Review: Remote Access

Remote Access by Barry Finlay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lent this with a free Kindle Unlimited trial.
Skipped/skimmed the also lent second Marcie Kane book, as the first was just so bad.

This should be more interesting: a PotUS-Trump-alike, with doing things without counsel, Hacking, China, Trade relations, so and begins ok. Also it is nearly a Roman à clef to current events (China trade, Huawei, PotUS), which should make it interesting.

But again, it has too much information which does nothing to the story for me, about 30% of the personal issues, descriptions, places etc. could be cut without changing the main events in the story. It feels like a by the numbers story, no surprises so far, and I skip parts regularly.

Also, the main character in the first book, Marcie gets a Fiancé and is planning her wedding, and he is now the main MC for the good guys, something I really do not need, I wanted a strong, single, independent woman, not some boring romance, nor a male MC.

As a contrast and forcing me to read this till the end, the political issues and the hacking descriptions and actions are spot on. There is also some action, everything believable.
So where fails the book for me? TMI - too much information which is not needed. The usual drunk problem with one of the characters, well written, but all taking too long, also a lot is explained in too much details, maybe necessary for the unwashed masses? Just an example: SWATTING, sending a SWAT-team to an innocent person as a prank or revenge or whatever.
All valid and realistic story points, but somehow the added story is not suspenseful. As if on purpose.

Will try to finish the book today, as I want to give it back for a different and hopefully better Kindle-Unlimited book.
Pending some major good twist or a surprise ending or whatever, this barely rates 3 stars, more like 2.5 rounded up for a good idea. Would have liked to read this idea from way better author. And shorter. Maybe still recommended, but I suggest reading it faster than me - 8 days is too much, showing how much interest I did not have in the book!

Ending one of the main story with the ballroom scene was ok, but would have liked a full success, not this failure. The other one was as expected, but well done. Would have liked another and more story about the assassin, not about Marcie & Nathan. Their ending was way boring. As in certain stories no main so-called-good-people die, I am tired of this, would have killed some main characters unexpectedly.

So, the ending of the the main story saving it a little, it is now a full 3 stars, not rounded up from 2.5 stars, but as it is I fail to recommend it. The current reality was well mirrored in the book though, so if you manage to read this on a rainy weekend, it may hold a little more interest than a fluffy romance for some.
Oh, and just to be sure, I will most probably not read a book by this author again. While I could not detect any errors, the style was just not suspenseful enough.

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