JACKS BACK PACKING PARLABANE PUNCH

In a sensational twist of events Jack Parlabane roving reporter extraordinaire returns in a hacking, cracking crime caper.

This one is the story of nineteen year old Sam Morpeth. Left to care for her younger sister, who has Down's Syndrome, after their mother was sent to prison, she's an anxious, lonely and worried young woman.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/want-you-gone-christopher-brookmyre

This was a good romp. I was worried that having arrived at book 8 in this series and not having read any of the others, I might get a bit lost. However, you can easily read it as a stand-alone book and no prior knowledge of Jack's background did not distract from my enjoyment.

It moves right along and I found myself wanting more at the end of each chapter. I liked the interplay between Jack and Sam and the kind of juxtaposition between old school and new tech. I also enjoyed the plot based on hackers and found some of it quite educational, not knowing much about this world.

I liked the beginning and middle better than the end. I felt it all wrapped up rather too neatly for my liking but of course, that's just my opinion.

I'd happily read more of this series and more by Christopher Brookmyre

Brookmyre is back. This is a massive return to form. I am prepared to call him Chris now too, if that's what he wants, as this book is easily the best under the 'Chris' Brookmyre moniker.

I was uncertain when he changed from 'Christopher' but stuck with him as his early work merited a lot of credit from me. The Jasmine Sharp books are competent and will keep any reader turning the pages, the problem is that those of us who have been with Brookmyre for the long haul know that they are not representative of his true talents.

I worried about revisiting Jack Parlabane so soon after the good (but not great) Black Widow but those concerns were unfounded. Whilst this does not contain as many laughs as Quite Ugly One Morning or as much political observation as Country of the Blind it is classic Parlabane.

Taking it's cue from earlier (non-Parlabane) novels like Bedlam, Brookmyre brings back great supporting characters like Spammy and, well, I won't mention the other, but a Black Widow character does return to great effect.

The story offers plenty of twists and in classic Brookmyre style, keeps you guessing right up to the final chapters. I laughed out loud on several occasions and found plenty to enjoy in the witty dialogue.

I do hope this is an indication that he has found a rich vein of form as a Brookmyre book launch is guaranteed to get this reader very excited.

I always enjoy a new Parlabane novel, and this is one of the best in recent years. As this one starts, Jack is still struggling post-Leveson, and about to flunk an interview with a hip online news site, while an ordinary young girl struggles with her grim domestic circumstances. The two come together in a murky tale of hacking and corporate espionage, with the usual mix of excitement, humour and whatever it is that makes you turn the pages faster and faster. The descriptions of hacking and social engineering are highly engaging, and should make you think about exactly what information you give out day to day. An interesting character from previous books is elevated to a bigger role this time round, and there's even a wee bit of Spammy in there as well. Good one.

I've had a somewhat rocky relationship with Brookmyre's books recently. Back in the day I absolutely tore through them and enjoyed every one. Then I read a couple that I really didn't like and a few that were okay and the foundation got a bit shaky. I've had read two in a row now that I really liked so I think we're back.

This book is ostensibly about computer hacking but it's really about relationships and about expectations; both in the way Sam is able to use social engineering in her hacks and in the dynamic between her and her mother and her younger sister. I felt like Parlabane wasn't as much of a main character in this as he has been in the others but what we got of him seemed in character for what we know. Other than the super random sex scene between him and a new colleague, which was weird and felt a bit shoe-horned into the book for reasons I couldn't really fathom.

I will continue reading this series and enjoying the characters and I hope the few books I didn't enjoy were an aberration.

This is the eighth book by Brookmyre featuring reporter Jack Parlabane. Expect a spoiler or two for the previous books in this review. On the other hand, if, like me, you’ve never read the previous books, then rest assured that this book can be read as a standalone.

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Sam Morpeth is unstoppable. Really, she’s pretty much a superhero (or supervillain), able to go where she wants and do what she wants. Unfortunately, that super-powered persona only exists online. In real life, she is simply a 19 year old whose mother is in jail on drug charges, and who struggles to keep food on the table for herself and her little sister Lilly, who has Downs Syndrome.

But someone has connected to two halves of Sam’s life. Someone with a devious agenda, and proof of Sam’s past hacks. Blackmailed into performing an act of industrial espionage, Sam in turn forcibly recruits journalist Jack Parlabane, recently returned to the UK, to help her with the heist. As the two come to an uneasy truce, they delve into the underside of the internet in a desperate attempt to discover who is behind the sinister plot.

As I said above, this book can be read as part of its series or as a standalone novel. I was conscious of missing out on a few references here and there, but all in all not much went over my head. Perhaps it helps that the book is less about Jack Parlabane and more about the hacker Samantha Morpeth.

What is really striking about the book is the breathtaking contrast between Sam navigating her real life, and Sam, as her hacker alias Buzzkill, navigating the web. Sam in real life is meek, seeking more than anything to disappear into the background. Her life is horrible, stuck in an impossible position of needing to care for her little sister while her mother is in prison, and being denied at every turn the ability to do so. But online, Sam, as Buzzkill, can use her intelligence, imagination, and anonymity to effect real change in the world around her.

The story itself is fast-paced and technologically terrifying. I found myself getting legitimately paranoid even time I experienced any lag time on any of my electronics. While certainly a work of fiction, the book serves to remind us of how vulnerable we are now that we are all inevitably connected via the internet.

So, if you’re looking for an intelligent technological thriller (with a woman of color as the protagonist, yay!), then this book is a good fit for you!

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable entry in his Jack Parlabane series, as Parlabane's path again crosses with an internet hacktavist who previously played him and now may be getting played.