THE BLUNT END OF THE SERVICE
With a little more drive and ambition, Chuck Poulson might well have found himself serving as first officer aboard a hyper liner. Meanwhile, if Cadet Penelope Parker had accepted the amorous advances of the notorious Commander Dickens, she might well have been posted to the Cromwell, the latest Type 53 destroyer.
But with things as they stand, Chuck and Penny find themselves serving together aboard the half derelict space station Orbital One, alongside a motley crew of ‘misfits, slackers and has-beens’. And that would have been that, but their neatly ordered world is suddenly turned upside down as they find themselves at the center of intrigue in a plot involving sabotage, larceny and murder. Can Penny redeem herself and put her fledgling career back on track? Can Chuck just muddle through it all with his limbs still attached to his body? Cut off from outside help, they find themselves propelled to the sharp end of the service and with things not always as they seem, they must negotiate ruthless staff officers, overcome battle hardened marines and outwit inter-stellar crime syndicates if they are to survive and win the day. |
About the Blunt End of the Service
Though my original intention was to write a science fiction novel I wanted to include elements of mystery, crime and adventure. By the time the book was finished I confess that wasn't entirely sure which genre to list it in.
I also wanted to write a book that would be suitable for adults and teenagers alike. As such there is nothing particularly graphic as regards violence, only a hint of anything sexual, and absolutely no foul language at all. That isn't to say that I disapprove - far from it if the plot requires it. Either way, in this particular case I don't believe the story wouldn't have benefited by its inclusion.
The result, I hope, is an old fashioned adventure story set in space... with an unlikely hero, a somewhat more likely heroine, a suitably nefarious villain, a team of detectives and a diverse cast of supporting characters.