While trying to uncover a hacker at Mission Control, amateur sleuth Julie and her partner Vic suddenly find themselves dealing with more than just computer espionage when the shuttle mission's astronauts start turning up dead.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Now in her fourth adventure, Julie Blake has clearly established herself as the doyenne of Silicon Valley sleuths. This time, she and her partner-cum-lover Vic Paoli get hired by NASA to find a hacker intent on sabotaging a space-shuttle mission. The idea of working among astronauts-in-training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston sounds great, except that the woman who hired Julie is Vic's old girlfriend. Soon rekindled romance is the least of Julie's problems as astronauts start dropping dead under mysterious circumstances, and Vic and Julie learn that the last shuttle crew experienced a "close encounter," during which the computers went dead, but their monitors displayed a mysterious pattern of numbers^--the same numbers now appearing on computer screens throughout the center. Is an alien being the ultimate hacker? Chapman again delivers an enjoyable and intriguing mystery, sparked by lively characters, an imaginative plot, and a well-drawn setting. Stuart Miller
From Kirkus Reviews
Julie Blake, the author's pugnacious heroine (Cyberkiss, 1996, etc.), and her lover Vic Paoli, partners in Data 9000, their struggling computer investigations firm, are thrilled with a job offer from NASA. It comes from picture-perfect Margo Miller, in charge of p.r. at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, who had been a college buddy of Vic's. Someone is hacking into NASA's computers, shutting down software programs and threatening a delay in the next shuttle mission, only weeks away. Arriving at the Center, Julie and Vic meet icy Lisa Foster, the interim Director, who gives them a week to find the hacker. Meanwhile, the team of astronauts in residence for the upcoming shuttle mission, headed by John Garza, seems to be having a lot more than computer contamination problems, such as the apparent suicide of team member Gary Olander, followed by the drowning death--definitely murder--of Garza. There are rumors of alien sightings; reports of unauthorized biological experiments in space; a spy planted in the Center by a rabid group of anti-space activists; and rumblings of politically motivated funding cuts. With all of this, not to mention Julie's jealous dislike of Margo and the totally superfluous presence of Max, Julie's best woman friend, Vic and Julie still manage to uncover a nasty conspiracy. Defying belief is an old game with Chapman, but this outing should come with a warning label: Computer ignoramuses, stay away! Welcome space groupies only! -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A unique and lively mystery,
By A Customer
This review is from: Hardwired: A Silicon Valley Mystery (Hardcover)
Julie Blake and Vic Paoli accept a case to uncover the identity of the
hacker who is jeopardizing the Johnson Space Center's communication system
and protect Mission Control's computer system. Leaving their home in Silicon
Valley, the pair figures this is a simple case. However, NASA never deals
with anything simple as the partners soon learn. Apparently, the hacker
managed to get "inside" the last shuttle. This time, NASA has a week to
solve its problems or face some Congressional budgetary questions and other
scrutiny.
.... As Julie and Vic investigate, they soon have a different problem to
contend with, the astronauts are being murdered. However, in spite of the
fact that Houston seems to have a problem, no one in the agency seems even
remotely concerned about the deaths except on how it personally impacts their
own careers and potentially jeopardizes their own missions. The California
duo knows that their case has evolved into something dangerous and they must
stop a killer very soon or more than just a budget will go down even if NASA
official act apathetic.
...... In spite of the lack of plausibility, HARDWIRED is an intriguing,
action-packed mystery. In their fourth novel, Julie and Vic remain a
wonderful pair and NASA is a always fun place to visit. If readers park
their skepticism about reality at the first page, they will love Sally
Chapman's thrilling who-done-it.
.......Harriet Klausner
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
