HARDWIRED

Julie Blake, the author's pugnacious heroine (Cyberkiss, 1996, etc.), and her lover Vic Paoli, partners in Data 9000, their struggling computer investigations firm, are thrilled with a job offer from NASA. It comes from picture-perfect Margo Miller, in charge of p.r. at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, who had been a college buddy of Vic's. Someone is hacking into NASA's computers, shutting down software programs and threatening a delay in the next shuttle mission, only weeks away. Arriving at the Center, Julie and Vic meet icy Lisa Foster, the interim Director, who gives them a week to find the hacker. Meanwhile, the team of astronauts in residence for the upcoming shuttle mission, headed by John Garza, seems to be having a lot more than computer contamination problems, such as the apparent suicide of team member Gary Olander, followed by the drowning death—definitely murder—of Garza. There are rumors of alien sightings; reports of unauthorized biological experiments in space; a spy planted in the Center by a rabid group of anti-space activists; and rumblings of politically motivated funding cuts. With all of this, not to mention Julie's jealous dislike of Margo and the totally superfluous presence of Max, Julie's best woman friend, Vic and Julie still manage to uncover a nasty conspiracy. Defying belief is an old game with Chapman, but this outing should come with a warning label: Computer ignoramuses, stay away! Welcome space groupies only!