Nothing is new under another sun. Not even murder.

This mission should be simple. Exoplanetary scout Leif Grettison and ace pilot Yang Yong are off to deliver a load of supplies and reinforcing settlers to a recently colonized planet. It's as routine as a starflight can be.

Famous last words.

Something is wrong with the colonists. They are astonishingly ill-suited for the task of settling a new world. The planet, too, is a poor place to plant a town for humans. Even if everything goes right, the colony might not survive.

Then one of the colonists is found dead. Murder is a possibility.

Not long after, another one dies-and this time, it's definitely murder. In a world with only two hundred people, there's at least one killer.

Meanwhile, the colony's new leader has a plan-but Leif has doubts. Will this man save the settlement, or use his power to become a dictator?

Leif and Yong's mission is clear: they must leave the colony in shape to survive.

Leif is a retired soldier, not a detective, and when it comes to investigating a crime, he doesn't have a clue. Literally. Still, it falls to him to follow the evidence and find the killer. He also needs to deal with the leader and the leader's plan. If Leif fails, the only mystery may be how long it will take for everyone to die.