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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Delay is the deadliest form of denial." C. Northcote Parkinson, April 6, 2010
This review is from: Denial of Sunlight (Hardcover)
Katherine Murkowitz had difficulties in her former job and took the blame for something that wasn't her fault. As a result she has been unemployed for longer than she'd like. She is flattered at the job offer from a small electronics firm and accepts a job with them.
Two scientists run the firm. They had worked at a university lab and discovered a way to solve the word's energy needs. They understand that if they announce their discovery, the university will get the rights and money. As a result, they keep the discovery a secret unitl it is proven and they find the right bidder.
The high bidder is a Chinese corporation. It would seem that they sould be aware that China is a repressive society so they might be putting themselves at risk in selling to this company. However, the promise of riches blinds them. When the company states that the payment they promise is based on the employees coming to China to perfect their discovery, warning bells should have gone off.
Katherine is a pleasant character and one of the few characters with a sense of morality, questioning the ethics of keeping the discovery a secret.
The Americans learn of what is going on then they hatch their own scheme to stop the Chinese.
A most original and interesting plot. I did have difficulty that scientists who discover something that could change the world wouldn't have been rewarded if they did the right thing and made their discovery public in the United States. However, the author is a physics instructor and would know more than this reader.
The tension could have been increased toward the conclusion of the novel but for a first novel, Robert Troy did a fine job and it goes to show what someone can do if they self-publish. It is a good example of what publishers and agents are missing.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fast-paced tech thriller with a very scary premise, September 1, 2010
This review is from: Denial of Sunlight (Hardcover)
As anybody who is into eco-technology knows, solar energy is not very efficient as it exists today. But what would happen if a scientist invented a solar cell that was 70% efficient? It would be a major breakthrough as important as the microchip! One might think this would convert the world to an infinite supply of free, renewable energy, right? Save the earth and all that. But what if the technology was owned by only one country, a dictatorship that not only did not want to share it, but planned to exploit their monopoly to dominate the entire planet? This is the premise upon which Robert Troy builds this eco-thriller.
The plot begins this way: Back in 1987, Dr. Keith Sutter does indeed discover a principle that would allow the cheap manufacture of super-efficent solar cells. But Dr. Sutter is also very greedy. He knows that if he reports his discovery now, while he is working for the university, then the university will own the patent and he will get nothing but his regular salary. So Sutter decides not to publish his discovery and keeps it for himself. Of course, he has now broken his contract with the university (and their government funding agencies) by doing so. This means that, if he is going to market his find in the private sector, it can't be in the USA, where he could be prosecuted and sent to prison. But he figures if he bides his time, he might be able to market it overseas somewhere.
Twenty years later, Sutter is no longer in the academic world and free to negotiate a private deal. He does -- with China. It seems like a deal made in heaven that will make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. Sutter assembles his ideal team of scientists and technicans who, along with their wives and children, go on a trip to China that is only supposed to be for six weeks in order to train the Chinese technicians. But the trip soon turns into a nightmare, with intrigue, treachery, deceit and murder at every turn. Any more would be a spoiler.
One thing that did bother me, though -- Mr. Troy needs a better proofreader. The review copy I got was hardcover and not marked as an advanced uncorrected proof, so I assume this is what went to market. There are numerous places where grammar and sentence structure could be improved. For example, to indicate an interruption in someone's speech during a dialogue, you don't just end with nothing and then a quotation mark. You need something BEFORE the end quotes to indicate a pause -- a dash, an elipses [...] or something. I found this error numerous times, so I doubt it was a mere typo. However, since this is a first novel, I'm sure Mr. Troy will improve such minor details in his next novel -- which I do look forward to reading!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrill a minute!, May 12, 2010
This review is from: Denial of Sunlight (Hardcover)
Sino-American tensions, avant-garde science, a heroine as sympathetic as she is ultra-smart - here's a sharp, idiosyncratic must-read, sort of a thinking person's Tom Clancy. Troy's dialogue is swift, his plotting consistently inventive. This first-time author has come up with action-adventure that rivals even that of many seasoned pros. This summer's great thriller!
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