I’m often asked about authors or novels I think best tackle techie topics without making me cringe. There are two standout authors to me, in this respect. Each take pains to get it right but make it look easy. They both are adept at adding touches of timelessness without sacrificing accuracy. That’s why I love them. First up is my friend and hero, Lisa Gardner.
The first chapter of Never Tell is a perfect example of an author who embraces the influence technology can have on a story. Like it or not, our online lives leave breadcrumbs that sometimes provide insights to the darker side of our personal truths. The opening of this book hooks us with the damage wrought by just such a collision of what a character thought she knew to be true and conflicting digital information. By the end of the chapter, we know all is not as it seems and the truth lies in the ether. The cloak of foreshadowing is draped in technology while the word “computer” is mentioned only once. After reading this first chapter, I knew I was buckled in for a great ride.
Never Tell takes us on a journey through the dark web as seen through the eyes of characters we’ve loved for many books, D.D. Warren and Flora Dane. The first chapter introduces us to a new character and implies the bad Internet neighborhoods we’ll be visiting in later pages. The taught, staccato phrasing sets a heart-pounding rhythm. Each word works with the next to evoke a tumult of emotion. I love the experience of this first chapter. It left me breathless and wanting more.
Fortunately, there is more. When You See Me was released in January.