by Frederic Vincent Huber ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 1981
Loaded with implausible twists and aggressively ingratiating characters, this tale of theft-and-blackmail-by-computer is weak on suspense, somewhat stronger on irascible I-hate-New-York charm. Huber divides his attention pretty equally between bad guys and good guys--and though this constantly shifting focus rules out much emotional involvement, all the players come equipped with sympathy-grabbing motivations. The not-so-bad bad guys: suburbia-stifled computer expert Robert Wilson, who blames N.Y.C. (and its computers) for the Bronx tenement death of his aged parents; and Wilson's semi-reluctant sidekick Wimpie Begelman, a pool-playing computer-whiz who needs money to save his aged, ailing mother from death in a Brooklyn tenement. The Wilson/Begelman plan? They steal $100,000 from the city (via computer) and use the money to buy their own minicomputer; they then play practical jokes on the city (bogus payroll checks, haywire traffic lights, etc.); and finally--thanks to secret computer codes which Wilson has seduced from a boozy city programmer--they ""steal"" and hold for ransom ($20 million) some Education Budget data which N.Y. must have in order to get a $200 million federal loan. By this time, however, the good guys have arrived: investigator Marvin Klein from the Division of Computer Security, who's oppressed by city life; and grumpy NYPD Detective Joe Copeley, who's all at sea with computers--until he has to take care of his under-loved, ten-year-old granddaughter Susie. Susie, you see, just happens to be a computer prodigy. . . who just happens to recognize Begelman's computer-pseudonym ""Zarf"". . . which, implausibly, Begelman signed when doing those city-computer hijinks. So, thanks to this string of coincidences, the good guys track clown the bad guys--just in time to save them from some really bad guys. . . . Don't look for much credibility or tension here, then: Huber's not in the same computer-suspense class with John McNeil (The Consultant) or Bruce Jackson (The Programmer). But--with the crusty-grandpa sentiment and a comic-caper fadeout--this is a genial enough diversion for those with a taste for programs and printouts.
Pub Date: July 1, 1981
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Seaview--dist. by Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: N/A
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1981
Categories: FICTION
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.