Andrew Pyper has always been a must-read author in my house. I was intrigued when he reemerged last year writing for the first time under the pseudonym Mason Coile. WILLIAM just blew me away.

Now, with the release of EXILES, Coile is staying in the science fiction zone but also peppers the novel with elements of a locked-room mystery as well as horror. This is right up my alley, and hopefully it will excite other readers as well. It is hard not to smile while reviewing this one because there is so much to enjoy here. The story plays out like a well-made horror/sci-fi feature film with plenty of action and secrets.

"The finale will have your pulse racing as you try to piece together the mystery at the heart of this wonderful novel. EXILES is not to be missed and is one of the most satisfying reads of 2025."

The three-person crew of the spaceship Valiant is comprised of leader and pilot Blake; engineer Kang; and our narrator and lone female, Gold. They understand that their mission to Citadel, which is located on the surface of Mars, is a one-way voyage. They have been asked to establish lifelong residence there in continuing to work towards a way to make the planet inhabitable by humans. Citadel is waiting for them with three intelligent, strategically programmed robots that have kept things running.

Upon arrival, Blake, Kang and Gold make their way to Citadel, which was built in the shape of a cross. What they do not expect to find is a station in disarray, appearing as if it survived a recent attack. To make matters worse, one of the three robots cannot be found. The bots came up with human names, so they introduce themselves as Shay and Wes; the missing one is Alex. Shay claims that they were attacked by an outside, unidentified alien creature, which caused Alex to flee. He could be hiding in a cave or within the nearby mountains. Wes, however, hints that the attack may have been caused by Alex.

This creates a rather unique kind of locked-room mystery, which Blake immediately handles in the manner of a military detective. Severe damage has been done to the lab area, which is vital to the mission. Blake also learns that Alex had been taking longer and longer trips outside of Citadel with nothing to report back. This behavior is quite concerning to Wes. Then they are all attacked again and witness a shiny claw tearing into the hull of Citadel that belongs to a figure with a black shell of a body.

When one of the humans is killed and horribly mutilated while stepping outside to observe potential repair work, the surviving humans and two bots fear that their fates may be in danger. The crew of the Valiant are aware that there is no returning to Earth unless the situation becomes dire, life-threatening and uninhabitable on Mars. They know they are in a tough and dangerous spot, but that doesn't justify a return flight.

Coile continues to build up the suspense chapter by chapter until all is revealed. It is well worth the wait. The finale will have your pulse racing as you try to piece together the mystery at the heart of this wonderful novel. EXILES is not to be missed and is one of the most satisfying reads of 2025.