Thirsty Planet — Robert Tell

Who killed Keesha Leder? Was it a water burglary gone wrong? Was it a dehydrated squatter trying to stave off a thirsty death? Was it the religious sect known as Sectarians trying to replenish their inventory of drinkable water? Or was it her husband, Moss, who was falling in love with his assistant, Zoe? There are plenty of other motivated suspects (and murders) in this Multi Century Whodunnit! Thirsty Planet takes place in two time periods and is packed with political corruption, greed, murder, and even an inter-century love affair. It's the year 2121 and the veneer of civilization is crumbling. When the wife of physicist, Moss Leder, is brutally murdered during the apparent theft of the couple's drinking water, Leder vows to journey to the previous century where he hopes to alter the flow of events that led to his world's personal and ecological tragedies. Leder has been secretly dabbling with time travel and is close to achieving success. His plan is violently opposed by the political power brokers of the day, and by his employer, Rafe Bradshaw, whose private black market water business is threatened by the scheme. This leads to open warfare between those who control the water resources and those who don't, with Leder emerging as the charismatic leader of the latter. A century earlier, in 2022, Cassie Lopez, is an environmental specialist in the Administration of President Samantha Blackwell. She has uncovered evidence linking the powerful Senator Alphonse Grimsby to the murder of several environmental activists. When Cassie tries to make this information public, powerful forces are unleashed that threaten to destroy her and her husband, Paul. When our 22nd century physicist and our 21st century politician team up to try to fix things, all hell breaks loose. The paradox of time travel brings both stories and love affairs together with a satisfying resolution in the year 2104. Using current climate science and theories about the nature of time, this is a fast moving mystery novel. And for people who like literary puzzles, there is an allegory with clues to be found in the key character's names.