Review: Surveillance

Surveillance by Reece Hirsch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW
This is an extraordinary thriller and suspense. It gives you an insight into just how invasive to our privacy the government can be, and that is scary. The story line is non-stop flood with a pace that makes it hard to remember to breathe.

The characters are very well developed; each one acting, talking, and responding in character. In fact, the whole story is very well written, and quite believable. I found myself quite sympathetic with the main characters. One of them does something very much within character, but it was hard to believed he'd do such a terrible thing. Then he was repaid for it, and it felt like a good justification for his deed. That, to me, is great writing.

The problem a lot of authors have these days is writing with the reader in mind so that what happens to the characters as a result of their actions is felt by the reader as a logical and just consequence regardless whether is it actual justice or not. Case in point would be a married person having an affair, and that results in the break up of his or her marriage. That is justice. Betrayal of trust results in breaking a relationship. Hirsch applies this kind of justice in this story, but it isn't the same scenario because I don't want to spoil the ending.

So you have, in this book, an excellent exploration of trust, betrayal, ingenuity, and triumph. This is well worth the money!

About the book ...


When former computer-crimes prosecutor Chris Bruen and retired hacktivist Zoey Doucet open their San Francisco law firm, it’s the best day of their professional lives. That is, until their first client walks through the door.

Ian Ayres is an “ethical hacker” who was hired by a company to test the security of its online systems. On the job, he uncovered some highly classified information: the existence of a top-secret government surveillance agency and its Skeleton Key, a program that can break any form of encryption. Now Ayres is on the run. And after government agents descend on Chris and Zoey’s office during their potential client’s visit—killing two employees—they, too, are forced to flee for their lives.

From California to Ecuador to Mexico, the trio must try to evade a hired assassin, a bloodthirsty drug cartel, and their own government. But how can they escape an adversary that can access every phone call, every email, every video feed?

Surveillance is critically acclaimed author Reece Hirsch’s third book in the Chris Bruen series.


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