Review by Booklist Review
Veteran author Graham (A Murderer Among Us, 2024) takes on a very modern topic in this police-procedural thriller. The story begins when a law firm receptionist in St. Augustine, Florida, is killed after the artificial intelligence controlling the smart devices in her home goes haywire. Pair that with two suspicious vehicular crashes, and law enforcement wonders: is it a simple computer glitch or a targeted hack? Hyper-competent FBI agents Jude and Vicky are called in to find out. Both are young, attractive, and at the top of their game, and sparks inevitably fly between them. Some of the deductive leaps seem a little far-fetched, but the two are thorough, investigating the law firm and journeying into the territory of criminals and, with the help of some computer coding experts, the dark web. Despite the contemporary premise, some interesting Floridian history is also covered. The writing is a little clunky, but readers who like a breakneck-paced plot above all else will find it to be an enjoyable ride.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Graham (A Murderer Among Us) squanders an intriguing premise about the dangers of AI in this disappointing techno-thriller. When Florida legal receptionist Marci Warden stabs herself with an electric knife being operated by "Chrissie," her home's smart assistant, it's the latest in a line of similar cases. A Tennessee judge was recently killed after his computer-equipped car sped into a tree, and a digitally operated yacht carrying three prosecutors exploded after slamming into a jetty on the Florida coast. The FBI taps agents Jude Mackenzie and Victoria Tennant to investigate possible links between the incidents. Soon, sparks fly between the investigators, even as more bodies pile up and they become targets for whoever's behind the attacks. The plot's straight-faced procedural approach clashes with the pulpy material, and Graham has little to say about AI technology beyond limply framing malware as the "the terrorism of the future." Some implausible oversights by the seasoned Mackenzie and Tennant further detract from the proceedings. It's a letdown. Agent: Lucy Childs, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Apr.)
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