TERMINAL VALUE

Waite’s debut thriller features a technological genius, corporate espionage and murder.

Dylan Johnson, just 23 years old, is poised on the edge of a lucrative mobile technology deal. As president of quickly rising MobiCelus, Dylan positions the company for acquisition by powerful up-and-comer Art Williams’ company, Mantric Technologies. Sensing the potential to rake in millions of dollars, Dylan’s three MobiCelus partners are on board and the merger forges ahead. But the closer they get to finalizing the deal, the more uncomfortable Dylan feels. Unable to put his finger on the problem, Dylan shrugs off the nagging inconsistencies—at least until his best friend and partner is found dead. Dylan can no longer ignore the signs; Mantric is up to something. The question is: Are they in it alone? No stranger to the world of technology, the author provides first-hand industry insight in this new thriller. Although the novel employs a fairly straightforward writing style, too many instances of on-the-nose hints burden the narrative as the mystery unravels; more subtlety may have been preferable in a storyline that tells more than it shows. Some readers may question why, amid all the high-tech talk about IPOs, mobile platforms and advanced technology, the protagonist would use a cell phone that flips open. Short of a few small plot details and a tendency to give away too much too early, the novel moves at a rapid clip, keeping readers’ interest with well-rendered characters and a few well-placed twists.

A Silicon Valley murder mystery that, despite a few bugs, will have readers logged in until the end.