Paranoia by Joseph Finder Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Paranoia
Book Review: A dark comedy of industrial skullduggery
Summary: 5 Stars
I couldn't put PARANOIA down once I started. It doesn't get better than that.Adam Cassidy, a junior product line manager in the consumer electronics giant Wyatt Telecom, pulls a prank involving the impersonation of a company VP, hacking into Wyatt's proprietary database, and illegally disbursing seventy-eight grand to fund the retirement bash of some unsuspecting (but grateful) shmoe on the loading dock. Cassidy is looking at 55 years of prison time, minimum, unless he plays ball with the company CEO, Nicholas Wyatt, who proposes a scheme to insert Adam as an espionage mole into the heart of Wyatt's biggest competitor, Trion Systems. There's evidence that Trion has initiated a super-secret project, and Cassidy's redemption is to find out what it's all about - or else.
To transform Adam into the marketable Whiz Kid that he isn't, he's intensively prepped by Nicholas Wyatt's personal "executive coach" and provided with a totally fictitious but very impressive CV. Launched into Trion for a job interview, he's subsequently hired. Through apparent luck and circumstance (and with info fed to him by his Wyatt handlers), Adam quickly becomes the special assistant to Trion's CEO, Jock Goddard. Cassidy is now in a perfect position to feed Wyatt intel on Trion's secret project, "Aurora".
As befitting an espionage thriller, author Joseph Finder divides his book's ninety-three chapters into nine parts based on spy terminology, and which mirror the plot's evolution: The Fix (a person is blackmailed into being an agent), Backstopping (establishing an agent's cover), Plumbing (a covert operation's support assets), Compromise (detection by the opposition), Blown (exposure of an agent or operation), Dead Drop (hiding place for clandestine messages), Control (pressure exerted to prevent an agent's defection), Black Bag (illegal entry to obtain intelligence material), and Active Measures (operations that'll affect another nation's policies or strategies).
PARANOIA paints a cynical portrait of corporate business practices and ethics. Indeed, Cassidy is almost an anti-hero since he isn't exactly burdened with moral scruples. He regrets his original stunt only because he got nailed, and his role at Trion because the alternative is so much worse. That is, until he decides that Goddard is the most decent human being he's ever met - the loving father figure he never had. Is Adam developing a conscience?
Even at 400+ pages, PARANOIA is one of those books one wishes would never end. The action is taut, the dialogue clever, the plot darkly comedic, and the ending deliciously twisted (though perhaps not unexpected). My only complaint - a minor one - is that the last chapter, and indeed the very last line, is so lacking in closure for the Cassidy character that I looked to see if my copy was short a couple pages. (I intended to query the author, but hadn't saved his email address.) It only works if there's to be a sequel. But, looking at the author's publishing history, sequels don't seem to be his style.
I suggest PARANOIA would make an entertaining film starring Ben Affleck as Cassidy, Donald Sutherland as Goddard, and Tim Roth as Wyatt.
Book Review: They really are watching you.........
Summary: 5 Stars
I've never really been one to read spy/espionage type books but after reading the reviews I had to check it out and I'm very glad I did. Once Cassidy becomes imployed by Trion the story heats up and becomes very hard to put down, I ended up reading it within a week. I didn't want it to end. I'm not sure about a sequal, it would be nice to know what Cassidy did next and to see if he gets revenge. I would have to agree with Joe Haschka review above about the last chapter, it does feel that its lacking something but none the less a great book all round.This definitely would make a very good film if done by the right people.
Book Review: A new contender
Summary: 4 Stars
A smart and clever thriller that delviers what it promises in a very believable swipe at corporate America. It parhaps rushes in to things a bit too quickly at the beginning and is a little over simplistic in places but keeps the tension going and builds the mounting emotional turmoil within the lead character towards a reviting last few chapters.Book Review: Great read, very believable
Summary: 5 Stars
Having worked in the software industry whay struck me was just how believable the whole story was. I thought the premise to start the story was a little light, but once the espionage side of the story started the paranoia , the dirty tricks and complete lack of ethics rang vcery true. I read this in double quick time because the story just rips along dragging you into the problems of the 'hero' A new author to me I enjoyed this first one of his - I thin k I'll look out some others
Book Review: An entertaining thriller
Summary: 3 Stars
Adam Cassidy works for Wyatt Telecom when he makes the mistake of impersonating the VP for Corporate Events and ordering a sumptuous farewell dinner at Meals of Splendor for the retirement party of a loading dock employee called Jonesie. Subsequently, the management accuses Adam of hacking into proprietary company databases in order to obtain confidential disbursement numbers, of stealing 78 000 dollars from the Corporate Events account and of both wire and mail fraud, all of which could result in a prison sentence of 35 years and a fine of one million dollars. But then Nicholas Wyatt comes up with "a generous offer", a "special project" consisting in taking a job at a rival company called Trion Systems. Adam has no choice but to accept. "And my life as I knew it was over." he will later reflect when remembering these early events before being entangled in a web of deceit and conspiracy.