Dead Links

Dead Links
by Nigel Mitchell
(5/5 Stars)

Can the Internet kill you? That's the question posed in Dead Links, an exciting and engaging thriller that hooked me from beginning to end.

Internet addiction has become a problem in recent years thanks to the boom of the World Wide Web, but (to my knowledge) no one has actually died from it. In Dead Links that starts to change thanks to a site called Araknee. It's sort of like what you'd get if Facebook and Amazon merged--a gigantic social network and marketplace. To some people it's more than just a website--it's a religion!

Ace reporter Amanda Katt visits Araknee's headquarters and gets a creepy vibe from the place. When she asks one question too many and refuses to turn in their prewritten article, she gets tossed out. In turn she writes a scathing article about the place for her magazine. This sets off a firestorm for Amanda, leading to several assassination attempts by Araknee cult members. Worse yet is when her own fiancee becomes an Araknee addict. Can Amanda stop the site before it takes over the world?

I don't know how plausible the scenario actually is, but the author makes it feel plausible enough. Amanda is the kind of plucky, take-charge heroine more books should incorporate, one who doesn't need bailed out by a big strong man all the time.

I'm not sure if Amanda is going to have any other adventures, but I would read them.

That is all.