Death Logs Out

Simon (Death Logs In, 2014, etc.) delivers the latest chapter of his Michael Nicholas adventures in this international tech-thriller.

Michael is the CEO of Gibraltar Financial, an upstanding financial company, but he’s also been running an illegal gambling ring called Tartarus ever since his brother, Alex, died. But that death, which took place two years ago, is complicated: Alex uploaded his consciousness to an artificial intelligence program, which allows him to live, so to speak, beyond the grave. That’s useful for Michael, who’s facing a proverbial sea of troubles: his company is being taken over by a man named Jonathan Goldstein, who wants to strip its assets for profit; Sindy Steele, Michael’s ex-bodyguard and mistress, has become unhinged and is putting Michael’s family in danger; and Kurt Schlegelberger, the pope’s consigliere, and Hans Ulricht, a wealthy Swiss banker, want to eliminate Michael before they go forward with their plan for a new world order. Suffice it to say that there’s a lot going on at once, and Michael is frequently in danger, only to be saved by the literal deus ex machina of his artificial intelligence brother. Simon balances out the constant action and globe-trotting with some lighter scenes featuring Alex communicating with his ex-wife, Donna, or other past lovers, confusing and enthralling those who assumed he was dead and gone. That said, the characters are underdeveloped; the cartoonish bad guys, in particular, stretch the story’s credulity. Also, after two previous books in this series, it’s odd that some characters still can’t seem to wrap their heads around the concept of Alex existing on a computer. There are some engaging discussions about consciousness after death and about artificial intelligence, although these wrap up quickly in order to focus on the increasingly unbelievable machinations of the plot. Indeed, the story serves up plenty of twists and turns, giving the story a propulsive, unflagging pace.

Tech-savvy action fans and conspiracy buffs will find plenty to like, despite some thin characterization.