BUZZ

The second book of a trilogy from former Swedish policeman and IT security specialist de la Motte (Game, 2013) features a computer whiz and his bodyguard sister continuing their struggle with an ominous Game Master.

As the story opens, we find slacker/daredevil Henrik “HP” Pettersson in exile from his home country of Sweden due to his attempt to bring down a mysterious social media game. While hiding out from the far-reaching fingers of the dangerous Game Master, and partying his way through Southeast Asia and the Middle East, HP becomes romantically involved with a Swedish millionaire on holiday in Dubai. However, after she goes missing, HP is accused of murder and must return home, where he vows to find those responsible for his ex-lover’s death. At the same time that HP’s personal mission takes him undercover in an IT company focused on controlling the flow of online material, his older sister, Rebecca, is faced with an internal investigation into her leadership of an elite security team and into her personal life. The distinct challenges facing both siblings develop into an elaborate maze that coincidently reunites brother and sister. Although HP and Rebecca must overcome individual trials, they also find that they share common enemies and that their highly specialized skills make them a formidable team against an increasingly amorphous technological leviathan. To complicate matters, an old family friend offers his services to help Rebecca in exchange for contacting HP about a covert task, thus setting the stage for a follow-up novel. Although the story suffers from some gaps, de la Motte uses his industry knowledge to offer a believable story.

A timely, realistic thriller about the governance of online information.