# Chilling Effect

By Valerie Valdes · Chilling Effect, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/chilling-effect-51157042/

Captain Eva Innocente needs to free her kidnapped sister, and a criminal syndicate sets the terms. She takes increasingly dangerous jobs aboard her cargo ship while keeping her crew in the dark about why she's putting them at risk.

## What makes it funny?

Psychic cats make ordinary work aboard the ship harder, while the crew trades jokes through dangerous assignments. Eva's problems include keeping an unlikely cargo under control as well as keeping her people alive.

### The comedy at work

Each stop gives Eva another predicament to talk and improvise her way through. Her irreverence helps her cope with threatening people; pop culture references and affectionate crew banter give the adventure a conversational ease.

### Try this if…

The crew relationships are a large part of the draw. Readers who like an accessible voice, alien encounters and an adventure that moves between separate missions can follow Eva's attempts to protect her sister without losing the family she has made aboard ship.

### Good to know

Spanish dialogue isn't always translated. Expect profanity, stalking and sexual harassment, violence, kidnapping and sexual situations.

## What to expect

- Genre: Science fiction
- On the shelf: Space opera
- Kind of humor: Banter
- Story ingredients: Found family
- Format: Novel
- Length: 416 pages (ebook)
- Published: 2019

## More in Chilling Effect

- Book 2: Prime Deceptions

## A few distinguishing details

- Psychic cats aboard a working cargo ship
- A captain hiding a ransom mission from her crew
- Crew banter and untranslated Spanish

## Sources & further reading

- Book information: [Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes on Apple Books](https://books.apple.com/us/book/chilling-effect/id1447103750)
- Book information: [Google Books edition record](https://books.google.com/books?id=K3flvwEACAAJ)
- Publisher: [UK publisher](https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/valerie-valdes/chilling-effect/9780356514420)
- Review: [Publishers Weekly review](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062877239)
- Review: [Archita Mittra review in Strange Horizons](https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/reviews/chilling-effect-by-valerie-valdes)
- Author commentary: [Author and content notes](https://candleinsunshine.com/books/chilling-effect)