This is spoilt by the jumping back in time whilst reading.
Once you get past this the story is gripping and does keep you guessing until very near the end.
Overall a good story though.

This one took me a bit too long to read, though that's absolutely no fault of the book. Looking for and then acquiring a new house utterly ruined my ability to focus for long periods of time, and then Corona happened, and we've all gone a bit to pot in general.

So the first three or four chapters of this took me about six months to read.

However, I finally sat down with it this week and finished it off in a couple of sessions. Quite compelling when I gave it a fair run.

Gary has been on Thesan, a new colony planet lightyears away from Earth for 115 days, when he watches his mandated spouse die in a shuttle crash. He didn't really like Margo, being rather directly opposed in manner, with her earthy love of gardening not meshing well with his clinical approach to medicine and everything else.

They were married because colonies only take couples and the psychological testing said they were a good fit, but they hadn't managed to come to any sort of romance or intimacy in the several months of new world life.

That hadn't been helped by the various catastrophes or deaths that had struck the colony, with hull breaches, crash landings and the loss of their controlling AI.

But the loss of Margo is very much the last straw for Gary, who decides that it's finally time to put the effort in and get to know her, and so he breaks into her lab and reads her diary.

This allows the framing device of looking back into the past of the mission. Margo's life is told through these diary entries, as she struggles to find her own place on a strange planet, while indulging in a bit of romance and a bit more investigating. She's not entirely convinced all of these accidents are accidents.

It's not too fixated on hard science, so if you're here for the technical wizardry, you might be a bit disappointed. It's more of a sci-fi thriller, at which it does a decent job. The central mystery is well-built, and not one I guessed, and the balance between Gary's and Margo's stories is even. They come together quite nicely as Gary uncovers Margo's investigations.

A pleasant read, and one I'd recommend.

I picked this one up on Netgalley because I was first interested in the cover. The lone colonist in a barren world. I was pleasantly surprised to find how well the two perspectives were woven together until the merge into a big bang of a finish.

We hear Margo's part in her own words beginning before the launch in her own words as her journal is read by another crew member after her transport crashes and she's proclaimed dead. The two pieces tie together and build intrigue in each other, tying the early misfortunes of the crew with the current happenings as their numbers dwindle. When the two pieces come together it feels like a breathless race to the finish.

If you love seeing what happens (particularly in space) when a bunch of incompatible people and their secrets are crammed together in a tight space with a steady stream of mayhem to set things off (as I do), then Day 115 on an Alien World doesn't disappoint.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

this is a colony world adventure where said colonisation plans have gone very badly wrong from the word go. I’m a sucker for these kinds of tales of survival – basically because it gives the author so much scope to take the story in all sorts of interesting directions. Bedard doesn’t disappoint with her vivid evocation of this bleak, airless environment, which nonetheless has been selected as suitable for this plucky group of pioneers to establish a foothold for humanity. The description and world building is believable and effective in producing a strong sense of reality without holding up the pace.

I really liked Margo as a protagonist. While having a troubled and eventful background, she is not too full of angst to be able to respond effectively in the challenging circumstances around her. There was a particular event that happened about a third of the way into the book that absolutely floored me – to the extent that I nearly stopped reading. However, I had an instinct that if I did, so I’d always wonder what happened next and I’m glad I continued. In the interests of providing a spoiler-free review. I’m not going to say more than that, but if you do happen to pick this one up, do be mindful that this is not the place to stop reading in disgust.

Any niggles? Well, there is just one. Part of the story is told through Margo’s journals, which I found more than a bit confusing because at no time did the viewpoint switch to 1st person and she isn’t the sort of character who would talk or think of herself in the third person. This did bother me for a while but as the tale was so genuinely engrossing and the stakes continued to become ever higher, it wasn’t a dealbreaker.

Of course, the difficulty in raising said stakes is that the climax has to give the reader sufficient reward or having stuck by the story in the expectation that the denouement is going to be worth it. I’m glad to say that Bedard managed to pull it off. This one has stayed with me since I finished reading it and I am keen to return to this isolated outpost of humanity to find out what happens next. So I shall certainly be tracking down the second book in the series. Recommended for fans of science fiction murder mysteries in dangerous settings. While I obtained an arc of Day 115 on an Alien Planet from the author via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

"Day 115 on an Alien World" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Jeannette Bedard (http://jeannettebedard.com). This is Ms. Bedard's first novel and the first in her "Settler Chronicles" series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the future. The primary character is Margo Murphy.

Murphy has served in the military but was dishonorably discharged. She has signed on to a colony ship for a new start on a new world. But then 'accidents' start to happen. Their ship crashes on the target planet and colonists begin to die. Murphy does not know who to trust, but she feels strongly that there is a saboteur amongst the colonist. Can she survive long enough to determine who is behind the deaths? 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 8+ hours I spent reading this 362-page science fiction mystery novel. I liked the characters created for this novel, and I liked the plot. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 5 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).

Day 115 on an Alien World by Jeannette Bedard is an adventure that takes place on the distant planet of Thesan.

The book begins near the end of the story. I found this a bit jarring; thrust into the story in a time and place I didn’t understand, but readers should hang in there as they will soon get their bearings. A group of colonists travel to Thesan in hopes of creating a successful colony, but things seem off from the start and really take a bad turn when the ship has a rough landing on the distant planet. A series of calamites and strange events take place as the colonists struggle to settle into their new lives. Margo Murphy, the protagonist soon figures out there could be a motive behind the string of mishaps and sets out to learn who is trying to make the colony fail.

Bedard does a good job of creating a futuristic setting without getting hung up describing every technical detail, but instead focuses on the story. The plot and characters are believable, and the pacing of the story is good. Although I felt the “ah ha” moment when two of the main characters discover the motivation behind the mysterious calamities a bit rushed, the rest of the story line is well laid out. I did not guess who the bad guy was in advance. The story keeps you guessing until the reveal.

Science fiction fans will find Day 115 an entertaining read and the use of a strong female lead character refreshing.

The fast paced mystery of who's sabotaging the newly settled colony, causing accidents, and killing the crew off at an alarming rate.
At day 115 after landing, they can contact earth to ask for rescue or supplies - hence the title
This book was actually a surprising find, both credible and stimulating enough to maintain my interest the whole way through.
Although I did guess who the sabbateur was, and found it frustrating that the heroine was blind to the fact for waaayyyy too long, I really enjoyed the book, and am looking forwards to the second one.

I was grateful to receive this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review
#netgalley #day115onanalienworld

The first book of a new series is truly off to a good start

The first half of Day 115 On an Alien World quickly grabbed my interest and kept me up way past regular bedtime. The specific 115 days concept and how it links EVERYTHING is truly original, interlocking all parts of the story and serves well to move the multiple storylines along.

Day 115 is unlike the typical heroine stories where when faced with danger, like if the cruse ship/ building/ space ship/ is blown to smithereens, after the smoke clears- she's still there standing, bright-eyed not even dusty without a strand of hair out of place. Not so with Day 115. This gritty, ain't takin'-no-nonsense woman gets banged around plenty. I've got to hand it to her, this Margo woman is like the Energizer Bunny. Knock her on the head or toss her off a roof- yes she sometimes does get hurt. It's different with this girl: she just gets herself up, shakes the dust out of her hair, straightens her clothes then is quickly back in the game.

Overall I feel the book fits better in the Young Adult (YA) category of Science Fiction. Nonetheless, a bit of warning-- don't get too enamored with other members of the space ship crew. Seems as soon as a new character arrives on the scene, they get themselves killed. I mean like a whole lot of people die trying to solve the mystery identity of the saboteur. That said, hang in there because eventually this unstoppable woman does solve the mystery.

I am so impressed with this book! It’s an interstellar mystery thriller that builds and builds until you realize you’ve been holding your breath WAY too long. This was a Netgalley find and I was so pleasantly surprised to have found this gem. I didn’t expect to get so engrossed in what was happening with the characters, or their missions. The atmosphere was utterly compelling and there was just something super satisfying about hearing all the details that go into starting a colony on another planet...all the water systems, plants, soil studies, necessary insect inhabitants, etc. If there is a book 2 in the future, I will be the first in line to get my hands on it. Seriously, I’m basically recommending this read to anyone with ears. No shame :)

Day 115 On An Alien World is an interesting read. Where or how far would you go to find work if you had a dishonorable discharge following you around? Alien World-good or bad idea? The main character is flawed and troubled but likeable. The story is unique and engaging. It unfolds at a good pace. It's well written and lively. Overall a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Well done! Well-written characters, solid/compelling plot and thrills. I wasn't expecting much, but she is obviously a talented author, and I look forward to the next installment.