Odd Girl Out

In this noir thriller set#xA0;on the interstellar Quadrail, former government agent Frank Compton can't catch a break. After a successful mission against the Modhri, the coral polyp-based group mind that is attempting to take over the galaxy, Frank arrives at his New York apartment.#xA0;A young woman is waiting for him, pointing a gun at his face.#xA0; She tells him that someone on New Tigris is holding her ten-year-old sister.#xA0;Compton#xA0;takes her gun and orders her out, only to be rousted out of bed and accused of her brutal murder.#xA0; After Frank's ally Bruce McMicking posts his bail, Frank travels to New Tigris with his assistant, Bayta, and locates the sister, who is part of a key resistance group that is fighting the Modhri throughout the galaxy. Compton must get the girl to a hidden refuge planet via the Quadrail to ensure the continued efforts of the resistance. But can he do it before the Modhri gets to her first? #xA0; Compelling characters, hard-boiled sleuthing, and non-stop action make this a hard SF thriller that will grab the reader and not let go until the last page.