Shadows of Medusa, a 2004 SF/Mystery novel by Brian Enke

Shadows of Medusa (PublishAmerica, 2004), written by space research analyst and science fiction author Brian Enke, “is the first mystery/science-fiction novel in a series dedicated to true-science, feasible-engineered, near-future Mars settlements.” Here’s a synopsis of Shadows of Medusa:

The first human exploration mission to the planet Mars is shrouded in secrecy. Even David Debacco, the Director of Mission Support, doesn't know the identity of the mission sponsors or their true agenda. As David struggles to keep the brave Mars explorers alive, an expanding web of deceit threatens the mission and the woman he loves. Anna Schweitzer is traveling to Mars in a bold pursuit of knowledge, barely aware of the Earthly plots surrounding her. Against impossible odds, she looks to Mars for hope. Will she live long enough to reach its untamed surface? Or will she succumb to elements more terrifying than any she left behind on the Earth?

In 2007, the blog Words from the Aether said Shadows of Medusa is “real science fiction the way it should be.”