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Smasher (Silicon Valley Series #2) by Keith Raffel — book cover

Smasher (Silicon Valley Series #2)

by Keith Raffel
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Overview

"Carries the reader triumphantly from one climax to the next. Taut, tight, suspenseful."—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT and THE PARIS VENDETTA

"SMASHER swings seamlessly from the cutthroat maneuverings of Silicon Valley to the equally competitive world of particle physics, and yet Raffel never forgets that this is a story about people. A smart, humane, compelling read."
—Marcus Sakey, award-winning author of THE BLADE ITSELF, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, and GOOD PEOPLE

"Take a taut roller-coaster ride behind Silicon Valley's doors. Hold on and prepare to stay up all night."
—Cara Black, bestselling author of the Aimée Leduc series

Smash and Grab

As Accelenet CEO Ian Michaels battles a ruthless Silicon Valley billionaire for control of his company, his wife, deputy D.A. Rowena Goldberg, is targeted for death by an unknown assassin. Michaels must use his brains and business acumen to navigate a deadly trail of corporate and academic hostility, greed, and revenge as he races to find the assailant.

Watch Keith's interview on Press:Here.

Synopsis

"Carries the reader triumphantly from one climax to the next. Taut, tight, suspenseful."—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT and THE PARIS VENDETTA

"SMASHER swings seamlessly from the cutthroat maneuverings of Silicon Valley to the equally competitive world of particle physics, and yet Raffel never forgets that this is a story about people. A smart, humane, compelling read."
—Marcus Sakey, award-winning author of THE BLADE ITSELF, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, and GOOD PEOPLE

"Take a taut roller-coaster ride behind Silicon Valley's doors. Hold on and prepare to stay up all night."
—Cara Black, bestselling author of the Aimée Leduc series

Smash and Grab

As Accelenet CEO Ian Michaels battles a ruthless Silicon Valley billionaire for control of his company, his wife, deputy D.A. Rowena Goldberg, is targeted for death by an unknown assassin. Michaels must use his brains and business acumen to navigate a deadly trail of corporate and academic hostility, greed, and revenge as he races to find the assailant.

Watch Keith's interview on Press:Here.

Publishers Weekly

Raffel blends computer world wheeling and dealing with the academic world's lust for glory and fame in his compelling second mystery to feature Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ian Michaels (after 2006's Dot Dead). When Ian's mother asks him to find justice for his late great-aunt, Isobel Marter, a brilliant Stanford physicist whose theory of quarks was stolen by three colleagues who later shared a Nobel prize for her groundbreaking discoveries, he starts an informal investigation. Isobel, struck down in a hit-and-run accident at 38, left behind valuable documents with shocking proof of her colleagues' duplicity. As Ian struggles with the woes of his company, Accelenet, his connecting with the three Nobel winners leads to some scary repercussions. In a scintillating subplot, Ian's deputy DA wife tries her first major case and runs smack dab into danger as she prepares for the Napa Valley marathon. (Oct.)

About the Author, Keith Raffel

Keith Raffel is the author of Dot Dead and Smasher. As counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Keith Raffel held a top secret clearance to watch over CIA activities. As a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, he founded UpShot Corporation, the award-winning Internet software company, and sold it to Siebel Systems. He has also been a carpenter, college writing instructor, candidate for elective office, and professional gambler. These days he stays busy writing his mysteries and thrillers in his hometown of Palo Alto, California where he lives with his wife and four children. Check the latest news at keithraffel.com.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

Raffel blends computer world wheeling and dealing with the academic world's lust for glory and fame in his compelling second mystery to feature Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ian Michaels (after 2006's Dot Dead). When Ian's mother asks him to find justice for his late great-aunt, Isobel Marter, a brilliant Stanford physicist whose theory of quarks was stolen by three colleagues who later shared a Nobel prize for her groundbreaking discoveries, he starts an informal investigation. Isobel, struck down in a hit-and-run accident at 38, left behind valuable documents with shocking proof of her colleagues' duplicity. As Ian struggles with the woes of his company, Accelenet, his connecting with the three Nobel winners leads to some scary repercussions. In a scintillating subplot, Ian's deputy DA wife tries her first major case and runs smack dab into danger as she prepares for the Napa Valley marathon. (Oct.)

Library Journal

When someone tries to run down Silicon Valley CEO Ian Michaels and his wife, Rowena, a deputy DA, he must save his company from bankruptcy, protect his comatose spouse, and research his physicist aunt's final days. VERDICT The sole jarring note is Ian's it's-all-about-me attitude; otherwise, this follow-up to Dot Dead is engaging enough.

Kirkus Reviews

When a prosecutor is put into a coma by a mysterious hit-and-run driver, her beleaguered husband seeks justice. Since the murder of his housekeeper was tidily solved (Dot.Dead, 2006), Ian Michaels's life has finally settled down, or so he thinks. He's happily married and is CEO of Accelenet, a Silicon Valley computer firm. Unfortunately for Michaels, Ricky Frankson, head of Torii Networks, is determined to take over Accelenet by any means necessary. Michaels wants to devote his energy to fighting off Frankson by finding alternate investors, but his attention is diverted when Michaels's mother insists that he look into the death of her Aunt Isobel 40 years ago. The sole female Stanford Ph.D. candidate in physics in a cadre of men, Isobel died in a car accident just weeks before her colleagues were awarded the Nobel Prize, and Michaels's mother is certain that the timing is more than coincidence. As if these tasks weren't enough, Rowena Michaels, a deputy for the D.A., has had death threats from the defendant in her latest case. While the couple is on a morning run, Rowena is struck down by a rogue car. As she lies comatose in the hospital, Michaels must figure out which of many plausible suspects is behind the attack. Silicon Valley fans will appreciate the use of the location and the tech talk and overlook Michaels's pretentious behavior over his ritual tea.

Book Details

Published
October 1, 2009
Publisher
Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Pages
312
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780738718743

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