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Sea of Crises

by Marty Steere (Goodreads Author)

4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 · rating details · 28 ratings · 15 reviews

"That shouldn't be here." Those are the last words uttered by Commander Bob Cartwright in September 1976, just before all communication with the crew of Apollo 18 is inexplicably lost during the astronauts' first moonwalk. Frantic attempts to re-establish communications with the astronauts are unsuccessful. Three days later, however, as NASA is scrambling to put together a...more

Paperback, 312 pages

Published April 10th 2012 by Penfield Publications (first published April 2nd 2012)

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Mar 04, 2013 Brandon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, ebook, fiction, thriller, sci-fi

The sons of famed astronaut, Bob Cartwright, have always questioned the circumstances surrounding their fathers death. Leading the Apollo 18 mission, Cartwright noticed something out of the ordinary upon landing on the moon. "That shouldn't be here", were Bob's final words just prior to his connection with NASA being broken. However, when it was discovered the astronauts were returning from their mission, everything was assumed to have gone smoothly. Bobbing in the ocean, the rescue team reached...more The sons of famed astronaut, Bob Cartwright, have always questioned the circumstances surrounding their fathers death. Leading the Apollo 18 mission, Cartwright noticed something out of the ordinary upon landing on the moon. "That shouldn't be here", were Bob's final words just prior to his connection with NASA being broken. However, when it was discovered the astronauts were returning from their mission, everything was assumed to have gone smoothly. Bobbing in the ocean, the rescue team reached the capsule only to discover the three men burned to a crisp. It appeared the heat shield had failed upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere as the crew suffered a gruesome end.

Now, after years of unrest, Cartwright's son Peter began his investigation. Shortly after compiling research, things take a turn for the worse. Peter has made a lot of people very nervous by digging up the past and along with his brothers, Matt and Nate, they're about to come into contact with The Organization.

Marty has a style of prose that's easily digestible. Of course, that's not a knock at the writing style or the author, if anything, that's one of the big reasons why I'm such a fan of Stephen King. Sea of Crises is the kind of book that can cause you to completely lose track of time. When I initially sat down and dove in to the story, when I finally put it down for the evening, I had read the entire first half of the book.

Steere created a pretty bad ass villain in that of Raen. Given the nature of The Organization and the fact that they generally stop at nothing when tasked with a mission, the man chasing the Cartwright boys truly inhabits that stance. There's a few scenes in particular where he shines and leaves the reader anticipating his eventual face off with the brothers.

A good chunk of Sea of Crises takes place on the surface of the moon through flashbacks. Steere could easily fall back into a rhythm of throwing technical jargon and space travel filler, he keeps the style he’s established from the first of the book throughout. The action moves swiftly and the story stays rooted in the realm possibility, which is great.

The only gripe I have with the novel was the romantic/love interest side plot that develops about two thirds of the way in. I'm not sure how much it was needed but in the end, it doesn't really take all that much away. The core story is still strong enough to stand on it's own.

Overall, Sea of Crises is a well written novel which develops an intriguing mystery that only gets better as the story moves along.

****

I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for a fair review.

Cross posted on Every Read Thing (less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Daniel L Little rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sea of Crises is giving me a problem. See, I want to tell you all about the novel so you’ll rush out and buy it and enjoy it as much as I did, BUT, I don’t want to give anything away! Usually I enjoy pointing out errors, slow spots, maybe the odd character development that...well, doesn’t, but I could find none. Nada. I looked – believe me! Okay, I’ll say this; for a brief second, I thought I was reading a re-make of Capricorn One – you know; the movie where they didn’t really go off into space...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Conspiracy Buffs

Recommended to Lisa by: Marty Steere

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I first heard about this book when I got an email from the author himself, Marty Steere. I was so ecstatic to be sought out by an author and requested to read and review his book. As this was my first author request, I took my time to read, re-read and re-re-read the book until I practically knew the plot line by heart. Conspiracy theories have always intrigued me, even the really crazy ones, and this one got me hook, line and sinker.

The story starts with Nate Cartwright, eldest son of Bob Cartw...more I first heard about this book when I got an email from the author himself, Marty Steere. I was so ecstatic to be sought out by an author and requested to read and review his book. As this was my first author request, I took my time to read, re-read and re-re-read the book until I practically knew the plot line by heart. Conspiracy theories have always intrigued me, even the really crazy ones, and this one got me hook, line and sinker.

The story starts with Nate Cartwright, eldest son of Bob Cartwright (fallen astronaut of the Apollo 18 mission). Nate gets a call from his little brother Peter to pick him up from the airport. Peter is a paranoid reporter (rightly so), who calls his big brother for help. He thinks he's being watched and followed and he is right. Peter tells Nate his discoveries about the Apollo 18 mission that took their father and the lives of two other astronauts. After an shocking and horrendous warning from a group called the Organization, Nate and Peter search for their other brother Matt (who has his own mysterious background). The brothers set off in search for more answers and this sets off a chain of events that lead to shoot outs, fast car chases, and an even more shocking discovery.

About halfway through the book, when the brothers, plus the family of the other two astronauts, finally have enough pieces of the puzzle, there's a good chunk that tells the real story of what happened during the Apollo 18 mission. I found this portion of the book very fascinating! Marty Steere did a very good job slipping in the past in between the present. The characters were fully developed with their own complex backgrounds. The storytelling is amazing! I felt like I was there with the characters; experiencing the rush of adrenaline as bullets whizzed by and shifting the car into gear to outrun the Organization's cronies. I liked that pace of the story and the sudden turn of events that kept my interest throughout the book. I especially like the "subtle" hints of romantic possibility between Nate and Maggie, Major Dayton's daughter. The last third of the book was, in my opinion, the best cat and mouse game between the head of the Organization and a group of people who want to know the truth.

click the link to go to my blog where the author Marty Steere was kind enough to answer my questions in a mini interview.
The Consummate Reader (less)

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Jan 08, 2013 David Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marty Steere’s novel is set both in the 1970s and early in the 21st century. The Apollo 18 mission to the moon in the 1970s is shrouded in mystery. Commander Bob Cartwright utters the chilling words, “That shouldn’t be there” before contact is lost. When the crew return to earth they have not survived the descent through the atmosphere, burned beyond recognition. In the present day, 36 years later, Cartwright’s sons find themselves targets when they try to solve the mystery. Peter discovers that...more Marty Steere’s novel is set both in the 1970s and early in the 21st century. The Apollo 18 mission to the moon in the 1970s is shrouded in mystery. Commander Bob Cartwright utters the chilling words, “That shouldn’t be there” before contact is lost. When the crew return to earth they have not survived the descent through the atmosphere, burned beyond recognition. In the present day, 36 years later, Cartwright’s sons find themselves targets when they try to solve the mystery. Peter discovers that the body the boys buried was not their father. Peter and Nate suddenly find their lives in danger and they seek out their estranged brother, Matt, who is Peter’s twin brother. The question is can they solve the mystery of what happened to their father or will they be silenced.

This is an intriguing novel all the way through, the best bits being the carefully developed narrative of Bob Cartwright’s time on the moon. We are fed little snippets as the story develops but what did the astronauts find on the moon? Aliens? Something more sinister? You won’t get those answers till much later. The three brothers are warned to not go digging for answers and their lives are at stake if they do. Of course, they understandably want to know what became of their father and rely on Matt to help them out. Matt has something of a secretive past, which provides one reason why he doesn’t see his brothers and in a tight spot he is pretty resourceful. As the three brothers continue their search for answers, the families of the other astronauts on that Apollo 18 mission become involved and they too find themselves in danger.

This was an enjoyable and tense thriller as the three brothers are pursued and threatened at every turn. As much as that aspect of the story kept my interest it was the revelations of the Apollo 18 that surpassed anything else in the book. The answers to the three bodies that returned to earth, the fate of Bob Cartwright and what he found on the moon are the most fascinating aspects by far.

Sea of Crises is a well-written thriller with a great opening and an absorbing mystery throughout. The chase involving the three brothers may not be as interesting as their father’s story but overall this is a solid read and well worth considering. (less)

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Dec 21, 2012 edifanob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books, 2012-reads

I received a review request. My gut feeling told me I should read the book.
And I have not been disappointed.
That is a clever and thrilling story based on historical events.

I was not sure whether to give four or five stars. But all in all there have been no major flaws for me and I decided to go for five stars,
The following review has been posted on my blog and on Amazon under my nick name brienneselwyn.

My Expectations
A book related to the Apollo 18 mission. When you look at the
The Apollo program...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Victor Gentile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marty Steere in his new book, “Sea of Crises” published by Penfield Publications gives us a contemporary thriller conspiracy cover-up.

From the back cover: “That shouldn’t be here.”

Those are the last words uttered by Commander Bob Cartwright in September 1976, just before all communication with the crew of Apollo 18 is inexplicably lost during the astronauts’ first moonwalk. Frantic attempts to re-establish communications with the astronauts are unsuccessful. Three days later, however, as NASA is...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Caleb Blake rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2013/01/07/sea-of-crises-by-marty-steere/)

Three brothers are trapped in a conspiracy when the tragic death of their father in the last Apollo mission on the moon is suddenly called into question. Will they survive to uncover the truth?

Sea of Crises is a mystery thriller involving the surviving sons of an astronaut thought to be killed during a moon mission that had caused a sensation when the last recorded words...more Cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2013/01/07/sea-of-crises-by-marty-steere/)

Three brothers are trapped in a conspiracy when the tragic death of their father in the last Apollo mission on the moon is suddenly called into question. Will they survive to uncover the truth?

Sea of Crises is a mystery thriller involving the surviving sons of an astronaut thought to be killed during a moon mission that had caused a sensation when the last recorded words were: “That shouldn't be here”. When one of the sons discovers a clue that the capsule recovered from the sea was not from the same Apollo mission, all three brothers become targets for the machinations of an unknown organisation and a deadly race to the truth begins.

This novel lives up to the mystery thriller label. The action was relentless, the mystery that's finally revealed was worthwhile and absolutely delicious to this reader. Assassins, secret operatives, government agencies, astronauts; this book was a whirlwind of excitement. Without giving too much away, there were even action sequences on the moon. I'm not joking - ON THE MOON! I don't know if the sequences were realistic, but I didn't care. They were gripping while not losing the surreal moonscape atmosphere.

There were several characters explored during the novel, but the main character was the oldest of the three brothers, a top flight legal consultant with a knack for data analysis. It's through him that we meet his two younger brothers - also elite but in different fields. The relationships were interesting and there were a few skeletons in the closet that were revealed during the course of the story. In particular the two younger brothers had been separated from each other for many years, so being thrown together in this crisis provided some additional interest. One of the aspects of these tensions that I appreciated was that the author didn't overplay them. This was a crisis and lives were at risk. There was limited time for navel gazing and much was kept 'off screen'. I can get a little annoyed when pages are lost exploring an issue that the characters would not realistically have had the time or inclination to pursue.

However, although I enjoyed the handling of the three brothers by the author, I need to add the comment that their elite positions in their chosen professions put quite a bit of pressure on my suspension of disbelief. It felt like I was taking a journey with an action hero, a mastermind and a Pulitzer winning journalist - which in fact, I was. This was a little hard to swallow for me and it did take off a little of the shine. Additionally, I found some of the mistakes made by the 'bad guys' in relation to the brothers unrealistic in the extreme - fundamental mistakes that I couldn't credit.

Other characters join the brothers along the way including other children of the presumed deceased astronauts of the Apollo mission. They each had a contribution to the ongoing story including ... a love interest. This story didn't need a budding relationship to remain interesting, but on the other hand, the author didn't overplay this aspect of the story, for which I was grateful. In parallel, I also learned more about the 'baddies' and their place in the conspiracy. This was pretty much as anyone would expect for this type of story, but it didn't disappoint. They were ruthless, intelligent and always on the trail to tie up the loose ends.

Unfortunately, I didn't really appreciate the ending as much as I would have liked. I felt like the author had two distinct directions to take with the final stages of this story and in my opinion, he took the less interesting option. There's no way I could write any more without ruining key aspects of the story, but I'll leave it that I was pretty disappointed with the outcome. Luckily, in many ways I could view it as a tacked-on ending. There was a reasonable amount of prior closure which I found relatively satisfying.

Gripes aside, I really enjoyed Sea of Crises. The prose was clean, the pacing - fantastic. The action is seemingly disrupted by a large section of back-story, but this becomes a fascinating and exciting interlude that adds rather than subtracts. I've put myself on the waiting list for the next release from this author.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Lori rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading this last night. When I first got the book (Thanks Marty, for the signed copy!) I didn't know what to expect. I started it a few days ago. The first few pages were a bit wordy in their descriptions and I wasn't sure. I kept going tho, and am glad I did. The descriptions helped a lot. Once I got going, i didn't want to put it down. I read until 5 this morning because it was so good and I wanted to get see what happened in the end.
This book is about Apollo 18 and what happe...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-review-request, kindle

I received a copy of this book from the author, with a request for review.

"That shouldn't be here."

These enigmatic last words are transmitted by Commander Bob Cartwright to Houston Control from the surface of the moon are the catalyst for a chain of events that will keep you turning the pages until you're done reading. When I read the description of the book, I knew I HAD to read this book. It certainly didn't disappoint.

This is one of the books you want to savor, to prolong the pleasure - but y...more I received a copy of this book from the author, with a request for review.

"That shouldn't be here."

These enigmatic last words are transmitted by Commander Bob Cartwright to Houston Control from the surface of the moon are the catalyst for a chain of events that will keep you turning the pages until you're done reading. When I read the description of the book, I knew I HAD to read this book. It certainly didn't disappoint.

This is one of the books you want to savor, to prolong the pleasure - but you can't put it down and it's over all too soon. Does the world need another book about missions to the moon, secret government organizations, coverups, and conspiracy? Absolutely, especially this one! I enjoyed every twisting, turning minute of it.

Bob Cartwright's son, Peter, decides to write a book about the Apollo 18 mission that claimed the life of his father. As part of his research, he visits the surviving family of Mason Gale, one of the other mission members. Little does he know this will trigger a response that could cost him not only his life, but the lives of the Gale family and everyone else associated with the members of the Apollo 18 crew, including his brother, Nate, and his twin brother, Matt. As Nate, Peter and Matt run for their lives, they realize the only thing that can possibly save them is to find out what really happened during the 1976 Apollo 18 mission to the moon. Someone is willing to threaten, kill and put a lot of time and money into making sure nobody finds out. Only the truth can set the three brothers free from the hunters, so they set out to find out what that truth is, no matter the cost.

Not only do I love the characters in this book, the story of the Apollo 18 mission is expertly woven into the present day lives of these three brothers. I was riveted by the telling of the Apollo 18 mission and the shocking facts that are revealed in the telling. And I actually cried at one point.

Are there flaws in this book? Probably. If I spent some time thinking about it, I could probably come up with a couple, but the story, characters and storytelling combined captured me so completely that I'm willing to overlook them (whatever they may be). I can't wait to see what kind of story this author comes up with next.

At $2.99 for the Kindle version, this book is a steal for anyone who loves a good thriller/conspiracy story. Grab it quick, then put this author on your watch list.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

The National Aeronautics Space and Administration lied and now some must pay with their lives.

***
The tragic loss of the crew during re-entry of the Apollo 18 mission hits home as suddenly as an unknown group tries to kill one of the astronaut’s sons. On the run from “The Organization, ” the protagonists out to preserve a race to the moon secret and their own government that wants to leave their secrets buried, Commander Bob Cartwright’s sons can’t stop their work to uncover the conspiracy or th...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Opal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, book-submissions

Actually a 4.5 star review.

I normally don’t accept thrillers. For some reason I thought this had a sci-fi element to it but it doesn’t. Nonetheless this book still had excellent plot development. It moved along at a nice clip and I found myself involved from the very beginning.

The Cartwright brothers were well-fleshed out. They were all multi-layered and had many believable facets. Their interactions were very interesting to read about. I especially enjoyed reading about the twins. There was a l...more

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May 22, 2012 Georgeanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of three brothers trying to find out what happened to their dad. It's loaded with action, honor, duty, friendship, and perseverance. Espionage, intrigue, chase scenes, mystery. Death, destruction, mayhem, and explosions. Danger, power plays, and corruption at very high levels. The lunar exploration from the astronaut's POV was incredibly cool. I was on the edge of my seat through most of this amazing book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, thrillers...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Laurie Franco rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book caught my interest almost immediately, which I loved. Nate received a call from his brother, Peter, late at night asking to be picked up from the airport. He is positive he is being followed. Nate picks him up, asking why his normally calm and levelheaded brother would be so paranoid. Peter, who is a writer, tells him he is finally writing the book he has always wanted to write...the one about the Apollo 18 space mission. Their father was the commander of the mission and died during re...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Exapno Mapcase rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this through LT’s Member Giveaway Program.
Whew, what a ride. This book has just about anything a reader can want in a book. You want political intrigue? It’s got it. You want government conspiracy, that too. You want a thrilling trip into space, it’s there as well. Top it all off with family reconciliation of all types. This is one roller coaster of a story that you must read. You will not be sorry.

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May 15, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great read. Couldn't put it down. Even more amazing is that my wife got into it after I finished because she saw how much I enjoyed it, and she couldn't put it down either. She has a hard time reading because of current medical issues, and this is the only bok she has been able/willing to read through in years. Highly recommended.

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Nov 03, 2012 Cristina Higgins rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Cartwright brothers have found out that what they were told about their Fathers death was a lie. Knowing that may get them killed. They have to put behind them the fears and resentments of their lives and learn to work together, again..

This is one of my favorite books. I'm so looking forward to more. Start writing Marty, you have a real gift.

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Aug 03, 2012 Shannon Stitchman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Dident know what to expect when I started reading this book, At first I thought it was not my type of book. But I kept on reading, and I am so glad I did. I loved this book. Couldent put this book down. Thank you so much for the oppoitiny to read Sea of Crises I enjoyed it and it is a very good read.

Thanks,
Shannon

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Shelves: kindle

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Shelves: thriller-mystery, fantasy-science-fiction

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About Marty Steere

The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he's not writing, he practices law. His first novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012. His second novel, Defiant Heart, was released on April 15, 2013.

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