3.5 - 4 stars ( )

3.5- 4 stars ( )

Van Shaw is an unapologetic, unrepentant, and really good, thief. He's good at his "job," having learned it from his grandpa, and though he is supposedly rehabilitated into polite society, he, and the author, make no apologies for his lifestyle. That's refreshing in a novel. Van is also ex-military, so in the character of Shaw, Glen Erik Hamilton is able to combine heist derring-do with military acumen along with a nice dose of electronic savvy to enable Shaw to get out of and into almost any rough situation in which he finds himself (or actively seeks to enter himself).

This particular story involves corporate espionage and murder, and Van tangles himself up in both after finding himself the fall guy in the schemes of the rich and amoral. His adventure takes him cross-country in an attempt to clear his name, bring the perpetrators to justice, and right the wrongs done by the Evil Corporations.

The story is fun, suspenseful, and action-packed, though following the whys and wherefores of the motives and reasons behind the corporatists' actions was challenging. The theme of the Evil Corporation is also a little tired at this point; can we not find a more varied set of villains?

Finally a word about style: the author has a nasty and annoying fragment habit, marring an otherwise nice writing style. Here is one particularly egregious example:

"Hargreaves knew that Tucker and the others had been talking among themselves about Bao and about the lawyer, Linda Edgemont. Making their own guesses as to what had happened to each."

And another:

"Shaw cruised past [three used-car dealers] during the next hour. Taking his time to get a good look."

I'm all for bending grammatical rules when they make sense. These fragments just don't.

Finally, a word to the publisher: the best parts of the story are currently revealed in the book's jacket synopsis. If it's not too late to edit that, readers will greatly appreciate not being told half the story before they read the first page. ( )