Recently I finished reading Death Star by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry. Unless you're really into Star Wars, you probably won't be that interested in reading it. I'm not saying it wasn't good! On the contrary, I really enjoyed it. But it was rather slow-moving until the last fifteen chapters or so.
If you are a Star Wars fanatic, you'll be surprised at just how much there is to learn about the happenings of the pre-Episode IV Death Star project. While not especially action-filled, there is plenty of suspense, drama, and even humor to keep the story going. And, while I certainly don't side with Darth Vader, I now understand his point of view much better. This book explains a lot of what the movies do not.
There are many more characters than just Vader, Tarkin, and Leia, and it's exciting to see how the lives of all the characters from vastly different backgrounds will mix, forming relationships both odd and endearing, and working together to create, or destroy, the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy. Who survives? You'll just have to read and find out.