SETH W. JAMES

New Novel Release, “A Desperate Measure” by Seth W. James, Book 2 of “The Cain Series”

June 1, 2024

By Seth W. James

A Desperate Measure, the second novel in The Cain Series, comes out today on Amazon, in ebook, trade paperback, and hardcover formats.  An episodic, near-future, cyberpunk science-fiction novel, A Desperate Measure continues the story of soldat de fortune Cain and former mayor Francesca Pieralisi, as they struggle against corporate, governmental, and criminal forces, each intent upon plundering the seawall project that Francesca had risked so much to launch.

Cover art and back-cover copy:

“In A Desperate Measure, book 2 of The Cain Series, several months have passed since Cain and Francesca took down the fascist cabal of billionaire Dietrich Stinnes.  Riding the wave of celebrity that her victory had inspired, Francesca stepped down as the Mayor of Venice to join the newly-formed European Seawall Foundation, to shepherd the project she had fought so hard to create, with Cain at her side as her Chief of Security.  What should have been a blissfully dull—though vitally important—assignment soon became as dangerous as any period in their lives, when off-world corporation Black Horizons, Inc. infiltrated the ESF, intent upon diverting a portion of the foundation’s staggering budget to their bottom line—by any means necessary.

Cain must soon return to his roots in corporate crime, to counteract BHI’s attempts to neutralize Francesca.  From circumventing the surveillance-state AI, to battling mercenaries on the streets of Brussels, to hunting corrupt cops through a deserter colony on the Latvian coast, Cain struggles to intercept each new—and increasingly aggressive—threat.  BHI, however, have nothing to lose through violent escalation: they are a sovereign corporation, their orbiting headquarters placing them not only above Earth, but above its laws, as well.

Faced with the crippling effect that BHI’s extortion would have on the seawall project—and with the hundreds of millions who would suffer famine without the new farmlands it would create— Francesca must decide if times have grown desperate enough for a desperate measure.”

I thoroughly enjoyed writing book 2, particularly as the deepening relationship between Cain and Francesca provided an opportunity for plenty of banter.  Further exploring the implications of a technology boom (in this case, the fusion boom) upon society, its laws, and the functioning of government led to a fascinating cascade of challenged preconceptions and exploded expectations, which will no-doubt continue throughout the series.  Book 3 is underway and will see Cain and Francesca take on their most powerful adversary yet.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy A Desperate Measure.