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A review by diazona
The Computer Heist by Michael P. King
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really wanted to like this book for about the first chapter and a half. Then I didn't anymore. As the story progressed, almost every character got connected to the web of manipulation and dishonest behavior that forms the central plot of the book, and I just lost all respect for them and stopped caring. I'm deliberately not saying "drawn in to the web" because these characters brought it on themselves. There's not a redeemable one in the bunch. (Okay that's not exactly true, but certainly nobody I felt inspired to root for.) By the end, some of them get some form of justice, some of them don't, and we never find out what happened to others; fortunately, that didn't bother me because of the aforementioned lack of caring.
On top of that, the writing style did not do anything to inspire an emotional response for me. It felt like reading a dry technical report. We know what kind of clothes everyone is wearing in every scene, we know what color the walls are and what the layout of the software company's office is, we know what kind of gemstones are in jewelry the women keep on top of their dressers. And I wouldn't necessarily mind all of that, but what I do mind is that we don't know what thoughts are going through their head or how they feel. There's a lot of danger and suspense in this story and it just doesn't come through in the writing.
I think the kind of person who likes gritty film noir might appreciate this book more, but that's not me.
On top of that, the writing style did not do anything to inspire an emotional response for me. It felt like reading a dry technical report. We know what kind of clothes everyone is wearing in every scene, we know what color the walls are and what the layout of the software company's office is, we know what kind of gemstones are in jewelry the women keep on top of their dressers. And I wouldn't necessarily mind all of that, but what I do mind is that we don't know what thoughts are going through their head or how they feel. There's a lot of danger and suspense in this story and it just doesn't come through in the writing.
I think the kind of person who likes gritty film noir might appreciate this book more, but that's not me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content