This is a book from what I consider a very up & coming author. I've read many of Jack McDevitt's books in the last 5 years & have found that in particular the Alex Benedict Novels hit it out of the park. The premise of the series is that it is the far future (tens of thousands of years) & Alex is an antiquities dealer of ancient human artifacts found on deserted settlements & space stations. He also seems to have a penchant for a good mystery. If he finds something that seems out of place, he'll stop at nothing to find the root of it. Usually in hopes of finding the ultimate artifact that will make him rich. But usually, somewhere along the lines, things become serious. Things also usually end up in very remote long deserted places with incredibly described atmosphere. In this book, it's the search for what is believed to be impossible; another race of beings. It is a very good adventure. In my opinion, not his best, but still it pulled me in at times to where I couldn't put the book down.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the entire series is told through the perspective of his assistant, Chase Kolpath. Her character is great at bringing a new perspective to the feminine side of things.
My first exposure to Jack McDevitt was through his book "Seeker" where he is after a long lost ship. It has many twists & turns & goes from eery to incredible to outrageous.
