Member Reviews
This was an interesting corporate tale and I appreciated the wit sprinkled throughout.
Many thanks to SparkPress and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
A debut corporate thriller, Bit Flip by Mike Trigg is set in northern California’s Silicon Valley. Company executive Sam Hughes has a public meltdown whilst appearing at a conference tech panel and is fired from his job. Being middle age, he struggles to find another position until he discovers financial irregularities at his old tech firm and gets offered the CEO job there. Charged by the Board of Management to facilitate a buyout of the company, Sam discovers possible fraud, the need to lay off workers and a sexual assault claim. So, the issue of corporate ethics is played out as Sam’s integrity and beliefs are challenged, with potential massive windfall profits available. An interesting narrative unfolds regarding the world of tech start-ups and the cost to be paid for monetary gain. An enjoyable tale with elements of satire and cultural critique that makes for a three star rating. With thanks to Spark Press and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
Loved this book. For people who have lived in the Bay Area, it is all familiar territory.. For those who know about Silicon Valley, it is a good look at the underbelly of the area. The book is funny and informative. This is a good look at the internal workings of the tech industry.
Probably a good insider’s view of life in the technology sector, but the book moved slowly, and without strong character development or much of a plot, there wasn’t a lot to recommend.
3.5 stars
So, I went into this one with the wrong mindset.... I really thought it was going to be similar to Joseph Finder's earlier books. If you have read Joseph Finder, you know at one point he was the King of Corporate Suspense. But then he stopped doing that and got all Pg13 and Disney but for a while he had some good books. This book is not like a Joseph Finder book.
We have Sam, A COO of a startup company called Ainetu. On the way to work he is told he has to present at a major tech conference last minute and suffers a meltdown on stage to where he is soon fired by the CEO. This, of course, causes friction with his wife Heather because now they are only one income living in San Francisco. But things come to light when he learns the company has not been truthful with their accounting and soon, he ends up back in the company where he goes Scorched Earth on them.
This could have been a good book, but it was just..... Boring in too many places. Board room after boardroom plus the dialogue was a tad immature. There were some scenes where I rolled my eyes wondering why they were even included in the book. It is also not suspenseful or twisty at all. Just goes from beginning to end.
It was interesting in places and at 250 pages is a really fast read. I really enjoyed getting deep inside the board rooms and dealing with the boards and the financial part of getting a startup off the ground. To that aspect the book is very interesting. I just don't think it makes a really good thriller as advertised.
So, if you are interested in this sort of thing, I recommend the book. If not....... Consider Joseph Finder's "Paranoia" or "Company Man" books.
Advance Reader Copy given free for honest review.