Suspenseful, thrilling, political and economic intrigue blend with high tech science in Cold Trap by Jon Waskan. When Dr. Sej Nharavi disappears inside a dark crater on the moon, known as a “cold trap,” the mystery of what has become of him requires the expertise of his friend and fellow geologist Ogden Rowley (Og) to figure out what has happened. Deeply concerned and fearing that he is dead, his girlfriend, Dr. Sanchia Moichera (Moochy) can’t stop herself from getting involved as well. Moochy, a former student of Og, is one of the few people who has been able to bring sunshine into his life since his wife left him and he would do anything for her, including finding Sej. There are plenty of risks involved in finding Sej, including rumors circulating through the Unity base halls of a spindly creature living among the cold traps. Something sinister is afoot and it will take every resource Og has to not only find Sej, but to prevent a global economic tailspin due to the actions of a sociopath with plenty of intelligence and technology to pull off a takeover. Does Og have what it takes?

There is a human element and plenty of emotion blended into the high tech, sci-fi thriller, Cold Trap. Through the back story of each of the three main characters, Og, Sej and Moochy, Jon Waskan draws the reader into the suspense and drama in such a way that their survival and continued happiness becomes as important as saving the world. Though occasionally the high tech science might discourage the average reader, the typical sci-fi enthusiast will eat it up. Thrilling, emotional and intriguing, Cold Trap will make you feel the cold darkness of the craters of the moon and the equally cold desires of the villain deep in your bones.

Cold Trap by Jon Waskan is a rich, complex story that introduces us to Ogden Rowley who was living his dream as a professor of economic geology at UCLA and a consultant on the design of the Unity lunar outpost. Unfortunately for Ogden, he divorces his vain, vapid, cheating wife and ends up asking himself did he truly care about what he had in his life? Then he meets Moochy, a young refugee with a knack for growing things and a beautiful sunshine outlook to life. When Sej, the Indian playboy, disappears from Unity, rumours start and people wonder if there is something lurking out in the dark.

This book was truly an enjoyable jump into sci-fi that was advanced and yet not so far out there as to feel completely alien. You have the feeling of home when you visit places in the story as basic as Los Angeles, and yet Unity is where the true action happens. Jon Waskan has created a complex story with so many twists I did occasionally wonder how he managed to fit them all into his head and get them out in the story! With that said, the turns make sense and kept me entertained with what was going on within the story. Ogden is a character that took a little time for me to warm up to, but once I did I was firmly on his side and worried when he had to make life altering (even planet altering) choices. If you love a rich sci-fi read, I would recommend this book; it is enjoyable.

REVIEWS

T. Parsons for Goodreads: “this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.”

M. Hills for Readers’ Favorite: “I really enjoyed the story! … a well written tale of scientific discovery and political/economic maneuvering for world dominance … Tremendous creativity and an in-depth look at exo-geology – the study of rocks and deposits on the surface of the moon and other ‘space rocks’ – create a realistic background for action involving the basic human emotions of love, greed, the desire for knowledge and the hunger for power.”

B. Howard for Readers’ Favorite: “Suspenseful, thrilling, political and economic intrigue blend with high tech science … Cold Trap will make you feel the cold darkness of the craters of the moon and the equally cold desires of the villain deep in your bones.”

K. Bennett for Readers’ Favorite: “truly an enjoyable jump into sci-fi that was advanced and yet not so far out there as to feel completely alien … If you love a rich sci-fi read, I would recommend this book”

Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer D. Buxman: “Cold Trap is an outstanding book where novel, yet plausible scientific scenarios complement an excellent story, filled with characters that I actually cared about… I was hooked from the first few pages and continually surprised by the way the plot developed. This book compares quite favorably to big name authors like Blake Crouch and even Stephen King… I give it 5 stars without reservation and look forward to future offerings from this author.”

Adam Oster, Author of The Legend of Buddy Hero: “Seemingly summoning hard science fiction experts like Michael Crichton and thriller fanatics like Tom Clancy, Waskan has done an amazing job of crafting a story in Cold Trap that engages the mind both in learning more about the world we live in as well as trying to figure out the mystery brought about at the location on the south pole of the moon… this is definitely a must read for fans of the genre.”