july 15, 2025

This week's find is kind of a 2 parter! First is:

Bad Memory by Duane Franklet. you can read it for free on the internet archive, here!

It's about Barry Shephard, the president of a brand new direct-to-consumer computer shipping service for massive computer company Simtech. After a wave of incorrect shipments are sent out, angering customers, Barry unexpectedly becomes the point of contact for a ransom attempt on Simtech. They say no, underestimating the scope of the attack--but as the stakes raise for the company, so do the efforts to fight off the ransomers.

it's a computer/tech-based thriller written in 1997, which is soooo interesting from a modern perspective. there's like a revelation the characters have that the bad guy might not have direct access through a machine on site via ethernet. he might be using... a modem?! it also makes the technical stuff pretty easy to understand, since it's every day shit for most people now.

anyway, i found it to be satisfying and focused mostly on the action. while company politics and paranoia play a bit of a role, our main characters stay focused on finding solutions and not getting caught in the drama of it all! It reads like an 80's action movie, and watching the 2 sides trade blows is a LOT of fun!!

part 2 is: OMG. GO TO 2ND HAND BOOK SHOPS!!

i got this epic read in a 2nd hand bookshop near me for 5$!!! they have a whole room of hardcover mystery novels. even ones by big authors like michael crichton or dennis lehane! only 5$!! paperbacks were 3$!! and you'll always find stuff you never could've found anywhere else.

if you're looking for something new and unusual to read, i can't recommend 2ndhand bookstores enough!!

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