Free (Kindle) The Stellar Death Plan by Robert E. Vardeman [Sci-Fi Space Adventure]

[ATDrake]

The Stellar Death Plan by Robert E. Vardeman (ISFDB, Wikipedia, SFE), a 1972 Hugo Award finalist for Best Fan Writer in addition to being an author in his own right, is the 1st novel in his Masters of Space trilogy of science fiction space adventure thrillers apparently starring a man on the run after having been framed for thwarting a nefarious plan, and the wealthy socialite who aids and abets him, this installment showing the situation which puts him on the run, after uncovering theft of rare materials in his position as a mining inspector for alien overlords, which leads him to a deeper plot whose secret backers will stop at nothing to see it carried out, free for a limited time courtesy of publisher Endeavour Press' Venture imprint.

This was originally published in 1987 by Avon. We've previously received the 3rd in the trilogy as a freebie as well: A Plague in Paradise

Currently free @ Amazon (available to Canadians & in the UK and pretty much everywhere else Amazon sells worldwide, since this is being done via their KDP Select exclusive-or-else program)

Description
Earth barely fed its own people. Jobs were scarce and many scholars pointed to this century as a new Dark Ages. This wasn’t the time to raise the banner for a new crusade against aliens.
Or was it?

Barton Kinsolving has got a lot on his plate.

As mine supervisor for Interstellar Materials’ Deepdig #2 mining operation, he has to ensure that the mine is run safely, efficiently, and, most importantly, in a way that doesn’t make their alien landlords angry.

Humans are new to the interstellar scene. With a dying planet they were desperate to escape, they went out into the universe in the search of something better, only to find that there were others already there, more numerous and more technologically advanced.

Luckily, the alien races see the humans only as a primitive nuisance, and while they treat Earthlings with disdain, they can come to agreements. Such as allowing the humans to mine their land for rare earth materials that humanity needs to power interstellar flight – at a heavy price of course.

Theft of untold tons of rare materials has occurred, and been moved off-world without paying the tax. And the Lorr, the alien overseers, are not going to like that.

In the cause of his investigation, Kinsolving uncovers a much larger, much more insidious plan and suddenly he is a man marked for murder by the company he once served and the woman he once loved.

Framed for crimes beyond imagination, hunted by human and alien alike, only Barton can avert an interstellar war of unthinkable proportions!

[Dr. Drib]

Got it.

Thank you!