. It may show normal signs of use, such as light writing, highlighting, or library markings, but all pages are intact and the book is fully readable. A solid, complete copy that's ready to enjoy. Seller Inventory # GWV.0765307162.G
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Condition: Good. Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Seller Inventory # P08Q-00298
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Hardback. Condition: Fair. It all starts when a man comes to deliver a message to Frank Compton - only to fall dead at his feet. What follows is a suspenseful thriller that only Timothy Zahn, a master of hard science fiction adventure, could have written. More than two hundred years from now, the Ouadrail transportation system run by the enigmatic Spiders connects civilizations throughout the galaxy. Someone is threatening the entire system and the worlds it serves with a military force that could wreak interstellar havoc. Worse yet, a more subtle and sinister threat lurks: the Modhri, whose unique coral is prized throughout the galaxy, but which has properties that may create addiction - or worse. Compton, a sharp investigator, lost his job with Earth's security forces when he exposed a corrupt scheme that had roots in high places. Enlisted by the Spiders to find out who's trying to take over the Ouadrail, he's got his hands full. Beings of many races are gunning for him, trying to keep him from discovering a far-flung conspiracy that could destroy every civilization in the galaxy. Seller Inventory # CIN0765307162A
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Condition: good. The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials. Seller Inventory # BVV.0765307162.G
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0765307162I3N00
Seller: World of Books Inc, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Hardback. Condition: Good. It all starts when a man comes to deliver a message to Frank Compton - only to fall dead at his feet. What follows is a suspenseful thriller that only Timothy Zahn, a master of hard science fiction adventure, could have written. More than two hundred years from now, the Ouadrail transportation system run by the enigmatic Spiders connects civilizations throughout the galaxy. Someone is threatening the entire system and the worlds it serves with a military force that could wreak interstellar havoc. Worse yet, a more subtle and sinister threat lurks: the Modhri, whose unique coral is prized throughout the galaxy, but which has properties that may create addiction - or worse. Compton, a sharp investigator, lost his job with Earth's security forces when he exposed a corrupt scheme that had roots in high places. Enlisted by the Spiders to find out who's trying to take over the Ouadrail, he's got his hands full. Beings of many races are gunning for him, trying to keep him from discovering a far-flung conspiracy that could destroy every civilization in the galaxy. Seller Inventory # CIN0765307162G
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: very good. Very Good Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # 38H7_1_0765307162
Seller: Renaissance Gentleman's Bookshop, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Very Good. Seller Inventory # ABE-1778807736614