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This story definitely has a “ripped from the headlines” feel. It revolves around a mercurial President of the United States who is both loved and hated in equal measure. His consideration of slapping China with trade tariffs leads to multiple instances of mayhem that threaten both government officials and innocent bystanders.
Finlay paints a frighteningly realistic picture of two of the things people often fear today—terrorism and cybercrime. When a freelance computer hacker, who doubles as an assassin, sets a plan in motion to make sure the US President doesn’t impose tariffs, malevolence multiplies rapidly. A secret-selling bureaucrat gets more than he bargained for. The wife of the President’s Chief of Staff has her identity stolen and her sanity assaulted. An FBI consultant and his fiancé are swept into a race against time to find and stop an unknown villain whose tactics just might be trending toward mass casualties.
The author’s pace moves at Internet speed. With the introduction of each principal character, just enough backstory is provided to heighten interest. Scenes play out cinematically. From assignations in high-priced hotels to intricate computer setups in seedy apartment buildings, the narrative unwinds, almost climaxes, then regenerates itself into a heart-stopping finale. Finlay is a skilled writer who seems just as at home with computer criminality as he is with human frailty, friendship, and hope. His story feels authentic whether he’s describing fast-acting physical paralysis or slow-moving relationship disintegration. If you like crisp, well-crafted storytelling that’s as contemporary as today, you really should log on to Remote Access.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
