The book begins and end with a bang, and in between is some of the best action you're likely to read this year (or any year, for that matter), along with a large helping of violence which, at times, becomes gratuitous.
We're introduced to anti-hero and hacker Elroy Coffin, the quintessential badass. Upon his release, he's offered a job by a mysterious woman who wants to find her daughter and she promises Elroy that he may find his long-lost wife, Toni. Elroy's desire to find his wife drives the plot, and it's to Romano's credit that Elroy--who could be simply a one-dimensional character--is here more complex. The book is not only a first rate techno-thriller but a character study with depth and breadth.
The violence at times reaches cartoonish levels, which detracts from the breakneck pace of the plot; Romano's salad of a book involves computer hacking, thieves, government conspiracies, human trafficking, and doomsday plots. However, the unique first-person monologue that Elroy is given keeps the book both human and compelling.
We're introduced to anti-hero and hacker Elroy Coffin, the quintessential badass. Upon his release, he's offered a job by a mysterious woman who wants to find her daughter and she promises Elroy that he may find his long-lost wife, Toni. Elroy's desire to find his wife drives the plot, and it's to Romano's credit that Elroy--who could be simply a one-dimensional character--is here more complex. The book is not only a first rate techno-thriller but a character study with depth and breadth.
The violence at times reaches cartoonish levels, which detracts from the breakneck pace of the plot; Romano's salad of a book involves computer hacking, thieves, government conspiracies, human trafficking, and doomsday plots. However, the unique first-person monologue that Elroy is given keeps the book both human and compelling.
