Customer Reviews

Loose Cannon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thought just another anonymous chip in the Silicon Valley, Rob Tarrant is actually a brilliant inventor who has brought several patents to his employer. As a way to relax away from the job, the designer enjoys building miniature unmanned aerial vehicles that use remote control devices to maneuver them.

Rob's latest toy tinkering leads to a very small yet stable flying device that he sees has incredible possibilities. Being a loyal company man, he informs his boss Ethan Lodge at General Standards Corporation about his latest gadget. However, the reaction to his new gizmo turns into a trip to the Twilight Zone for Rob as bungling government agents amongst others chase after him. As he hides amidst the sand dunes near San Jose, Rob cannot figure out what happened let alone how he will survive.

LOOSE CANNON is a lighthearted satirical look at the Silicon Valley food chain. The story line takes a bite out of just about everyone including the conceited corporations, the greedy governments, and the sandcastle-building savant-engineers. With this novel and tales like FLYING TO PIECES Dean Ing continues to provide ironic, amusing twists and zingers to the classic thriller of grandiose Goliaths chasing dweeby Davids.

Harriet Klausner

Reading "Loose Cannon" reminded me how good Ing can be. His thrillers (like his earlier science fiction) always strike a nice balance between fascinating tech and quirky, interesting characters. What I've loved about his books since the first one I read is that I always come away not only entertained, but also informed about something worth knowing. (One of his early books turned me on to NPR.) This novel is also much less dark than some of his recent work, with moments of genuine humor. At one point I became so engrossed that I had to switch to another book at bedtime in order to be able to fall asleep.

Mr. Ing has written another very readable yarn! His ability to weave aviation technology into a story is there, but scaled back. This time his love of family shows through, and it's a nice addition.

His dialog is witty or real, as needed. His characters are "real people". This one could be a movie, the special effects budget would be much lower than "Butcher Bird" or "The Ransom of Black Stealth One", I'd go see it.

See story summary above.

Dean Ing's latest offering doesn't seem quite up to his usual thrills. Though it moves at a steady pace and has a gripping storyline, it just somehow lacks the suspense that I expect from him. The storyline does include a timely subject, objects known as UAV's-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The timely subject and the steady pace of the novel still made for a good quick read.

Recommended.