{"product_id":"scorched-earth-book-clayton-smith-9781945747052","title":"Scorched Earth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA MURDER ON MARS LEADS TO HELL ON EARTH\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe year is 2188 and the Earth-long-ago abandoned for Mars by the plutocrats-is scorched by poverty, disease and environmental collapse. Meanwhile, the red planet is a flourishing playground for the Five Families who, thanks to Halo-an advanced AI-control everything and everyone on Earth, including Crucial Larsen, a disillusioned labor cop. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wealthy elite of Mars don't know that on his last trip up-universe, Crucial stumbled onto a secret that could destroy them. Yet, despite fervent pleas from his sister (a leader in the resistance), Crucial believes fighting back against the Five Families is a fool's game destined for failure-or worse. Plus, he never wants to set foot on that damn planet again. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen Melinda, his long-lost love and a staff scientist on Mars, begs for his help clearing her fianc e of a murder charge. Crucial jumps on the next quantum rocket, hoping maybe this time he can patch things up with Mel. His investigation ultimately leads back to Earth's radiation-blasted sunbelt, where cannibal lizard-people-a climate change mitigation genetic experiment gone terribly wrong-hold the key to a different future, if only Crucial can stay alive long enough to unlock it. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending science-fiction with a classic, hard-boiled detective story, \u003cem\u003eScorched Earth \u003c\/em\u003eis the second book in \u003cem\u003eThe Halo Trilogy\u003c\/em\u003e, an irreverent series set on post-colonial Mars, and the ninth novel by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51165041000721,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51165042573585,"sku":"NIN9781945747052","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1945747056.jpg?v=1750932856","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/scorched-earth-book-clayton-smith-9781945747052","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}