The Devil's Code (Kidd) (Paperback)

by John Sandford (Author) "A beautiful fall night in Glen Burnie, a Thursday, autumn leaves kicking along the streets..." (more)
Key Phrases: dump box, night glasses, Lane Ward, San Francisco, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Would that Sandford, creator of the marvelous and bestselling Prey thrillers, had heeded Thomas Wolfe's advice about going home again. Instead, he's resurrected a hero from his previous crime series (The Fool's Run, etc.) in his latest thriller, which begins when the infamous KiddAartist, computer expert and master criminalAis called in to investigate the mysterious death of a former colleague in Texas. Working with the victim's sister, Kidd slowly uncovers a massive computer conspiracy masterminded by St. John Corbeil, the president of a Texas microchip company, whose excesses spiral out of control when the company's product (after gaining a foothold in the world of intelligence) bombs in the commercial marketplace. At first Kidd is inclined to steer clear of the seamier side of the conspiracy, but when several members of his own high-powered criminal group are implicated and the National Security Agency begins scrutinizing his operation, he brings in his part-time partner and lover, LuEllen, to help with the investigation. Their probe turns dangerous when the corporate kingpin hires a pair of assassins to hunt down Kidd, eventually forcing him to focus on a mano-a-mano duel with Corbeil. Sandford pens plenty of stirring action scenes as Kidd's encore unfolds, and it's clear that the author likes playing with his hero's shady sensibility and the chemistry he enjoys with the versatile and erotic LuEllen. But despite his edgy and sometimes provocative narrative style, Sandford struggles to bring a sense of urgency to the narrative. Kidd's return will be welcome news for Sandford fans, but the tepid plot makes his comeback a pedestrian affair. 400,000 first printing; major ad/promo. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Before the chilling Prey novels, Sandford made his mark with computer genius Kidd. Now Kidd is back, but his colleague Jack Morrison is missing, and Kidd himself is being targeted in a national manhunt.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; First Edition edition (September 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425179885
• ISBN-13: 978-0425179888
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,049 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Kidd Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different but as good as davenport, October 5, 2000

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Devil's Code (Hardcover)

At his home in Dallas, John James Morrison knows he is in trouble by the nocturnal visit of the security agents. They escort John to AmMath where St. John Corbiel plays a tape in which they caught John violating company policy. John tries to bluff but Corbiel kills him. The security agents arrange a cover-up to make it seem like a night guard shot John while discovering him in a forbidden area late at night.

John's sister Lane Ward believes the official interpretation of her sibling's death rings false. She asks John's former partner Kidd to investigate her brother's death. Kidd, an expert on stealing data traveling along the information highway, agrees. He learns that John uncovered something major that led to his deliberate murder. Kidd and his partner LuEllen begin to uncover a monster conspiracy involving AmMath and the Feds using technology to hide murder and blackmail. That knowledge could make Kidd the next dead person.

It has been about a decade since John Sandford wrote a Kidd novel (see THE FOOL'S RUN and THE EMPRESS FILE) having switched to the popular Prey novels. Perhaps the earlier Kidd tales were ahead of the times, but with the Internet, Intranet, and Extranet explosion, THE DEVIL'S CODE plays like a modern day electronic thriller. The tale is well executed due to Kidd's intellect, witticism, and ethical beliefs. Although it may seem hard to accept an electronic thief has scruples, Kidd does and that propels his compulsion to investigate. Best selling author John Sandford has returned with one of his great characters in a story that will please more than just net conspiracy buffs because of its fast-paced, gigabit loaded hard driving plot.

Harriet Klausner

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I basically liked it, October 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Devil's Code (Hardcover)

I'm a "Prey" fan, and was happy to find an additional series by the same author. I read the other two Kidd novels in paperback, and enjoyed them both. This one is written intelligently, like all of Sandford's novels; I can't stand books that are written for 5th graders.

I confess to being in the computer field, which I think would make a difference in this novel. It's kind of odd: if you don't enjoy the details you might not be able to follow it, but on the other hand I don't think it has the kind of hard-core details for the true techies.

The characters are kind of lightly drawn; I thought that LuEllen started sounding like the woman assasin in the last Prey novel. I also felt that the novel wandered somewhere in the middle; not quite enough involvement in the characters and not enough plot to go around. I might have been happier with this novel if it had been published in paperback; with lower expectations I think he would get a better response.

You might be happier waiting for the paperback.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced and funny, October 3, 2000

By	Cheer Mom "cheermom" (Voorhees, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Code (Hardcover)

Conspiracy galore here in this new novel by John Sandford. I'm not too familiar with the author's "Prey" novels, but I certainly enjoyed this one. The main character, Kidd (no first name) and his cohort, LuEllen, investigate the murder of one of Kidd's computer colleagues. The story moves extremely quickly - the crackling conversation between Kidd and LuEllen is a breeze to read and very enjoyable. Now, I have to go find the two previous Kidd-LuEllen novels! Highly recommended.