Six years after the first manned Martian expedition, a second has been announced -- one motivated purely by its profitable potential -- and half-Navajo, half-Anglo geologist Jamie Waterman's conflicted soul is beckoning him back to the eerie, unforgiving planet. As commander of the new exploratory team, he will have to contend with a bitter and destructive rivalry, a disturbing new emotional attraction, and deadly, incomprehensible "accidents" that appear to be sabotage, all of which could doom the mission to failure. But there is much more at stake than Waterman's personal redemption and the safety of his crew. For there are still great secrets to be uncovered on this cruel and enigmatic world -- not the least being something he glimpsed in the far distance during his first Martian excursion: an improbable structure perched high in the planet's carmine cliffs; a dwelling that only an intelligent being could have built.
"Provacative and believable...Bova writes with sparkling clarity."--"St. Petersburg Times""A realistic trip to Mars...You won't get much closer to the old-fashioned 'sense of wonder' science fiction...Bova paints an intriguing portrait of the bitterly cold, hostile-to-humanity Red Planet...He tells a good, solid story...And the book has a great ending too."--"Orlando Sentinel""Absorbing and thoroughly satisfying. MARS fans will pounce, while newcomers will feel welcome too."--"Kirkus Reviews""Bova puts you on the Martian surface and makes you part of an incredible story...You'll want to RETURN TO MARS as much as I do."--"New York Times" bestselling author Larry Bond