Conspiracy.com

A young high-tech exec and his banker wife join forces with a fortyish female FBI agent to take on a ruthless killer with powerful friends and a few high-tech tricks of his own in this cyberspeed thriller. After Mike Ryan completes his doctorate in virtual reality systems, Nasdaq biggies toss money, but an unknown Texas high-tech firm, SoftCorp (one of several nifty bits of wordplay that keep the lingo light), makes the best offer, not only assuring Mike's financial future but also coming up with a job for his wife, Victoria, with Capitol Bank, the firm handling SoftCorp's finances. The lure of money, house, car and unlimited research funding for Mike's work with SoftCorp's only client, the IRS, hook the pair, and they move from California to Austin. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Karen Frost, checking a tip on IRS agents gone bad, finds the mutilated remains of a missing field agent and links his fate to SoftCorp. But when the FBI director is murdered, Frost is left out in the cold, especially when the new man in charge swallows framed evidence that she has turned rogue. Frost uses the Web to contact Mike and Victoria just as they discover their dream home is bugged, and they agree to work with her. But then Victoria is kidnapped, and Frost is actively pursued by her former employers. Pineiro (Shutdown) writes with humor and flair and turns the high-tech field into an accessible playground for the uninitiated. The thrill of hacking and evading capture equates with the rush of dodging bullets as Pineiro manages a major translation of techie dreamworld into mainstream adrenaline rush. (Apr.) Forecast: Already an established name in techno-thrillers, computer engineer Pineiro is due an upgrade in reputation and perhaps sales with this entertaining story.