Effacement

SCIENCE FICTION: Life is easier with the right kind of tech at one’s fingertips. It’s even simpler when that tech is implanted directly into a user’s head. But, as a biochemical engineer, Cole Westbay, finds out, trusting neuro-tech is a gamble. In a society where every moment of a person’s life is recorded and turning one’s lifelog off is illegal, it’s easy to rely on a little chip to manage things. When Cole learns that his company’s software has some dangerous code hidden in it, he wakes up to find his neurochip yanked out and two weeks of his memory erased. Arrested, targeted, and disconnected from the world, only Eva a beautiful gutsy lawyer can save him and get him to a secret agency that might be able to help.

“Effacement” is a clever, well-balanced near-future tale with seamlessly integrated, carefully thought-out tech and a perfectly paced plot. The gritty, attention-trapping action makes the pages flash by! The author has created a fully fleshed out, likable hero. The romantic element takes a back seat to the futuristic corporate intrigue, but the inventive technology and smooth pacing will hold readers’ attention until the very last moment. Traces of the science-fiction masters are threaded through this entertaining read. Inspired story-telling, gripping action and a tantalizing hint of romance make this an engrossing sci-fi read. Heironymus Hawkes is definitely an author to follow!

Starling Gray