What really happened to the crew of Apollo 18 in the Mare Crisium, the Sea of Crises? The mission was conducted in eerie silence after loss of all communications during the astronauts’ first moonwalk, and it ended in tragedy when the heat shield on the command capsule failed during re-entry, leaving three dead astronauts inside burned beyond recognition.

From the back cover of the print edition:

“That shouldn’t be here.”

Those are the last words uttered by Commander Bob Cartwright in September 1976, just before all communication with the crew of Apollo 18 is inexplicably lost during the astronauts’ first moonwalk.  Frantic attempts to re-establish communications with the astronauts are unsuccessful.

Three days later, however, as NASA is scrambling to put together a rescue mission, astronomers detect a burn of the service propulsion system, and, on schedule, but still in eerie silence, the command module begins its return transit, culminating in the welcome sight of the capsule descending majestically beneath a trio of parachutes into the South Pacific.

But when the hatch is opened, the navy divers tasked with assisting the astronauts into the recovery helicopter make a gruesome discovery.  The bodies of the three men inside have been burned beyond recognition, victims of a failed heat shield.  And with them has died any chance of learning the meaning of Cartwright’s enigmatic last statement or what transpired during those three blacked out days in the Mare Crisium, or Sea of Crises.

Unfortunately, unless and until man returns to the moon, it’s a mystery that will remain forever unsolved.

Or will it?

Thirty-six years later, Cartwright’s sons make a shocking discovery:  The capsule that came down in the Pacific Ocean with three charred remains was not their father’s capsule.  And the body they buried all those years before was not their father. What they’ve uncovered puts the three brothers on the run, chased by a ruthless group who will stop at nothing to preserve the secret behind the fate of the Apollo 18 astronauts.  The brothers will need to set aside past differences and pool their talents if they are to stay alive and unravel the mystery behind what really happened in the Sea of Crises.

From the reviewers:

I was on the edge of my seat through most of this amazing book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, thrillers, or science fiction.  – Georgeanna  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement

The characters were very believable and the action was very exciting!!   – Leigh1955Anne  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement

The plot is intense and very quick with enough intrigue and action to keep the pages turning.  – A. L. Henderson  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement

Nail-biting thriller with heart! Marty Steere’s Sea of Crises drew me in, held me at the edge, and gave my hand a comforting squeeze when I couldn’t stand to see what happened next. This is a thriller with heart that will leave its readers satisfied they followed the Cartwright boys into a dangerous adventure. – Maria C. Caudro

Expertly told thriller that I could read all over again.  At $2.99 for the Kindle version, this book is a steal for anyone who loves a good thriller/conspiracy story. Grab it quick, then put this author on your watch list.  –  J. Weight

A Rocket Trip of a Thriller! –  Marty Steere has written a pulse-pounding, exciting novel based on what happened to the crew of Apollo 18, the last manned spaceflight to the moon. His characters are portrayed very realistically and are three-dimensional, and you want to root for them to succeed and to thwart the attempts of some people in the government to still keep the truth behind the real fate of the crew of Apollo 18 secret to this day.  – Douglas R. Cobb

 

Visit Amazon’s Marty Steere Page

The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he’s not writing, he practices law.

Sea of Crises is his first novel. His second, Defiant Heart, is slated for release in early 2013.

Visit Marty on his website at http://www.martysteere.com/

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