Like some of the other reviewers, I do have some problems with a universe where humanity is part of an alliance with aliens who have extremely strange and barbaric laws. Before dismissing this concept completely though, I should point out that no one has yet met any aliens, so we have no idea of alien culture and know absolutely nothing about their laws. This might make the premise of the novels slightly easier to swallow.Having got that objection out of the way, I think that Rusch does an extremely good job in creating a realistic future world although I was somewhat bothered with the hero on the moon speaking to someone on Mars in apparent real time. The character development is very well done and the police work a believable future extrapolation.I didn't think this book was quite as good as some of the previous ones but it was still a very enjoyable read. I hope the series continues.