In the first book of the series, Firefly: Big Damn Hero we got a glimpse of Shepherd Book's mysterious background before he became a man of the cloth, and this time around we get a lot more than just a glimpse of the past of the man they call Jayne. Jayne's past catches up to him when an old flame, Temperance. reaches out to him in dire need of assistance. Her small town on a dusty planet in the middle of nowhere is under threat from a band of thugs and she is desperate enough to reach out to Jayne even though they didn't part on good terms. This does sound like a job for Jayne but he also knows he can't go it alone so the entire crew winds up risking their lives for someone they don't even know. Not to mention this isn't even a paying gig.

Jayne's past made for one of the most memorable episodes of the TV series and although this book is much more serious than that episode, it is still great to get more backstory on Jayne Cobb. The stakes get even higher and far more complicated for Jayne when Temperance turns out to have a daughter who is just old enough to be his, and who also happens to be named Jane. Both of them are at risk from a gang of thugs known as the Scourers and there is little time for Mal and crew to come up with a plan to save everyone. Of course Mal's plan goes to hell before the first shot is even fired and the rest of the book is one improvisation after with each member of the crew getting a chance to play their part.

The book starts with a quote from Old Earth That Was: "That is most precious which lasts least long" and those words really hit home for any fan of the TV series Firefly. I am pretty happy that the series gets to last a little bit longer through this book series, and once again this felt like it could easily have been an actual episode of the show. There are currently two more books in the series and I must say I am really looking forward to them. Once again James Anderson Foster does an excellent job with the narration of the audiobook and he successfully channels the cast of the TV show without trying to mimic their voices.