WIRED

I enjoyed this book so much that after reading it I bought all of the other Douglas E. Richard books. I found this book to be well written, suspenseful, original in many respects, with interesting characters, and a well developed fast moving plot line. I also enjoyed the dialogue and some of the discussions in the book. One focused on the issue whether people with a highly developed intellect, who did not believe in the existence of a god and an after life, would cast aside all altruistic feelings about others and only look after themselves in a selfish manner, and even resort to cruel acts to get what they want. Isn't this similar to people stepping on ants? Part of this discussion dwells on how people developed by evolution. One might think that such a discussion would interest only few people and put others to sleep, but Douglas makes the discussion fascinating and eye opening. Another somewhat similar discussion asked what would happen if people could live to age 150? Would there be problems with overpopulation, insufficient food, inadequate housing, and so forth, resulting in murderous wars, which in turn would turn the earth inhabitants back to the dark ages? As I wrote, as esoteric as these discussions may appear, they become an exciting and enlivening part of the drama of this novel, and the ideas are very informative and thought provoking. David Desh is one of the two main characters in this novel. He is an ex-special forces soldier with a well-developed sense of integrity, multiple skills, and years of intense field experience, who left the military after an incident in Iran. His ex-boss calls him because of his many past successes skills and asks him to undertake a mission that is critical to the survival of the United States. He wants David to find Kira Miller, the second main character of the novel. The colonel tells him that Kira is a very beautiful, extremely smart, and manipulative female scientist who is developing a germ that will kill millions, and she is selling it to terrorists. Many groups and individuals have tried to find her without success. He tells David that he has been shown proof that Kira is a sociopath. There is good reason to believe that she killed her two parents and two teachers, as well as her brother and a private investigator. She was seen leaving the area when her bother was burnt to death in his house that was set on fire by arson. David is convinced that the colonel is telling him the truth and accepts the mission. But is he only telling David what others told him to say? Is Kira really a sociopath? What happened to the people she allegedly killed? Why is the government trying to find her? Will David find her? What if anything did Kira develop? The novel moves at break-neck speed with twists and turns, with David and the villains using many sophisticated tools, and readers will enjoy the drama.

Book Review: Wired by Douglas E RichardsReviewed by J Bryden LloydWriting Style - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)Wired is a nicely paced read, starting with a hard-hitting opening scene and good, strong characterisations. The dialogue is considered and flows equally well. From start to finish the whole structure is carefully retained and it was a good, flowing, easy read.Character Development - 4.0/5.0 (Very Good)This was a great example of character building in general, though I felt the computer geek character was a little weak and seemed to spend sections of the story where he was actually surplus to requirements. Having said that, he did grow within the storyline he was afforded and fitted well with the other main characters. For the leading lady and leading man of the piece, I thought both were handled exceptionally well and made the story what it was.The bad guy was cleverly built, and gave me the twist I wanted in the tale.Descriptive - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)The visualisations provided by the author were excellent. Even the thought processes under "enhancement" were very well written, pulling the reader further into the detailed plots and sub-plots.The locations were very vividly detailed and nicely built also.I found the few combat-oriented scenes were well placed and used the characters well.Language & Grammar - 4.0/5.0 (Very Good)Very good use of general language and grammar made this a nice read. It flowed well and everything tied together nicely.The delivery of the dialogue was good, though I felt that perhaps one or two of the secondary characters came across as a little wooden. Even so, these were characters we met in passing, and so easy to forget once the plot had moved on.Plot - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent) - MINOR SPOILERSI thought the basis of the plot was excellent, and the way the author twisted the characters into the storyline was both clever and inspired, making the depth of the story far more intriguing for the reader. The revelation, when it comes, is almost obvious in afterthought but I must admit, I didn't see it until it was standing over me waving hello.The ending is carefully plotted and built to provide a `what if' moment, and offers a nice appetiser as to a potential sequel? Certainly not necessary, but what a prospect.General - 4.0/5.0 (Very Good)Perhaps fair to pick on a small amount of dialogue and a character I felt a little distant from, but in the grand scheme of things, this was well worth the reading time and easily one of the better works I have picked from my TBR list recently. About half way through, I realised this was the same author who released "The Prometheus Project"children's books. Another example of excellent story-telling.More than happy to recommend this.4 Stars. Very good. A good read.

Another masterpiece of twists, turns and surprises coupled with an amazing vocabulary of scientific knowledge that had me worried that my IQ was woefully inadequate! Then up pops some Jack Reached less he action just in time to get me back to Earth. ThankYou, Douglas.

This book has enough twists and turn to keep you dizzy for a few days after reading it. Very profound thinking mixed with plenty of action makes for an enjoyable book.

A tale told with speed, zest and a talent for page turning. An intriguing premise treated with a clearly expressed joy.

The plot is awesome. The author has a biology degree and for sure knew how to put his academics formations into this thriller. Besides the fiction there are a lot of true and valuable information for the reader. Didn't expect some of it and to be honest sometimes it did make me get some philosophical reflections. To summarize and simplify all of it: 10 out 10. Highly recommend this book.

I loved every page of this book and couldn't put it down. The action was fast paced and enthralling. The characters were real and relatable (best of the best obviously but not over the top). The story was top notch and kept me completely engaged. Can't wait to read more from Douglas E. Richards!

A fast paced novel which explores the unlimited human potential. Mystery, surprising twists and turns until the very end keeps the reader spell bound. Enjoyed the book immensely.