Book Review: The Price of Peace by Mike Moscoe

The Price of Peace
Author: Mike Moscoe
Series: Jump Universe (Book 2)
Publication: Ace (May 28, 2013)

Description: THE WAR IS OVER. THE TREATY IS SIGNED.

AND ALL IS WELL IN THE GALAXY…

Izzy Umboto is a hero of the conflict between the Society of Humanity and the Unity Party. Instead of retiring and living out her days quietly, she’s wrangled command of her very own warship. Unfortunately, that ship is the less-than-state-of-the-art Patton.

Lieutenant Terrence Tordon, called “Trouble” by both his enemies and his friends, and even himself, is a career marine. The word “quit” isn’t in his vocabulary.

Now Lieutenant Trouble and his troops have signed on with Commander Umboto, trading a higher paycheck for the promise of action.

For all is not well in the galaxy. On the scattering of planets along the rim, remnant thugs of the Unity Party still hold power. In the shipping lanes of rim space, pirates roam freely.

Umboto and Tordon will soon learn that enforcing the peace can be just as expensive as fighting the war—and the cost will be counted in human lives…

My Thoughts: The war is over but forging a peace is not going to be easy because the hidden actors in the war haven't stopped their actions.

Izzy Umboto didn't muster out. Instead, she was given command of the Patton - a ship barely getting by and in need of a multitude of repairs and upgrades. Lieutenant Terrance "Trouble" Tordon didn't muster out either. He's a Marine with a mission and no idea of any other kind of life.

When the Patton is approached by a businessman to investigate on frontier planet Hurtford Corner, they find links to a new drug business that needs workers and is willing to kidnap people to get them. Ruth Edris-Morton and Trouble are both captured by the kidnappers, and it is up to Izzy and Trouble's fellow Marines to rescue them which they do. 

Izzy is troubled to learn that one of the pirates she blew out of space was also a slaver heading to a secret planet controlled by a secretive organization who is boosting corporate profits by growing, processing, and distributing a new drug - one which happened to kill Izzy's niece. She is haunted by the idea that she killed innocent hostages along with the pirates. 

Plans to check out that planet go awry when Tordon's scouting mission is discovered and Tordon and his crew are added to the forced labor pool. Things get even more dire when he learns that Ruth and several others from Hurtford Corner were also taken there when the villains fled that planet after being discovered. 

Now, it is up to Izzy and her crew, aided by Wardhaven, to get to that planet, find Trouble, and stop the illicit drug operation. 

I really enjoyed this fast-paced space opera. I liked that some of the characters from the first book (The First Casualty) have larger roles in this one while others have supporting roles. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the characters are interesting people.

Favorite Quote:

"You're a damn good spy," Izzy told him.

"And you're a damn good ship driver," the spy paid her back.

"We'd all better be damn good at what we do if we're going to pull this off."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.