Review: Target Pool by S. A. Black

 

Genre: Technothriller

Description:

“When ad exec Diana Lane scores a hot new sales lead, it seems like her string of bad luck has come to an end. But the new ad campaign exhibits odd behavior, prompting Lane to suspect it's linked to a recent assassination attempt by political extremists. As she investigates whether the client's ads are being used to distribute surveillance software, Diana is torn between looking the other way for an easy payout and risking her own life by trying to uncover the truth.

In this debut novel by a real advertising technology exec, the mechanics of the surveillance economy are laid bare. Inspired in part by real life events and actual technology vulnerabilities, Target Pool examines how advertising exists in a grey area between necessary — and necessary evil.”

Author:

“S. A. Black is a veteran leader in the advertising industry. Target Pool is their first novel.”

Appraisal:

This book gets you thinking in lots of ways, from advertising in general and how it works, to how it feels like we’re being targeted for ads on social media (okay, are being, it isn’t just a feeling). Then we throw in the current thing that is giving people concerns, for good reason, artificial intelligence and how that might figure into this. The result is something that should get you thinking, put you on guard, and just might make you feel a little bit paranoid, but justifiably so.

But woven in with this scary stuff is a lot of fun stuff. I’ve never been surfing nor will I ever be doing that, but the protagonist is an avid surfer and you’ll feel like you’re on the waves with her at times which is quite an adventure. If you love the city of San Francisco and surrounding area as much as I do then the descriptions of it as the protagonist enjoys her city and describes different parts of it will pull you in. If you aren’t already a SF lover, this might help you realize that you’ve been missing out and want to visit someday. This all helped offset as well as contrast with the more intense parts of the book and helped make the story even better.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofreading misses.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: The Perfect Algorithm - The Pleasant Lake Mysteries: Book 1 by Ken Scudero

 

Genre: Technothriller

Description:

“Dane Gilbert knew he was a great psychiatrist. What else could explain his ability to cure patients to the point they never came back? Life at home was another story...

Dane and his wife, Janie, lived in the wealthy community of Pleasant Lake, NY - a place with more secrets than sunsets. When Janie, an artist, vanishes on the lake after an argument, Dane becomes the top suspect due to his violent past.

In the midst of searching for his wife and proving his innocence, Dane discovers a haunting conspiracy involving artificial intelligence. He ends up on a wild goose chase encountering suspicious neighbors, FBI agents, and a mysterious tech company called Lucas Corp. Dane's own sanity is tested when he questions who he is actually searching for - his wife, the people framing him, or the CEO of Lucas Corp.”

Author:

“Ken Scudero found his calling as an author in the 5th grade when he wrote a short story about a boy who learned how to blend dreams with reality. After years of tedious work in Corporate America, Ken finally took the leap to writing full time. He's passionate about crafting unique mysteries with unforgettable twists. His writing style sits somewhere between psychological thriller and small town mystery.

Ken is guilty of having too many hobbies and interests when he's not dreaming up plot twists. He's a movie buff, a music lover, a sports talk radio fanatic, a wine maker, a fisherman, a golfer, a chicken cutlet connoisseur, a handyman, and on occasion, a gardener. He resides in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.”

Appraisal:

This novella is a quick, intense read that kept me guessing how it was going to turn out. That there was strange stuff going on with protagonist Dane’s wife was obvious from the start. Whether Dane was going to figure it out or convince the authorities it wasn’t him so they would figure it out kept things tense, for Dane and the reader. Dane’s already hard struggles with himself become even harder with this going on. Just when I thought I had it all figured out and things were coming to a head, I found out how wrong I was. Maybe you’ll figure things out better than I did or maybe not. Either way if you’re in to intense thrillers this one delivers.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review based on an advance reviewer copy, so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: BITS by C. J. Kichuk

 Genre: Technothriller

Description:

"What does it mean to be human—or perhaps human 2.0?"

This question sets the stage for the thrilling journey that awaits in BITS, an action-packed thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In a world where the lines between artificial intelligence and human sentience are blurred, we are forced to question what it truly means to be human.

We meet Clayton Rhodes, a seasoned FBI agent with a complicated past and a 25-year career under his belt. After a traumatic experience, Clayton is at a crossroads in his life. But when he is offered a chance to work with a renowned psychiatrist on an experimental project involving AI, he sees it as an opportunity to redeem himself and get back to active duty.

Tasked with teaching an AI entity the intricate art of undercover operations, Clayton hopes this opportunity will be his ticket back to active-duty status, a chance to exorcise the ghosts of his past and reclaim his life. However, what begins as a straightforward assignment spirals into a mind-bending odyssey.

Clayton's journey into the world of AI shatters his expectations, disrupts his plans and overshadows his desires, leaving him to navigate a labyrinth that challenges his very perception of reality.

Long after the masterfully delivered dose of adrenaline fades, BITS leaves the reader with much to ponder.”

Author:

“C.J. Kichuk has taken has taken his years of experience in software development, cyber security, and management consulting, and blended in the creative energy of his years as a songwriter and performer. His debut novel BITS is the result of his ‘what if’ approach to life. Living in Austin, Texas, when not spinning yarns, he can often be found in his home studio writing and recording music.”

Appraisal:

The thriller aspects of this story would make for a good read. Throwing in all the unexpected twists and turns that it takes due to the involvement of artificial intelligence and you’ve got a story that will have you on the edge of your seat, never quite sure what to expect next. That the things depicted in this story might not be wild science fiction someone is imagining could happen in the distant future, but instead things that seem to be, if not possible today, well within what might happen in the near future, makes for that much more of an intense read. The book’s description says it leaves the reader with much to ponder and I agree, this should get you considering AI and its potential repercussions, both good and bad.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count:110-115,000 words

Review: Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin, MD

 Genre: Technothriller

Description:

“The medical examiner’s job is to speak for the dead and protect the living.

But what happens when the dead speak for themselves?

Stephen Englehart, an Armed Forces medical examiner. dedicates his life to bringing peace to the families of fallen soldiers. Tagged as one of the best, he’s able to spot forensic clues others miss. But when the body of a US Marine, supposedly burned beyond recognition, shows up with hardly a scratch, even Stephen is stumped. Were the bodies switched? Then, in the middle of the autopsy, the impossible happens.

The soldier wakes up.

Something incredible—and dangerous—is happening to the military’s elite, and Stephen may be the only one who can figure it out. And when Stephen’s sister, a Green Beret, goes missing, the entire military machine seems designed to stop him from finding her. To find the truth and save his sister, one man must stand against an army. Can he be the hero he never thought he could?”

Author:

“Being a full-time physician hasn't stopped Joel from writing. Far from it, the complexity of his patients, prior service with the United States Air Force, a Master's in Public Health, and involvement in organized medicine in the middle of an ever-changing healthcare system all provide raw material for his stories.

Joel's short work has appeared in various print and online journals, and he's won several awards, including Best Medical Fiction from SEAK and an Honorable Mention from Writer's Digest Thriller Suspense Competition. Adverse effects is his debut novel.

Joel lives in Florida with his wife and twin daughters.”

Appraisal:

The one thing this technothriller definitely does is keep you guessing. You’re figuring out lots of things with the protagonist, Stephen Englehart, as he does his job, tries to figure out what is happening with his sister who has gone missing, and what is going on with his current work project. He’s also got parts of his past that still bother him and he finds himself discovering were much more complex than he realized as a kid when they happened. How all these different things tie together comes out eventually as Stephen peels back more and more layers to each part of the story. This kept me guessing and engaged in the many related mysteries, hoping it would all work out for Stephen, right up to the very end.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an ARC (advance reviewer copy) so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: The Anshar Gambit by Ian G McDowell

 

Genre: Near Future Techno-thriller

Description:

The Earth is about to be blown to bits (not really a spoiler, as this information is in the first sentence of the Prologue). There is an asteroid which has been captured by Space Corps Inc to be mined for rare minerals required for faster-than-light space flight, but is instead about to be cut into chunks for use as missiles.

Humanity is on the cusp of being able to ‘escape the surly bonds of Earth’ as the poet says. Anshar, as the asteroid has been named, was supposed to enable that but (mwah ha ha) a lunatic has taken over the project and several major cities are obliterated before anyone can do anything sensible.

The book cuts between various points of view and locations to convey to the reader how and why things have come to this pass. Also, who is trying to prevent the destruction set in motion, and how they are going about it.

The sense of panic thus induced in the reader is way past ‘page turning’. I couldn’t put this down.

Author:

McDowell is a software engineer and technologist. He has worked at top Silicon Valley tech companies and has a Masters degree in Information Management and Systems. He makes excellent use of this knowledge and skill in his fiction. He is a talented writer. As a reader one quickly acquires that confidence in the writing, essential for this kind of tale, that the whizz-bang ride he is taking one on is not going to blow a gasket mid-story.

Appraisal:

This is an excellent, fast-paced, thriller. The author is well-versed in current and near-future tech, and laces the books with oodles of drones, HUDs, brain implants, and IT things we haven’t even imagined yet. McDowell, however, has imagined them. And he knows how to deploy them on the page. Hopefully not in the real world or we’re all doomed.

The strength of the story isn’t in its plotting, to be fair. It is a standard ‘end of the world as we know it’ scenario. But the characters are drawn vividly and larger than life, and the tension is kept at ‘twang’ pitch throughout. This would make a super action movie. There is never a dull moment. And just when you think the story is coming in for a soft landing – whee! It takes off again.

The book is not only a wild ride, it has plenty to say about where we’re actually heading, environmentally and technologically. It includes IT/AI and security corporations which seem all too familiar, and which have no ESG whatsoever in their structure. Inter alia it asks that all-important question ‘just because we can, should we?’

Thoroughly recommended, if you like hard, near future, SF.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Plenty of cussing

Format/Typo Issues:

A few continuity issues. You won’t have time to worry about them.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Review: Ghost Trigger by Alex Lopes

 

Genre: Cyberpunk/Technothriller

Description:

“In the near-future, from the claustrophobic depths of a server room, a brave hacker sacrifices his life to pass on damning documents to an unsuspecting ally, an employee of the very megacorporation that stands as a symbol of their oppression.

This unsuspecting woman, shaken by the weight of the truth, finds herself thrust into a perilous game of rebellion. As she undergoes a transformation from a corporate employee to a daring whistleblower, she joins forces with Marton, an unyielding attorney from the Victims and Families organization, and Jo, a mysterious and skilled mercenary. United, they form an unexpected alliance, determined to expose the decay lurking within the Firm.

As they navigate the city's underbelly, their quest becomes more dangerous, their allies fewer, and their mission ever more critical. Feel the pulse of their desperation, the strength in their defiance, and the warmth of their shared moments of respite. Join them in their fight to expose the truth, one flash drive at a time.

Tailored for fans of thriller literature and everyone who cherishes a story with twists and turns, Ghost Trigger will keep you glued to its pages.”

Author:

“Alex Lopes grew up in the periphery of Brazil, captivated from a young age by books and the computers in his father's repair shop.

Over 20 years, he navigated the universe of technology, moving through virtually all areas of IT, until finally finding himself as a software engineer.

A lifelong enthusiast of both literature and tech, he seeks to join these worlds in his writing.”

Appraisal:

Although set in a futuristic world that is far advanced in a technological sense than our current one, in many ways the meat of this story, a thriller with a protagonist fighting back against an evil corporation, is one that could just as easily happen today. I found the story world interesting and it added to the story as well as made what might happen or what response the heroes of the story might try less predictable, but as a thriller lover it also satisfied those needs. An enjoyable and intense read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Reprise Review: Interface by Tony Batton

 Genre: Science Fiction/Technothriller

Description:

“Tom Faraday - new employee at the famous CERUS Biotech - wakes up after a Friday night party to find it's Monday, and he's lost the entire weekend. And that’s only the start of his problems.

25 years ago CERUS crossed boundaries that should not have been crossed. With Tom's help, they're about to try again. And what they have in mind will change everything

Author:

Tony Batton worked in international law firms, media companies and Formula One motorsport, before turning his hand to writing novels. He is passionate about great stories, gadgets and coffee, and probably consumes too much of each.

Tony's novels explore the possibilities and dangers of new technology, and how that can change lives. When not writing, or talking about gadgets, Tony likes to play basketball, guitar, and computer games with his two young sons. He lives in London with his family.

Appraisal:

I write novels in the technothriller space. I’m not sure whether that makes me more likely to enjoy or to be critical of fiction written in a similar vein. I just thought I’d put that out there before saying that this was a very good example of the genre that kept me engaged and turning pages.

The McGuffin--nanotechnology that enhances a human brain, is current and close enough to warrant speculation. The technical details never bog down the story. The characters were believable. The CERUS HQ was futuristic and very cool. The main character, Tom, went through an interesting story arc that moved him from unsuspecting victim to… well that would be an unnecessary spoiler. Tom was often in danger, as were those who supported him, and yet he managed to extricate himself from most situations without some miraculous external intervention, so the tension remained taut throughout.

Although this is Book One of a series, the story is complete in its own right. We are left with a hook for the second book but, thank heavens, not a cliffhanger! If I didn’t have such a large backlog in my TBR list, I’d read the second installment.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review published March 3, 2017

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

The Midas Effect by Manuel Dorado

 (translated by Laura Fitzgerald)

Genre: Science Fiction/Technothriller

Description:

Extract from Amazon: “Miguel Le Fablec, a young European university professor, appears to have the ability to turn his imagination into reality – the so-called Midas Effect. Unaware of his power, Miguel attracts the attention of the CIA and NASA, which take him to the US and draw him into international intrigues, scientific projects and secret services operations that overwhelm his reaction capacity. Everyone wants to control and use him.”

Author:

Manuel Dorado has a background in the area in which he has set this, his first novel. Not the CIA. Hopefully. But he is an aerospace engineer. His short fiction in Spanish has won awards, and been included in a number of magazines. This is his first novel and, I think, his first translated work.

Laura Fitzgerald translated the novel. She has retained excellent page-turning quality and the English is supple and effective.

Appraisal:

This is an unusual novel in several ways. I like unusual, which is why I was drawn to it in BigAl’s looong list of indie books looking for reviews.

For a start, it was written in Spanish and has been published in translation. So, from the outset this British reader is getting a different worldview. Spanish is not constructed anything like English. A book has to be well constructed to withstand such a sea change without reading as stilted. For this reason, I don’t usually seek out translated literature or poetry. But I had already become intrigued by this novel before realising. Still, I like being outside my literary comfort zone. It’s why I review indie books, because they are like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. So with this.

The premise is a simple one, but one which I have not come across before in science fiction: what if you could influence events so as to have the outcome you want every time. We can all imagine ourselves having that ability, so although it is definitely fiction about science it also snuggles up warmly to the reader, as the concept is eminently graspable. What would we do with that ability? Could we control it? How would we control it? And, most importantly (as the blurb considers) what would The Powers That Be do with a person with such a gift?

I like the way certain characteristics of the people inhabiting the book are reinforced each time they take centre stage. Castillo fiddles with his tie, Gorlov has an endless supply of cheap pens which he deconstructs while he thinks. Everyone has a tic. Physical descriptions of the characters really worked for me, as with this: “Fred smiled. His Anglo-Saxon features compressed with the action, his eyes almost disappearing between cavernous wrinkles.” The descriptions are pithy and insightful, reinforcing characterisation, motivation and action. This enables the protagonists to think in really rather subtle ways. Indeed, the imagery throughout the book is a delight. I also like the lightly worn knowledge of the geographical settings that Dorado uses, in the USA, Europe and the Middle East.

So much for the characterisation, what of the plot? There is plenty of that too, despite the ‘inflection’ taking place, inevitably, inside the head of the Midas. There is danger, and chases; allies turn out to be enemies and vice versa. The page turning quality is excellent.

And, finally, it has a twist at the end which I did not see coming (and I almost always spot the twist coming).

Recommended.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 135-140,000 words

Review: Kludged Singularity by Tony L Joy

Genre: Technothriller

Description:

“Alan is wasting his time in technical support, dreaming of the future. Accidentally releasing an advanced computer worm wasn’t how he imagined it would start. Now he’s just trying to hold everything together with digital duct tape and wishful thinking.

His employer’s sinister secrets throw a wrench in those plans as he learns the technological singularity is imminent. When ‘working to live’ takes on a literal meaning Alan realizes the future may not be as bright as he’d hoped.

Alan fights to guide the future of humanity before control, and freedom, slip from his fingers forever.”

Author:

“Tony L Joy currently lives in Colorado and has spent his adult life explaining increasingly less comprehensible computer problems to similarly less comprehensible people in exchange for money. When not exchanging knowledge for currency, he writes stories and books”

Appraisal:

The primary reason I didn’t rate this book one or possibly even two stars more is that it is lacking in polish. The proofreader needed to take another pass or two through it as there were numerous minor errors that kept throwing me out of the story when I’d have to re-read a sentence after mentally tripping over the place where a small word was missing or a minor typo jumped out at me.

That said, if you’re not sensitive to those kind of issues (or you’re willing to overlook them) there is an interesting story here. It invokes some interesting questions about whether technology can be taken too far, morality and ethics in a changing world, and even what it takes to make something human. A good technothriller will have you excited about what technology can possibly do some day (and for my tastes it shouldn’t be too far out there, so seemingly plausible), but also provide a counterpoint, cautioning us to be careful. The story in Kludged Singularity hits that balance well.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

Way too many issues that should have been caught in copyediting and proofreading. None serious, but the sheer number was way more than is reasonable.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words

Review: Prediction by Tony Batton

Genre: Technothriller

Description:

“When someone steals a top secret experimental nuclear reactor, the British intelligence services have no leads. Their hopes rest on a new quantum super computer, one capable of interpreting patterns in the oceans of intelligence data. There’s just the small challenge of building it.

Gregory Jenson, CEO of ZAT Systems, is tasked by MI5 to create the computer, but ghosts in his past could thwart matters before he even begins. Young lawyer, Michael Adams, is given the task of helping Jenson, but he soon has problems of his own.

And they’ll soon learn that a hidden player wants to use the new system for their own plans – someone incredibly well-informed, and prepared to go to any lengths to achieve their goals.

And if they succeed, the recovery of the nuclear reactor will be the least of everyone’s problems.”

Author:

“Tony Batton worked in international law firms, media companies and Formula One motorsport, before turning his hand to writing novels. He is passionate about great stories, gadgets and coffee, and probably consumes too much of each.”

Appraisal:

An intense technothriller that might creep into near future science fiction. The reason I say might is that it’s hard to know what is and isn’t possible in today’s world and what might become possible in the near future. The concept here is that the use of “big data” will make it possible not only to figure out how to influence the masses in what to buy and who to vote for, but also to predict the future.

It’s a fast-paced, unpredictable and intense story. But more importantly it should get you thinking, pondering what the future might hold.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Uses UK spelling conventions.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of errors, but not enough to be a big concern. Using the word waive instead of wave two or three times especially caught my attention.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 100-105,000 words

Review: Interface by Tony Batton

Genre: Science Fiction/Technothriller

Description:

“Tom Faraday - new employee at the famous CERUS Biotech - wakes up after a Friday night party to find it's Monday, and he's lost the entire weekend. And that’s only the start of his problems.

25 years ago CERUS crossed boundaries that should not have been crossed. With Tom's help, they're about to try again. And what they have in mind will change everything.”

Author:

Tony Batton worked in international law firms, media companies and Formula One motorsport, before turning his hand to writing novels. He is passionate about great stories, gadgets and coffee, and probably consumes too much of each.

Tony's novels explore the possibilities and dangers of new technology, and how that can change lives. When not writing, or talking about gadgets, Tony likes to play basketball, guitar, and computer games with his two young sons. He lives in London with his family.

Appraisal:

I write novels in the technothriller space. I’m not sure whether that makes me more likely to enjoy or to be critical of fiction written in a similar vein. I just thought I’d put that out there before saying that this was a very good example of the genre that kept me engaged and turning pages.

The McGuffin--nanotechnology that enhances a human brain, is current and close enough to warrant speculation. The technical details never bog down the story. The characters were believable. The CERUS HQ was futuristic and very cool. The main character, Tom, went through an interesting story arc that moved him from unsuspecting victim to… well that would be an unnecessary spoiler. Tom was often in danger, as were those who supported him, and yet he managed to extricate himself from most situations without some miraculous external intervention, so the tension remained taut throughout.

Although this is Book One of a series, the story is complete in its own right. We are left with a hook for the second book but, thank heavens, not a cliffhanger! If I didn’t have such a large backlog in my TBR list, I’d read the second installment.

Buy now from:            Amazon US     Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating:  ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

The London Project / Mark J. Maxwell

Reviewed by: Pete Barber

Genre: Technothriller

Approximate word count: 105-110,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Mark J Maxwell is a writer living in Dublin, Ireland. The London Project is his first novel. Mark would love to hear from you. He can be reached on twitter or at his website.

Description:

Set in a near-future London, England. Tech giant, Portal, has transformed the lives of the city’s residents. Portal’s centralized network is ubiquitous, its free services utilized for everything from communications to entertainment, transport to health care.

On the eve of the network’s expansion throughout the UK, Detective Sergeant Louisa Bennett investigates the death of a young girl. Her body covered in lacerations, the victim’s autopsy reveals an unidentifiable cellular structure permeating her brain. The case is further complicated when no trace of the girl can be found on Portal.

Appraisal:

This was a mixed-bag read for me. On one hand, the author’s description of Portal was nothing short of brilliant. Not only from a technological perspective, but also from the social and cultural changes the technology caused in the lives of London’s citizens. Cars that drove themselves, healthcare records merged and immediately accessible, personal feeds that included the emotional responses of the provider available instantly to everyone who is hooked into the system. Now that makes Twitter following look stone-aged. TV ads tailored to the viewer’s preferences and featuring the viewer as a lifelike avatar in the action—wow! Great stuff. I really got my geek on J.

Portal has sensors embedded in road signs, street lamps . . . just about everywhere. Everyone is tracked and traced both through their connected devices and through face recognition software, which is a huge boon to law enforcement and is where the flaw that drives the plot occurs.

Detective Louisa Bennett is tasked with investigating the murder of a teenage girl who has no profile in Portal. So, not only must the detective find out whodunit, but also figure how this girl can possibly be unknown to the system. The story follows Louisa as she works her way to a solution to the murder and in the process discovers a huge conspiracy.

Overall the novel worked, although there were some sketchy plot devices used later in the story to force the climax. But for this reader it moved too slowly. Louisa’s investigation involved a couple meetings with higher-ups in Portal, and some involvement with MI6. These side plots threw more characters into the mix and were written with as much detail as the main line, so rather than the story accelerating to a grand finale showdown, it meandered so much that I found myself skip reading parts of the final third.

But this is a first novel, and Mr. Maxwell is a good writer with a knack for building futuristic worlds.

Format/Typo Issues:

UK English spelling and usage, but nothing that would cause a major misunderstanding.

Rating: **** Four stars

Reprise Review: NanoStrike / Pete Barber

This review is a reprise of the review first published 9/21/2012. Originally titled Allah's Revenge, Pete Barber talked last Saturday about revamping this book. If you missed that, read about it here.

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Thriller/Speculative Fiction

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Availability    

Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO

Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“I was born into a blue-collar family in Liverpool, England. Like my peers, I grew up working with my hands until an uncanny aptitude for building computer software allowed me to trade overalls and hard-hat for a suit and tie.

I immigrated to the US in the early 90s, became an American citizen, and lived the American dream.

After twenty successful years in the corporate world, I turned my back on eighty-hour weeks and quarterly results and bought a run-down, dog-friendly motel in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. A close friend still refers to this decision as a brain fart; but life is a one-time play, and no one can write, and run a public company.

When the worlds of finance and real estate went stir-crazy in 2005, I sold the business and moved to Lake Lure, North Carolina where, in addition to helping my wife manage a small herd of llamas, I am, at last, fulfilling my life's ambition to write speculative fiction.”

Pete is also Books and Pals most prolific pal; if you read his reviews you’ll get an idea of the kind of scrutiny he’s put his own book through. This is his first book, with another work in progress expected to be released in the spring of 2013 summer of 2014. For more, visit Pete’s website.

Description:

“Allah’s Revenge,” an Islamic terrorist group, terrorizes the world using a weapon developed with nanotechnology. Quinn, an English cop, is determined to find and stop them.

Appraisal:

I’m a big thriller reader. Speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, and similar), not so much. What I liked about the speculative fiction portion of NanoStrike is that it involved technology that, while not here today, could be. Nanotechnology is on the leading edge of science; the nanotech inventions and discoveries that figure in this story aren’t hard to imagine as possible in the near future.

There’s also a lot to like about the thriller portion of NanoStrike. Building on a premise (both political and scientific) that could happen someday, it has a likeable protagonist, necessary in my opinion to draw the reader in. If you don’t care about the protagonist, it’s hard to care about his success.

What I found interesting is that, while not wanting the bad guys to succeed, I still found some of them sympathetic at times, and even the most evil of the conspirators was involved in doing something that could have had a positive effect on the world. Since thrillers are plot driven, character development often doesn’t get as much attention, resulting in secondary characters that are cartoonish or caricatures. Barber avoided this mistake, while still leaving no doubt about who the good guys and bad guys were. Thriller fans should find NanoStrike, with its combination of timely concerns and speculation about what the future might hold, a very worthy read.

FYI:

Some adult language and situations

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars