Three years ago, a horrific accident closed ACM-1134, the energy mine on Ketarus-4. Now the mine has reopened, and Justin Barclay has joined the first new batch of miners hired to begin harvesting the energy stored below the planet’s surface.
But as he settles into his new job and home, Justin quickly discovers that the mine’s polished exterior is masking a host of hidden dangers—some of them fatal. When the mine’s technology begins malfunctioning, Justin’s coworkers mysteriously disappear, get injured, and some even die. Justin knows something else is going on—and he’s the only one willing to do something to stop it.
My Review: I just finished this book and give it 4/5 stars. It was a thrilling ride through a terrifying world. Great story in the tradition of ALIEN and other classic sci-fi horror stories. I liked how there was a big world, with lots of history, waiting to be explored, but it was off in the distance. The focus was squarely on blue collar workers in a futuristic mine. I grew to understand and sympathize with them, despite knowing that many of them would meet their demise. Death and the afterlife, however, were handled in very interesting ways. As for a technical review: the characters were distinct and vivid, the pacing was steady, and the action was easy to visualize. The dialogue and exposition could have used some polishing.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Ghost Mine and look forward to more from this author! He was one of several people I enjoyed getting to meet at the Realm Makers conference. I’m very thankful for his voice in the Christian spec-fic community.