โ Scribed by Sandford, John
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
When Kiddโartist, computer whiz, and professional criminalโlearns of a colleagueโs murder, he doesnโt buy the official story: that a jittery security guard caught the hacker raiding the files of a high-tech Texas corporation. Itโs not what his friend was looking for that got him killed. Itโs what he already knew. For Kidd and LuEllen, infiltrating the firm is the first move. Discovering the secrets of its devious entrepreneur is the next. But itโs more than a secretโitโs a conspiracy. And itโs landed Kidd and LuEllen in the cross-hairs of an unknown assassin hellbent on conning the life out of the ultimate con artistsโฆ
Would that Sandford, creator of the marvelous and bestselling Prey thrillers, had heeded Thomas Wolfe's advice about going home again. Instead, he's resurrected a hero from his previous crime series (The Fool's Run, etc.) in his latest thriller, which begins when the infamous KiddAartist, computer expert and master criminalAis called in to investigate the mysterious death of a former colleague in Texas. Working with the victim's sister, Kidd slowly uncovers a massive computer conspiracy masterminded by St. John Corbeil, the president of a Texas microchip company, whose excesses spiral out of control when the company's product (after gaining a foothold in the world of intelligence) bombs in the commercial marketplace. At first Kidd is inclined to steer clear of the seamier side of the conspiracy, but when several members of his own high-powered criminal group are implicated and the National Security Agency begins scrutinizing his operation, he brings in his part-time partner and lover, LuEllen, to help with the investigation. Their probe turns dangerous when the corporate kingpin hires a pair of assassins to hunt down Kidd, eventually forcing him to focus on a mano-a-mano duel with Corbeil. Sandford pens plenty of stirring action scenes as Kidd's encore unfolds, and it's clear that the author likes playing with his hero's shady sensibility and the chemistry he enjoys with the versatile and erotic LuEllen. But despite his edgy and sometimes provocative narrative style, Sandford struggles to bring a sense of urgency to the narrative. Kidd's return will be welcome news for Sandford fans, but the tepid plot makes his comeback a pedestrian affair. 400,000 first printing; major ad/promo. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Before the chilling Prey novels, Sandford made his mark with computer genius Kidd. Now Kidd is back, but his colleague Jack Morrison is missing, and Kidd himself is being targeted in a national manhunt.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
๐ SIMILAR VOLUMES
### From Publishers Weekly Would that Sandford, creator of the marvelous and bestselling Prey thrillers, had heeded Thomas Wolfe's advice about going home again. Instead, he's resurrected a hero from his previous crime series (The Fool's Run, etc.) in his latest thriller, which begins when the infa
When Kiddartist, computer whiz, and professional criminallearns of a colleagues murder, he doesnt buy the official story: that a jittery security guard caught the hacker raiding the files of a high-tech Texas corporation. Its not what his friend was looking for that got him killed. Its what he alrea
SUMMARY: Computer whiz, artist, and professional criminal Kidd and his sometimes lover, LuEllen, are on the run when a colleague disappears and Kidd suddenly finds himself the subject of a national manhunt and the target of an unknown assassin. Reprint.
SUMMARY: Computer whiz, artist, and professional criminal Kidd and his sometimes lover, LuEllen, are on the run when a colleague disappears and Kidd suddenly finds himself the subject of a national manhunt and the target of an unknown assassin. Reprint.