The Mountains of Montora
Frank Nyman's life as the owner / operator of a freight carrying starship changes radically when his brother, the Margrave of Montora, is murdered. Frank and his wife, Wendy, travel to the planet Hepplewhite to investigate the deaths and settle the estate.
After deciding to take over the estate, they discover the avaricious planetary Duke Hepplewhite is trying by any means to assume ownership of Montora. Frank's eventual discovery of large quantities of gold and gemstones clearly establishes the Duke's motivation.
The Montora Village pastor attempts to explain God's working to an unbelieving Frank, who is now facing the greatest crisis of his life. This first book of the Montora series introduces us to the Nyman family - independent merchants who get dragged against their will into the political maelstrom. The implosion of the cultures, economies and fortunes of this human inhabited galactic sector is something everyone fears, and no one seems to know how to counter.