The Moon smells like gunpowder. Every lunar walker since Apollo 11 has noticed it; a burnt-metal scent that reminds them of war. Caden Dechert, the chief of the U.S. mining operation on the edge of the Sea of Serenity, thinks the smell is just the itch of his days as a Marine in the war torn Middle East back on Earth.

Then a bomb kills one of his diggers on Mare Serenitatis. It's 2072, and lunar helium-3 mining is powering the fusion reactors that are bringing Earth back from disaster. But competing for the richest prize in the history of the world has destroyed the oldest rule in space: Safety for All.

As Dechert races to solve the first murder in the history of the Moon, he finds himself in the crosshairs of two global powers spoiling for a fight, and he knows the lives of he and his crew will be less than an afterthought to the powers that be. Even worse, he knows the killer is still out there, hunting.

In his desperate attempts to save his crew and put a stop to the catastrophe he sees coming, Dechert uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to ignite a full lunar war, wipe out his team, and perhaps plunge the Earth back into darkness.