Aligned — Michael C. Staudinger

Deep in space, a group of fourteen miners have mysteriously disappeared. GiaTech, the owner of the expedition, contacts Harry Shultz, the mercenary captain of the Windsor, to lead a team to investigate. He chooses Gavin McGee, a quirky and superstitious man, as his forensic scientist to accompany him. Once on the planet, the investigative team finds themselves faced with a puzzle. When McGee notes that the outer planets of the system have nearly aligned, he suggests the team should leave the planet before something terrible happens....which is exactly what happens. Aligned is a sci-fi mystery thriller by the author of the Echo Valley vampire mystery series.