Finder is a part heist story, part rescue mission, part comedy of errors with some sarcasm thrown in. Fergus Fergerson has been sent on a mission to repo a sentient ship, but things start very interestingly when he almost dies in a cable car explosion. What happens after is a series of events that cause a war to start, inventions to be, a slider with rainbows, and the kidnapping of a young lady. Fergus pulls out the stops to get back control of the ship makers, and he thinks very quickly on his feet and is a thoroughly enjoyable character. Finder is new me series, but I enjoyed book one and can't wait to read about Fergus's next mission.

Lots of fun! An excellent addition to collections where sci-fi is popular, with crossover appeal for some HS collections.

Disclaimer: I received this book from netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Finder

Author: Suzanne Palmer

Book Series: The Finder Chronicles Book 1

Rating: 2/5

Recommended For...: sci-fi, heist

Publication Date: April 2, 2019

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 400

Recommended Age: can't recommend, dnf-ed

Synopsis: Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder.

His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia's Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He'll slip in, decode the ship's compromised AI security, and get out of town, Sword in hand.

Fergus locates both Gilger and the ship in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space, a gas-giant-harvesting colony called Cernee. But Fergus' arrival at the colony is anything but simple. A cable car explosion launches Cernee into civil war, and Fergus must ally with Gilger's enemies to navigate a field of space mines and a small army of hostile mercenaries. What was supposed to be a routine job evolves into negotiating a power struggle between factions. Even worse, Fergus has become increasingly--and inconveniently--invested in the lives of the locals.

It doesn't help that a dangerous alien species thought mythical prove unsettlingly real, and their ominous triangle ships keep following Fergus around.

Foolhardy. Eccentric. Reckless. Whatever he's called, Fergus will need all the help he can get to take back the Sword and maybe save Cernee from destruction in the process.

Review: I had to dnf this book at 42%. It was a bit too disjointed for me and there was a lot going on in the book. The book also didn't have a lot of world building in my opinion and it was hard to figure out what was going on with the characters when it was near nonstop action.

Verdict: It wasn't for me but it might be for you!

"Finder" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Suzanne Palmer (http://www.zanzjan.net). This is Ms. Palmer's first published novel and the first in her "The Finder Chronicles" series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in the far future. The primary character is Fergus Ferguson who identifies himself as a 'finder'.

Ferguson's latest job is to find and steal back the spacecraft Venetia's Sword. He thought it would be an easy job, but instead stealing the ship back from Arum Gilger takes the deep space colony of Cernee into civil war.  Ferguson finds himself reluctantly at its midst and the growing involvement with the lives of the locals is unexpected. Then there are the mysterious aliens with the triangle ships that seem to be following him. The job is not what he had anticipated. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 397-page science fiction novel. I enjoyed this novel. I liked the offbeat plot and look forward to more in the series. I like the cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Even if his name is stupid - “Fergus Ferguson “, really? , this is a very interesting character. Everyone else in the book is interesting too. The plot is not that surprising, but it’s well done.

Fergus Ferguson is on his way to repo a ship fraudulently bought from some friends running a shipyard on Mars. Gilgar took off with the ship to the edge of human controlled space and is on his way to control everything around that colony. Fergus joins forces with an algae farmer colonist hat has secrets of her own to figure out how to get close to the ship to send a door key program to take over the ship. Fergus has amazing luck and uses it to his advantage to get the job done. A fun book and I can’t wait to see more about Fergus and his adventures.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGally.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Fergus Ferguson is a repo man.
In space.
How cool is that!?

In this incredibly action-packed tale, we follow him as he tries to recover the stolen spacecraft, Venetia's Sword. He ultimately tracks the ship down in the farthest reaches of human-inhabited space but due to complications, is unable to commandeer it right away.
Arum Gilger, the bad guy who stole the ship, transported it to a harvesting colony called Cernee. There he functions as a sort of criminal overlord and the locals aren't happy with him or his bullying ways.
As Fergus arrives, the colony finds itself newly engaged in a civil war. Before long, Fergus ends up banding together with Gilger's enemies and participating more than he would like in their local battles.

I had so much fun reading this book. Palmer's world creation is incredible. I felt like I was part of the action which is literally, NON-STOP!!! At times, I was a little lost, I have to admit but once I refocused myself I was able to catch up pretty quickly.
Fergus Ferguson is a smart, creative, humorous, engaging and humble main character. I absolutely loved him!! I cannot wait to read more adventures with him at the helm.
There were great side characters in here as well who had well fleshed out personalities and motivations. I think this is a great start to a new series and y'all know, I will definitely be coming back for more!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group/DAW, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I know this series is going to keep getting better and better and I am totally looking forward to being along for the ride!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *
DNF @12%

This is one of those times where reviewing is painful. See, the concept is interesting, the big picture here is interesting, but for some reason I'm not interested. It sucks, because I can totally see why some people will be really into this.

He's a repo-man in space, there is a kick-ass granny and her family that may or may not be clones (idk I didn't finish the book!), and everything on this planet is funky and weird (in a good way). It even starts off well, no slow beginning here. I'm sure that from just reading the first three chapters, I could sell this book to someone who likes sci-fi. Believe me when I say I keep second guessing myself when I think about all the cool things that have happened thus far. Unfortunately, every time I pick it up my mind wanders or I find myself skimming.

I think this might be a problem with this not being a book for me rather than not being a good book. There are a few people I can think of off the top of my head who might enjoy this, and I'll recommend it to. If you like quirky sci-fi you should give this a try.

I enjoyed this fun, sci fi, action story. My rating 4.5.

Fergus is a “finder” which is basically a glorified, trained repo man. He once was considered a hero having saved many lives during an incident on Mars. But he has always suffered survivor’s guilt as the rescue was more the result of a blunder than intended action. Fergus moves along in life as a loner, long since having determined not to get involved with people. He has found that his luck in finding things tends to come with a side of mayhem to those around him. Accordingly, he likes to get in, complete his job, and get out.

Fergus’ current assignment is to retrieve a stolen airship. The ship was specially programmed not to allow outsiders or pirates. However, a brutal trade warlord, Gilder, posed as a buyer and stole the ship during a test flight. Gilder is using the ship to take over a space colony, Cernee, where his burly enforcer henchman is eliminating the leaders of the various communities which are part of the colony hub.

As Fergus approaches Cernee, he meets a wiry, feisty old woman who saves him from death in the cable car they are on. The explosion and ‘Mother’s’ last wish pull Fergus into the middle of the local power struggle. Just outside the colony are hovering alien crafts which keep the locals in fear as they occasionally capture people and return them with unexpected ‘gifts’ and powers.

Fergus makes a few tentative friends… more appropriately allies to help him accomplish his mission. The rescue plan goes far afield which is not uncommon for Fergus’ wild plans. Before he can secure the ship and return it to the shipbuilders he has to face the aliens, rescue an ally’s daughter from Mars and help the locals survive the threat of Gilder.

I totally liked Fegus as a loner who can’t help but rescue others around him. His plans are unconventional which make for fun diversions such as bouncing ball decoys and holographic sparkling pogo airsticks. The characters who step in to help Fergus are interesting as well. There is plenty of action and good humor. The problems that Fergus creates for himself are frustrating and it is not clear how he will get around them in the future. Still, I found the story creative and engaging. I would enjoy more in the series. I recommend this to readers who enjoy fun space adventure.

Source: NetGalley.

It had an interesting premise, and I liked the main character, but after a promising start, the story seems to meander without much purpose. All of the scrapes the main character gets himself into and out of (mostly), don't really accomplish much. I thought it relied too much on a "Deus ex Machina", in the form of mysterious powers given to him by mysterious aliens for mysterious reasons, to resolve the main goal of the story.
I'd like to see what the author does with this character in the next book.

A future repo man Fergus Ferguson just wants to find the stolen spacecraft Venetia's Sword and steal it back. Unfortunately, he finds the ship in a far corner of the galaxy where a buch of bad things are about to happen. A fun adventure with a likable hero.

Excerpts from my review at B&N:
Finder, the debut novel from Suzanne Palmer (winner of a 2018 Hugo Award for the novelette “The Secret Lives of Bots”), is a fast-paced, hugely enjoyable sci-fi adventure—a rollicking ride from a hardscrabble space colony at the outer edge of the galaxy to the conflict-ridden settlements of colonized Mars and back again, with stops on the way at an alien spaceship and a holiday planet laden with glorious beaches.
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For fans of adventure sci-fi, Finder will engage and entertain. The dialogue snaps and crackles, the blend of real-world science and sci-fi tech is inventive, and the motley cast of characters both helping and trying to thwart Fergus in his mission are truly memorable. The deft worldbuilding and complex character motivations only make it more satisfying—there’s really no reason a novel this funny needs to be this well thought-out, but it’s all the better for that.

The ending satisfies, but leaves a clear opening for sequels; Palmer’s website indicates there is indeed a second Finder novel in the works. I’m glad to hear it: after reading the first one, I’m ready to follow Fergus Fergusson on whatever weird space adventure he falls into next.

This can be billed simply as: the wacky adventures of a space-traveling repo man! While not my typical read, Palmer does an excellent job world building and lore building in this space adventure. Finder has a very likable protagonist, war, aliens, and fresh feeling conversations. Would be interested in reading more from Palmer!

"Finder" by Suzanne Palmer is a terrific space opera adventure with a very likable main protagonist, an involved three dimensional war and aliens. Some might think the novel is overstuffed (and it is), but Palmer pulls it off by keeping the story moving, the situations fresh and the characterizations true and clear. Light and breezy, full of likable characters and chicanery. It’s a con, it’s a reverse heist, it’s a war and it’s got alien contact and alien meddling. But it’s a big fun read and that is its why it should be on your list.



There are two main parts to the novel.



Arum Gilger, is a crime lord who has carved out a position of power in a deep space harvesting system colloquially called Cernee, which is loosely run by an appointed Governor. Palmer has populated the small space area with colorful habitats including “Leakytown”, the “Wheels”, “Blackcans” and “Halo”, which soon feel like part of our world and with a bunch of oddball inhabitants that cannot abide with the central government. The system has three main powers - the Vann family, a family of female clones who are lichen farmers, Harcourt a smuggler and tycoon, who is ably assisted by Bale, and Gilger, who has designs to run the system. Gilger's evil henchman is Borr Graff, a member of the fanatical Faither clan, who hate clones. Harcourt, cannot move against Gilger directly because Gilger has threatened Harcourt's daughter, who is at school on Mars. The main station between the various habitats is Central, which is connected to the other habitats. Gilger, however, has stolen a sentient spaceship from the Shipmakers of Pluto and now has more power to force the issue and take control of the system.



Dropping into this shaky system is Fergus Ferguson, a conniver and an irrepressible "repo man" from Earth, who has been hired by the Shipmakers of Pluto to recover the Venetia's Sword, the stolen sentient starship. After a run in with Gilger's forces, who attack Mother Vann, the matriarch of the Vann family and Ferguson at Central, Ferguson tells the family that he is there to reclaim the ship which will hurt Gilger's operation. Fergus will also get help from Mari, one of the younger Vanns



As part of his elaborate con to steal back Venetia’s Sword, Fergus will pose as Mr. Anders, the head of a fake technological firm and "invent" a device to read light waves to see what happened in the past, as a way of showing who orchestrated the attack on Mother Vann. The scheme is designed to make Gilger move the Venetia's Sword so as to block the device. And to get past the sentry drones and mines protecting the ship from theft, Palmer laughingly has Fergus manipulate "sex toys" and tennis balls and use them to destroy the drones. The scene to take control of the Venitia’s Sword is some really good reading. And Fergus shows yet again his smarts and willingness to take risks.



But it’s not all fun and games, because Gilger attacks the system hard and Fergus intervention cannot prevent the ensuing war for control. And just when the action gets intense, the Asiig, the alien race that has been dogging the system in their technologically advanced starships makes an appearance. Harcourt thinks the Asiig are there because of Fergus, but the answer is more complicated. But Fergus is saved by the Asiig and changed as well.



It seems the Asiig have morals about who to help and who not.



The second half of the novel involves Fergus and Mari’s efforts to help the Vanns, Harcourt and the other inhabitants of the system after he has been “altered” by the Asiig and to thwart Gilger. There will be a trip to Mars where Fergus and Mari has to find Harcourt’s daughter before Gilger’s goons harm her. Fergus past during the Mars rebellion will come in handy and so will Fergus’s power to zap people from the changes that he received from the Asiig. Like I said the novel is a little overstuffed.



Space opera seems to be making a big push back against the fantasy dominated shelves of the local bookstore, and this novel is at the spear head of this new wave of space based novels. The biggest issue I have with the novel is its length. Its not a page thing. Its just when you think the action is over, some new item rears up, but it is such a fast read that each episode only adds to the overall story. So while I think the whole Mars part of the story was not completely necessary, it helps Fergus to discover what was done to him and ties off other loose ends. Plus it give us a respite from the actions around Cernee.



In the end, Fergus will return to Cernee with Bale and Mari to return the fight to Gilger and to take back the Venetia's Sword which is still stuck in Cernee space. It will be bloody and hard but a lot of good scenes.





Suzanne Palmer’s debut novel may have a few flaws but she has invented a world, system and characters that are well worth visiting.

This was okayyyy. It actually made me think of a book trying to be like an episode of Firefly without being obvious about it, if that makes sense. I didn't dislike it, but I wasn't in love with it, either. It was a good, standard sci-fi story, something that would go well at the beach or on a flight, but nothing that really makes you think like Neil Gaiman or Neal Stephenson novels do. Maybe it's all in the name. Recommended for some brain candy adventure.

Finder is an action-adventure space opera done right, filled with death-defying acts and sheer luck by our thieving protagonist. There’s never a dull moment as we cycle through fight scenes, devious plots, and the nearly impossible task of stealing and delivering the payload. It’s a fun time and I enjoyed going along for the ride.

Every piece of the puzzle fits together well. You’ve got the tough, confident repo man with a surprising past who has the know-how to get himself through a heist. You’ve got crime bosses vying for a piece of him as he threatens their hold on their small corner of space. You’ve got an impossible mission that just might work out. And there’s a mysterious alien race always on the periphery.

From the first moment, the action never stops. The plans continue to get more unbelievable, leaving you somewhat amazed this guy is still alive. He’s incredibly resourceful and luck is definitely on his side. The constant plot excitement is equally fueled by a strong story and great worldbuilding. I love a good action story, and this one keeps you going page after page.

Overall, Finder is the kind of space opera that fits the genre well. With a quirky protagonist, an interesting cast of supporting characters, and a universe filled with secrets and surprise, the book is a win-win.

After trying a couple times, I just can't get into thr story, so I'm going to put it aside for a bit and try again later. Putting it as back to "want to read" in Goodreads.

This review was originally posted on <a href="http://booksofmyheart.net/2019/04/10/finder-by-suzanne-palmer/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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3.5 hearts
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<strong>Finder</strong> may not be the first book in a series but I had sort of first book syndrome.  The first half had me struggling to put it all together and then it was off like a bullet to the end! I did really enjoy it then.

There are many things to like.  The world is science fiction, space opera with some different species even.  I like the technology and gadgets which come with this type of story. The people aren't all good guys or bad guys; there are definitely a range of badness.  As is typical to the genre, there are those who want the power, control and money.

Our main guy, Fergus Ferguson, is a finder. He goes to locate and hopefully retrieve the missing.  His current job is to find and get back a ship to the rightful owners.  Space is a bit like the wild West so he will have to steal it back.  This area, Cernee, is in the midst of a civil war of sorts between its major players.  There is plenty of strategy, action and thrills!

I really appreciate the humor infused into the otherwise grim situations. The reflection on humanity and purpose also shine through as some events spin out of control.  I hope we will see more of Fergus and his friends.
<blockquote>"Not too many people Mari trusts," Harcourt said, "much less likes."

"I don't think she trusts me," Fergus answered, "and I'm entirely certain she doesn't like me."</blockquote>

<blockquote>As Mari and Bale walked in, Fergus cleared his throat. "All of you know that my plans tend to be ridiculous and go wildly wrong and weird in unanticipated ways, right?"

"Mari was kind enough to entertain us with the story of your sex toy tennis balls, so I think we have the gist," Ili said. "Do you have a plan or not?"

"I do," Fergus said. "No one is going to like it."

"I never expected we would. Tell us what you got."</blockquote>
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Finder is the first novel by Suzanne Palmer, the winner of the Hugo, Asimov's Readers' Award, and the 2018 WSFA Small Press Award. This is a fun old fashioned space action-adventure with a lot of humor.

The hero, Fergus Ferguson (yes, everyone he meets comments on the name and his aliases all have the same alliteration) is a finder for hire, or, as he puts it, "I have made a decent career out of chasing things and running away." He has been hired to go to Cernee to repossess a space cruiser stolen by Arum Gilger, a junk warlord. Soon after Fergus arrives on Cernee, someone sabotages the cable car system on which he is riding, killing Mother Vahn, who is an enemy of Gilger's number two man, Graf. Fergus makes his way to Vahn's lichen farm, run by what appears to be clones of Vahn, all of whom have names starting with M. One of these young women, the 19-year-old Mari, insists on helping Fergus despite all he can do to discourage her.

With the help of Mari, Fergus makes contact with Harcourt, an arms dealer who is the father of Mari's best friend and has his own reasons to hate Gilger. They concoct a plan to fake an experimental time viewing device--the Light Afterimage Retrieval Device Beta Unit Two (yes, the acronym would be LARD BUT)--to show who is responsible for the cable sabotage. As expected, Gilger uses his cruiser to block the scan, enabling Fergus to contact the ship's computer to get the coded message he needs to decipher in order to gain control of the hijacked ship. But true to what Fergus himself says later in the book, "... my plans tend to be ridiculous and go wildly wrong and weird in unanticipated ways," Gilger reacts by launching a coup attempt that plunges the region into civil war.

Now Fergus and Mari have to stay alive long enough to figure out the list of seven terms sent by the computer, rescue Harcourt's daughter (who has been kidnapped to force Harcourt to stay neutral in the civil war), and deal with the Asiig, a mysterious race of scary aliens that occasionally capture humans who either disappear forever or return strangely altered.

Although Finder is a debut novel, it reads like the work of an experienced novelist. There is a confident tone and a sense that the author is having fun writing the book. If there is a weakness it lies in the characterization of the minor characters. The two major characters, Fergus and Mari, are well-developed. Fergus has a high level of self-confidence in his abilities but self-doubt about his motives and morals. Mari is a trouble seeker who is too smart to stay down on the farm but has a secret tying her (and the other Ms) to it. Also, it is nice to see a man and woman working together without any romantic or sexual relationship even being raised. But most of the other characters are not given a chance to live beyond what is needed for the plot. The best of the minor characters, Mother Vahn, provides key expository information and then dies in the first chapter. I did like Harcourt, who proves to be a wheeling-dealing bargainer.

Hand Finder to anyone who exclaims, "They don't write them like they used to write." This is an action-packed novel that does not slow down; it would make a great movie. There is enough humor to season the action without being overwhelming. The story is complete in one book, although there is certainly room for further adventures. And yet, despite this being an extremely well-done caper novel, I could not help wishing the author had challenged herself more and written something deeper.