Saving Mike

The McGregor Chronicles #1

by Larry K. Collins, Lorna Collins (Editor)

“Wake up, Matt, wake up,” an insistent voice repeats in my head. From that moment, Matt McGregor’s life will never be the same. Upon awaking from cold sleep, Matt, co-captain of the space freighter, HC7 McGregor-15, discovers the ship has been abandoned and life support is failing. Once he gets the systems started, he finds out his brother and co-captain, Mike, has been captured by space pirates. Matt immediately sets out to rescue Mike, aided by the disembodied voices. He is reluctantly paired with Federation Lieutenant Tracy Warren. How will they find Mike and save him? Can they work together, despite their differences? Will they survive the rescue attempt? And who are those voices in Matt’s head?

106 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2015

About the author

Larry Collins and his wife, Lorna, co-wrote their first book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park, a memoir of building Universal Studios, Japan. They have since written two mysteries:Murder…They Wrote and Murder in Paradise, and are currently working on more in this series.
They wrote The Memory Keeper, a historical novel set in San Juan Capistrano between 1820 and 1890, and are working on a sequel.
Larry’s book of short stories, Lakeview Park, was published in 2011.
He has completed seven books in his McGregor Chronicles sci-fi fantasy series.
He lives in Dana Point, California, visits Hawaii whenever he can, and surfs every weekday.

Reviews

[Pamela Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been broadening my reading, so I decided to try a sci fi. A friend suggested this book and I grabbed it. It’s fun, light-hearted, and not ultra-technical with an interesting premise. Plus there’s action and even a sweet romance. Five stars because I was thoroughly entertained and didn’t have to ponder the fate of the universe or heavy, philosophical, unanswerable questions.

[Michelle Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Readers Favorite


When space travel is an everyday occurrence, sleeping for long periods of travel is the norm. As Matt is waking from his sleep, he is hearing voices. Turns out he has medical nanobots in his body and they are ready to help him. As Matt finally comes to, he realizes that his brother Mike is gone. The McGregor Chronicles: Saving Mike is the story of what Matt goes through to rescue his brother, including being paired with a young Federation Officer, Tracy Warren, who although she has a pilot license, has never actually flown a craft. Whereas Matt, who doesn't have a license, has grown up on a space craft. The two work together against pirates and even some shady officials to hopefully bring their family back together again. Authors Larry K. Collins and Lorna Collins have teamed up to create a new space adventure.

The McGregor Chronicles, is set to be a series and this book in particular is the beginning. As a beginning book in a series, we are introduced to a very large McGregor Clan, mainly focusing in Matt and somewhat Mike, but you meet a number of others. We are also given some background and history of Tracy and her unique upbringing. Authors Larry K. Collins and Lorna Collins have given the reader space travel, adventure, pirates, corruption, military, family and a touch of romance all in one story. All of this keeps the story moving along at a quick pace and before you realize it the book is over. There is also the nanobot technology and the moral and ethical questions in how to use it, which will cause you to pause and think. This is a very clean book, no sex or foul language. I feel confident recommending it to teens, young adults and older readers.

[Patricia Cleary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry K. Collin’s McGregor Chronicles 1 is a rollicking jaunt through space Starship Voyager-style. We accompany Captain Matt McGregor, cargo pilot on a search for his brother, Mike who has been abducted by intergalactic pirates. Matt attempts to penetrate the pirate’s base, subdue the black marketers and save his brother. McGregor’s journey is fraught with danger but he has advanced technology to disable the pirates’ electronic system, nano-medical robot implants which protect him from viruses and a spunky co-pilot, Lieutenant Tracy Warren to help him combat danger. Fans of Robert Heinlein’s Space Cadet or Isaac Asimov’s The Stars, Like Dust will enjoy this science adventure fiction. Collins presents space travel and intergalactic life in a straightforward and accessible way all will enjoy.

[Lorna Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and funny family saga set in space. A bit of adventure and a little romance. It's a quick read. Oh, and I usually don't read sci-fi.

[Michele Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Well-written, enjoyable characters, especially the mouthy medbots!