LOVE BYTES

Second of the author's stories about 30ish computer whiz Julie Blake (Raw Data, 1991) who has now left her top job at ICI in California's Silicon Valley to form, with lover Vic Paoli, an agency to investigate computer fraud. They're struggling to pay the bills and reluctantly accept a job outside their venue—finding computer genius Arnie Lufkin for his ditzy fiancÇe Lorna Donatello, who's also his bail bondsman. Lufkin has stolen a million from Anco, a blockbuster San Francisco corporation, by hacking into their system. He's on the run from the FBI, can't get at his money, and yet seems to be a step ahead of Julie and Vic all the way. Julie's brash investigations take the reader into the world of big- business computer tech and the escalating specialty of virtual reality. The killing of a top Anco executive and a few close shaves for Julie do little to alleviate the tedium for the uninitiated. A neat windup and Chapman's breezy style lend some help, but this one's strictly for the computer-competent.