Stars: 2 out of 5.

This was my first encounter with cory Doctorow, and the result is rather underwhelming. The blurb sounded very promissing - a forensic accountant, cybercrimes, cryptocurrencies, and all that jaz. I was fully onboard and ready to enjoy a good story. Unfortunately, the book itself was a big disappointment.

My biggest issue with this book, and why me and this story didn't mesh at all, is the writing style. The prose is extremely dry and impersonal, even though it's not third person omniscient. We are watching the events unfold from Marin's perspective. But the book reads more like an instruction manual than a heart-poinding crime story. I mean, the author describes a horrifying scene of death and torture in the same dry language as a romantic encounter our protagonist has with one of his lady friends. Both scenes are supposed to evoke emotions, instead, they just induce boredom.

Part of the problem is also that the author doesn't particularly do a good job with showing things. We are told that Martin is profoundly shocked by what he saw when he found those slain kids, but we are not shown that. Show us hims having nightmares about it, or a panic attack once he gets out of the crime scene, or something. Don't just tell me that he didn't sleep well, then continue with the story like nothing happened. I can't be emotionally invested in a situation, if the protagonist doesn't seem to care one way or another either.

My second problem is Marty himself. Boy, does he have plot armor or what? Also, he reads more like the author's wish fulfilment than a real person. So he is 67, doesn't exercise or try to keep himself in shape (at least the author doesn't mention him going to the gym even once or for a hike, or something). He drinks like an Irishman, easts whatever he wants... yet he doesn't seem to have any health issues (at 67), or have to take medication for anything, and he can spend weeks homeless in the streets of SF and still be a functional human being after that? Oh, and all hot, intelligent, younger women he encounters fall head over heels for him instantly. No seriously, this guy has more intimate encounters in this book than James Bond. Either this dude won the gene pool jackpot, or the author really doesn't know what being in upper sixties feels like for most of the population.

On top of that, the story got bogged down in useless descriptions of dinners the protagonist cooked and consumed, alcohol he drank, or other rather useless trivia that didn't advance the plot in any way. I mean, you could easily have trimmed off at least 100 pages. It would have made the book a lot tighter and faster to read. As it stood, I got bored a few times while reading and had to skim along until the plot would pick up again.

All in all, this was a disappointing book for me. I don't think I will be continuing with this series, and honestly, I don't know if I will check out other books by this author.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I found the first part of this book incredibly crypto-talk heavy and had a hard time following it. Once the story got past that, it was a solid story and I’m glad I read it.

I really appreciate how Doctorow weaves social justice issues with tech issues into these really well written books. Though this one just didn’t quite work for me, as I know virtually nothing about cryptocurrency, so all of that content went right over my head.

I’ll probably read the other books in the series when they come out, because of course I will.

Published by Tor Books on April 25, 2023

I’m not tech-savvy, so I didn’t know that the Red Team is a term used to identify people who try to exploit weaknesses in digital systems while the Blue Team tries to insulate systems from attack. And since I’m also not cryptocurrency savvy, I can’t say that I followed all the details in Red Team Blues. Explanations of blockchains and such seemed to make sense as I was reading them, but five minutes after I closed the book I was thinking, “I’ve got no idea what you just explained to me, Cory.” I don’t think that matters (although tech and crypto savvy people might salivate over the details) because the story is fundamentally about people and the impact that certain events have on their lives.

Martin Hench plays on the Red Team. He’s a good guy, not someone who uses hacking skills for criminal purposes. He typically sells his services to victims of digital crimes, helping them recover their losses in exchange for 25% of the recovery. Martin lives on a very fancy bus and often spends his nights in Walmart parking lots.

Martin’s old friend Danny Lazer is a billionaire who founded a company that provides the tools for the next internet revolution. Danny’s wife died, leaving him to wonder why he wasted so much of his life chasing a fortune when he could have been spending more time with his wife, working a couple of hours each month and earning enough to pay for a comfortable life in a Baja beach shack.

Danny eventually sold his company and started a new one. He married his much younger former personal assistant, Sethuramani. He’s chasing money again, this time with a new form of cryptocurrency. He started the company so he would have something to leave to Sethu, who is quite capable of managing it.

However, Danny is in trouble. He acquired “the signing keys for four of the most commonly deployed secure enclaves.” I won’t try to explain what that means because, although Doctorow explained it in simple terms, my simple mind can only wrap around the simplest part of the explanation. Suffice it to say that, in the wrong hands, the keys to secure enclaves can be used to wipe out records of digital transactions and destroy the foundational trustworthiness of companies that use them. So naturally, someone stole the keys, threatening to bring down Danny’s new company and quite a few other companies, as well.

Martin earns three hundred million dollars by recovering the laptop that contains the keys, using techniques that Doctorow carefully explained and that I vaguely grasped. I didn’t quite buy the location from which the missing laptop is recovered (it depends on an innate trust in human nature that I wouldn’t expect to find in thieves), but that’s not an integral part of the story.

Martin’s digital detective work leads him to some dead bodies that are an integral part of the story. The father of one of the dead kids is seeking vengeance. Martin had nothing to do with the deaths, but be becomes a target. He can either use his wealth to skip the country and hide quietly until he dies, or he can incite a war among groups of very nasty people who depend on lawyers and technology to hide their money. He opts for starting the war, then ducks out of the way.

Much of the story (the part I understood and thus found interesting) follows Martin as he tries to hide from and ultimately thwart the criminals who want to kill him. To that end, he shuts off his phone and stays away from his fortune so he can’t be traced. He lives as a homeless man for a few days, opening his eyes to the people he used to look away from. Martin is a decent human to everyone he encounters (unless they’re trying to kill him) and is surprised by how less fortunate people reward his decency with kindness. Maybe the story is a little too hopeful in that regard, but in a country where we are constantly told that “those other people” are out to harm us, it’s good to remember that many of “those other people” are just like us.

Doctorow emphasizes the environmental damage caused by the servers that “mine” cryptocurrency and the nefarious uses (including money laundering and tax evasion) to which cryptocurrencies are put. Doctorow’s law enforcement agents (Homeland Security in a turf war with Treasury) are credible, in that they prefer a “harm management” approach to actual law enforcement. Keep the violence offshore, let the rich shelter their money and avoid taxes, and everyone stays happy. When Martin throws a wrench into the works, bringing some of the violence into America’s borders, I suspect that most readers will agree that he’s doing the right thing, even if the strategy risks collateral damage.

The novel is marketed as a thriller, but it is not the kind of story that depends on chases and fights to get the reader's juices flowing. The violence occurs offstage. Martin sets events in motion with his mind and keyboard rather than his fists. In the meantime, he has to confront the isolation caused by his lifestyle (most potential sex partners don't want to overnight on a bus) and decide whether it makes sense to reject a woman he admires when she is willing to let him into her heart.

Doctorow is an interesting writer but an even more interesting person. He refuses to attach Amazon’s Digital Rights Management technology to his audiobooks, so Amazon refuses to sell the audio versions. Doctorow has principled reasons for resisting Amazon’s DRM technology, so he produces and markets his own audiobooks. I’m not into audiobooks but I applaud Doctorow for standing up to Amazon.

This is the first novel in a trilogy. It does not depend on a cliffhanger to induce readers to buy the next book. The quality of Red Team Blues is reason enough to look forward to the next one.

RECOMMENDED

I find Cory Doctorow's approach to publishing to be really interesting and I was excited to read this. His world building and story was just as interesting and I really enjoyed what he did with this one and I'm excited to read more of his work. Thank you so much to Tor Books for the ARC of this one.

This was my first book by Cory Doctorow and I’ll definitely be looking into his other books.

Marty is a 67 year old forensic accountant specializing in cryptocurrency and how to find where it’s hidden… I think. Honestly, the first part of this book went WAY over my head and for much of it, I had no idea what the techno babble was about. Once the info dump was over, the techno thriller Sci-Fi aspect of the book started and I read most of it in one sitting. Also, it is a fairly short book so it was a quick read.

I did enjoy Marty’s character along with his two friends, Raza, and Ruth. Marty lives in a used rock star’s tour bus and I enjoyed reading about his lifestyle on the road.

He takes a case that gets him a huge mess of trouble with the very Bad guys and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see how he’d survive.

I decided to read this book thinking I might learn a tad bit about the world of cryptocurrency and bitcoin and whatever else it’s called. But nope. Nada. It’s still so far over my head and after this book I think I’ll keep it that way. I still have no idea what Red Team or Blue Team means.

With that said, after glossing over the info dump at the beginning, I did enjoy the techno thriller! Very much! I’m really happy that I decided to read Red Team Blues.

*Thank you so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the advance eGalley!*

Martin Hench is a forensic accountant who specializes in retrieving stolen money, for a substantial fee. When an old friend/ tech billionaire asks for Martin's help, he finds that this job is far more dangerous than advertised. The book starts out promising, with an inside job theft of an irresponsible creation that shows just how stupid an idea cryptocurrency is, but quickly devolves from there into a record of the women Hench sleeps with and the incredibly boring food he cooks (so much plain steak). The central mystery is resolved almost immediately (it's exactly who they suggested at the start! Wow!) and the mystery of how they knew there was anything to steal is totally unaddressed. The remainder of the story focuses on Hench evading evil Mexican drug cartels, who are evil, and Mexican, but never appear anywhere near him. The segment about Hench living with the homeless is an interesting look at homelessness in America, but adds nothing to the story and ends with Hench gifting a white elephant of a vehicle to people who have made it clear they could not afford to fuel it, let alone pay for parking it. This was a very disappointing book, especially given how excellent much of Doctorow's nonfiction is.

Well that was fun! I was a little nervous at the start - some of the techno-talk threw me off but I quickly fell in step with the lingo and in turn, fell in ‘love’ with our cool-witted protagonist Martin Hench.

It’s a quick and easy read and I predict, it would make for a fantastic audiobook if cast well.

Cory Doctorow is known for his crime/economic/sci-fi flare which might seem intimidating at first glance but I promise, it’s fun nerdy stuff:). 3.5 stars rounded to 4

This was a fun and for the most part a light read. The beginning was a bit hard for me as there was a lot of techno speak that I really didn’t understand, but once I got past that part I really got into the characters and the plot and ended up enjoying myself.

I really enjoyed Martin Hench. He is a young 67, and obviously someone who took care of himself. And though he really wants to just sit back and relax he can’t say no to a friend who finds himself in a jam. I also liked how smart he is and how he knows his limits as well. He has a tough job, but he is a bit of a superhero, working to bring uber rich criminals to justice through accounting. It was also nice to see him having a well rounded personal life with friends, especially the women.

I didn’t fully understand exactly what was stolen, it has something to do with security and cryptocurrency, but that didn’t diminish the plot at all. Cory Doctorow does a great job of writing the technology parts of his story so that lay people can still understand it and enjoy the story. There is of course some social discourse in this story, how the rich stay rich and the poorer just keep getting poorer. There is a small part of the story where Martin has to live on the street with the homeless and I felt that it was handled sensitively while keeping the social commentary relevant.

The story is fairly fast paced while Martin is trying to find the stolen property, which happens fairly quickly. But then it really picks up once the consequences of what went down gets Martin in a whole heap of trouble. But Martin is smart and he figures his way out of some tight spots, despite the government getting involved.

This looks like it is the first in a series, and I certainly hope it is. I loved Martin and reading about his shenanigans was a really fun time. Fans of Cory Doctorow will certainly enjoy this and hopefully it will find its way into new fans as well.

Red Team Blues: A Martin Hench Novel by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my, this was a super easy and fun read for me. It has that perfect oddball mix of technothriller present day SF, savvy forensic economics white-hat heroism, and an easily humorous late-middle-age protag that is cunning, and careful, and wily.

Plus, it's Cory Doctorow. There are a great number of fun references to oddballs everywhere, not to mention a great understanding of cryptocurrencies, cryptography, and hacking in general.

Of course, this is a major life-hacking novel, almost noir, and definitely a hoot of an adventure.

I would LOVE to read a TON of Martin Hench novels. Hell, I tend to LOVE any novel with a good understanding of economics and financial chicanery and the will to right injustices.

I mean... is there a more timely novel out there? Just look around. Wouldn't we love to see some light shine on those sinister tax havens and Lex Lutherish super-rich and the stock markets? Wouldn't we love to have some kind of superman rip some of these evil-doers from their bunkers?

Yeeessssss, please.

So give me more of this. Give me the really smart stuff. Hit me. :)

This book is so relevant and imaginative for today’s current world. CD always has such an imaginative mind, arguably this might be one of his best. The pacing is quick and the work is clear.

This is a fun and easy-to-read story from Cory Doctorow. The main character is a special type of forensic accountant who is near retirement but takes one last big job. This job brings a twisty character-driven mystery that was enjoyable to see unfold.

There are a few components of the story that I found refreshing. First, the protagonist is older and represents a nice perspective to read as he navigates his career and relationships. Secondly, the story includes a wide diversity of characters that are well integrated into the story. Lastly, the topics are interesting, if a tad superficially described (economics, governmental agencies, cryptocurrency).

Overall, this light read was perfect after a long day of work!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Cory Doctorow for this eARC of Red Team Blues.

Red Team Blues is a fun variation on a classic Doctorow theme - we have all of the fascination with near-future cutting edge technology (and all of the social commentary and parable to go with it), but this time our protagonist is an aging veteran of the tech savvy-world. It's a great time and those both new to Doctorow and familiar with his work will find Red Team Blues well worth their time.

"Red Team Blues" by Cory Doctorow was an awesome down-to-earth riches-to-riches detective thriller in high tech Silicon Valley featuring a forensic accountant at the end of his career. I loved every page of it. Doctorow makes the characters feel perhaps too real and the circumstances they deal with were interesting. (Almost as an aside, never having used a "black card", I was almost as interested in these details as the various technologies, and Silicon Valley insider background that fill this book.)

I found this a good read, and would certainly recommend this book to people who like other novels by Cory Doctorow. (In particular this novel, reminded me a lot of Neal Stephenson, so I would also this recommend to fans of his.)

I thank the author and publisher for kindly providing an advance temporary electronic version of this book.

Doctorow is one of the few authors who writes about the 'real world' that I tend to read, it's near future enough, removed slightly from the now in a way that I can still enjoy it and find it entertaining. I'm not embedded in the tech world so the nitty gritty details of things don't weigh me down. It plays out as I read like a movie - and I think this'd make a great one. It's hard hitting and edgey, but at the core is a down-to-earth character that you can relate to. He's flawed but self aware and thoughtful - honestly one of the best male protagonists I've read in a while. How this story played out was a surprise to me, but I enjoyed watching it unfold - I'm not a consumer who tries to solve it before things are revealed, instead I like to revel in the cleverness as everything unfolds. I think Doctorow writes in a way that maximises that kind of emotional pay off no matter which kind of audience you are. This is narrative driven but the characters are fully developed and I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had previously only read Doctorow's YA novel, Little Brother. While little brother has a teen protagonist with his whole life ahead of him, Red Team Blues has a 60-something protagonist who is ready to retire and slow down. That being said, I think this book and Little Brother will appeal to the same reader, those who are into geeky tech, especially in the IT security space, who enjoy some not-so-subtle social commentary in their fiction.

Martin Hench, a semi-retired forensic accountant finds himself enmeshed in a violent struggle over cryptographically enciphered fortunes. And he also finds himself a newly-minted multi-millionaire, thanks to a windfall payment from a satisfied client.

I found this book only mildly diverting.

Hench, who narrates the story, is a rather cool customer and doesn't provide much in the way of introspection. I found his personal relationships, as outlined in the book, un-compelling, though they were efficiently sketched.

The crypto stuff is described superficially and doesn't really get into the technical weeds. I started this book thinking I might learn some new things about crypto and/or forensic accounting and money-laundering, but in the event, I didn't. Perhaps for other readers this paucity of "info dumps" would be a feature, rather than a bug, but when I read speculative fiction I enjoy being challenged to understand new information and concepts, as authors like Stephenson, K.S. Robinson, and Doctorow (in several other of his books) often do.

There is a passion that animates some of Doctorow's other books I've read -- "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" and "Walkaway" -- that is missing from this one. Here he has set up a character -- Hench the genius forensic accountant -- who can support an ongoing series of mystery/thriller novels. But the exercise just seems a bit rote. From his Twitter account, it seems that the next Hench novel will focus on prison-tech. That might be more interesting.

I enjoyed this book, even though probably half the super-geek tech speak went right over my head. It's a fun read and it's nice to have a plot that doesn't revolve around a dude with a gun.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Unlike many of Doctorow's previous technological stories this one does not feature a teen or twentysomething protagonist. In Red Team Blues, the centers around Martin Hench, a 67 year old, soon to be retired investigative forensic accountant. Martin is an expert in uncovering the carefully hidden digital trails used by corporations, one percenters, and organized crime groups to hide and shelter their wealth. He is the best there is at uncovering money laundering schemes.

As always with Doctorow, the story takes place on the cutting edge of current technology and includes discussion of cryptocurrency, social media, Tor browsers, and the like. This time instead of a bright young mind discovering these technologies you instead have a wise master who was there at the birth of the internet (perhaps reflecting Doctorow's own growth from Wunderkind to mature expert). He also includes, as we have come to expect from him, many reflections on the social order, economics, and an open eyed and compassionate look at income disparity in this country.

Doctorow is a master at looking at technology and weaving an impossible to put down story that in spite of the nuggets of computer knowledge interspersed in the story remains human. You care for and identify with the characters in the story. You learn about the wonders and joys of technology. You are shown the impact of income disparity on the very real people who live without shelter and regular meals in our cities. This is a wonderful book that I read in just a couple of days and now I will wait impatiently for him to write the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eArc free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.