Part sci-fi “first contact” story, part murder mystery, part chronicle of one man’s exaltation and complete devastation, this book utterly captivated me. I fell in love with the characters, perhaps the more so because you learn at the outset that they have all mysteriously died. The story weaves between the present and the past with a gripping, yet graceful, pace. The narration is compelling without being melodramatic, despite the subject material. (My only technical gripe would be the author’s habit of having the viewpoint drift in and out of different character’s minds in the same scene, which I find distracting.) Put together like a finely cut jigsaw puzzle, the story unfolds one tantalizing detail after another. I can’t wait to read the sequel, “Children of God.”