Cory Doctorow has spent decades advocating for internet freedom and writing speculative fiction, either offering dystopian scenarios where human communication and invention is locked down or more optimistic visions of worlds where it is allowed to flourish. This novel, by far the strongest in his series focused on Martin Hench, a crime-solving forensic accountant, is a bit of a shaggy dog tale involving a Catholic priest, a rabbi, and a Mormon bishop operating a shady computer company in the 1980s. The company markets overpriced and underpowered computers through religious-based multilevel marketing schemes, making files and disks deliberately incompatible with other devices of the day to lock users in—until a rival startup sets out to liberate the data. It’s a nostalgic throwback to an era before PCs and Macs conquered the computing world, when idealistic Bay Area hackers took breaks to see punk bands like Dead Kennedys, but it’s also Doctorow’s way of examining what went wrong that left computing controlled by a handful of mega-companies—and what kind of energy might be required to change things. As in other titles in the series, Doctorow’s nostalgia and throwback cyberthriller tropes can be a bit much, but it’s still a quick, fun, and even thought-provoking read.

Marty Hench is the hero we need right now, and Doctorow’s latest adventure with the forensic accountant finally gives him the origin he deserves. We first met Marty in Red Team Blues with his last case. Here we see where he started as a computer obsessed dreamer who is just a little out of sync with the world around him. The story is filled with wit, commentary, and nostalgia for a world on the brink of irretrievable change with the coming computer revolution. Timeless and timely, I’ll read Marty Hench for as long as Doctorow keeps writing him!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for me.

This book gave a fascinating look into the developing PC industry in the early 1980's. That it also gives us background on Martin Hench's introduction into computers and forensic accounting is just a great bonus. I'm also impressed that the author can keep his readers fully enthralled while developing this series in reverse chronological order, and I do hope that he will give us more books about Hench.

Published by ‎ Tor Books on February 18, 2025

Marty Hench, a character I love from Cory Doctorow’s first two novels in this series, tells his coming-of-age story in Picks and Shovels. It is both the story of a young man finding his purpose and the story of a political awakening. And it’s a story of people he met along the way who came to terms with their identities and beliefs — and those who never overcame their innate greed. While the first two books in the series are mysteries solved by a forensic accountant, this one explains how Hench solved the mystery of himself.

Marty’s father was an engineer. He sent Marty to MIT to earn an engineering degree, but Marty was unenthusiastic about his studies. He proved to be more enthused about the emergence of personal computers. He taught himself to program and fell in with a group of students who loved computers as much as he did. Marty was dumpster diving for computer paper (the kind that comes with perforated edges and holes that line up with the printer’s sprockets) when he met Arthur Hellman, an even more committed computer geek who was dumpster diving for anything he could find.

Marty and Art become roommates. To appease his father after dropping out of MIT, Marty gets an associate’s degree in accounting. Marty and Art eventually move to San Francisco, where Silicon Valley is becoming the hotspot for tech innovation, in large part because California law does not allow noncompete agreements to stifle competition. A good many people in the business world extoll the virtues of competition until they have to deal with it.

Marty starts doing freelance accounting work. He contracts with a company called Fidelity Computing, a gig that lets him merge his interest in computers with his knowledge of spreadsheets. Fidelity was founded by a rabbi, a priest, and a Mormon bishop (no, they don’t walk into a bar together). Fidelity’s scam is to sell computer systems to religious schools and businesses. The systems have been designed so that only products (such as floppy disks and printers) purchased from Fidelity are compatible. They’re also designed to fail (the printers jam frequently), forcing customers to turn to Fidelity for expensive repairs.

Three women who worked for Fidelity in tech positions left to start their own company. They reverse engineered Fidelity products to create floppy disks and printers that will work with Fidelity systems. Fidelity is out to get the three women. The company hires Marty to help them. When the women persuade Marty that the company is a scam, Marty breaks his contract with Fidelity and makes a new one with the women.

The story follows the conflicts between the women and Fidelity. Some of the conflicts are violent, as the gangsters who financed Fidelity’s startup don’t take kindly to the lost profits that the women are causing. Marty isn’t much of a fighter, but a badass woman named Pat isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with thugs. She also teaches Marty to be a capable lover. The conflicts keep the story moving and provide a satisfying amount of action.

Marty learns other lessons in his young life. On his way to San Francisco, he meets and shags a woman named Lucille who teaches him how to get outside of his own head and listen — truly listen, even to the silences between words — when he has a conversation. Art comes out as a gay man and teaches Marty the pain of not being allowed to live the life that defines you. One of the three women who compete against Fidelity is a lesbian who teaches him a similar lesson when her religious family disowns her. She’s one of several characters who teach him about the hypocrisy practiced by certain religious folk. A few women teach him that fundamental feminist values — the importance of treating women as the equals of men — are really human values. People with money teach him that people who lust for money often place their acquisition of wealth above moral action.

The lessons are valuable, although they are repeated so frequently that the novel sometimes feels like Doctorow is hammering home the things he wants his readers to learn. Readers who think it’s bad to be “woke” — and a disappointing number of science fiction fans feel that way, despite sf’s reputation for encouraging free thinking — might dislike the novel’s emphasis on the value of tolerance, compassion, and decency. Open-minded readers, on the other hand, should appreciate it.

The plot is interesting. Doctorow avoids an artificially happy ending. He makes it easy to sympathize with the women who give the story its heart. The novel’s atmosphere, rooted in San Francisco during the earliest days of the tech boom, will probably evoke nostalgia in readers who are old enough to remember when early versions of personal computers were just arriving on the market. I’m not as high on Picks and Shovels as I was on the first two novels — the preachiness got to me after a bit, even if Doctorow was preaching to the choir — but I nevertheless enjoyed it.

RECOMMENDED

Cory Doctorow's Martin Hench novels feel like a warm (if complicated) hug to me at this point. I had listened to the first two via audiobook, so I couldn't help but narrate this third one to myself in Wil Wheaton's voice as I read it. I hope the author continues to release these books, because they're some of the most fun I've had over the past few years in novel form.

This one takes a bit of a detour back to Marty's earlier days, and we learn more about his back story than ever before. I could see a reader resonating less with this book than the two earlier installments if that reader wasn't old enough to have some of the shared lived experience with these characters, since this tech world looks really different than the tech world of today. That said, I enjoyed it every bit as much, and probably more than the second one. I thought the take on corporate espionage through the lens of religious subgroups was really clever, and the twists and turns in this novel aren't any less brilliant than Doctorow's typically are. He's an excellent writer, and these characters will really draw you in. If you've had any interest in this series or have a background (or an interest) in the origins of Silicon Valley, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It really is worth your time--I loved it!

I was unaware that Picks and Shovels was the third release in the same universe but I'm glad I didn't know so that I couldn't be dissuaded from starting here. Picks and Shovels is the origin story of the forensic accountant Martin Hench. In it, Hench realizes the company he is working for is dirty and decides to work to take them down.

I loved the writing here. Doctorow is seriously talented. While this isn't my normal genre, I felt like it was equal parts so many things that it has truly broad appeal. It reminded me in parts of Halt and Catch Fire and Mr. Robot. All around excellent story with great period vibes.

Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow is the excellent, very highly recommended period tech novel and the origin story of forensic accountant and computer security expert Martin Hench.

Martin Hench flunks out of MIT, but while there he falls in love with the emerging computer technology and programming along with all of the possibilities it represents. He also meets his friend Art, joins a group of assorted people all obsessed with programming, works for a dubious business, obtains a 2 year degree in accounting, and eventually he and Art make their way to San Francisco. There he picks up odd jobs until he talks to a predatory computer business, Fidelity Computing. He ends up working for the start-up company that was started by three of their best former saleswomen who are actively opposing Fidelity's business practices.

This is a well-written, completely compelling, detailed period drama that captures the time period and the excitement over personal computers along with the atmosphere in San Francisco and the growth of Silicon Valley as a technology hub. The pace is fast and the plot is engaging so the pages just fly by. It also confronts the very real issue of computer companies trying to lock customers into their brand alone rather than making parts (and operating systems) interchangeable.

Hench is a fully-realized, complex character with both strengths and flaws. All of the secondary characters are equally fully developed as unique individuals. Readers meet Hench at seventeen and into his early 20's while he experiences growth and learns many life lessons that will make him who he is later on in life.

This is the third book in the series, but the series has been presented in a reverse chronology so this starts in the late 1970s and continues into the early 1980s. It can be read as a standalone novel. The first novel in the series is Red Team Blues followed by The Bezzle (set in the 1990s).
Thanks to Tor Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Originally published at myreadinglife.com.

This book has yet to be released. I received a copy through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was on the lookout for this book as i had read the other two in this trilogy. This one is due to be published on February 18. You can purchase a copy from the author here.

The trilogy has been a reverse chronology. This final book in the series is Marty Hench's origin story. In it, we learn how he came to flunk out of MIT, start a company with his roommate, and move to Silicon Valley to start his career as a forensic accountant. Once there, he is hired by a trio of religious leaders (a rabbi, a priest, and a Mormon bishop) who are taking advantage of their customers by selling them computers and accessories only from them. The bulk of the story is how he and a group of women who used to work for the Reverend Sirs fight to free their customers from this lock in.

It doesn't sound that interesting when I write it out. I mean, Marty is a forensic accountant for crying out loud. Can you get more boring than accounting? But somehow the author makes forensic accounting exciting, cool, and intriguing all at the same time. The book really does have the feel of the early computer revolution and the optimism that went with it. A thoroughly enjoyable ride and fitting conclusion to the saga of Marty Hench. I will miss him.

My rating: 4/5

Martin Hench, the San Francisco based Forensic Accountant is back! Or rather, since this is a prequel to Cory Doctorow's Martin Hench series, "Picks and Shovels" is the Martin Hench's origin story. In addition to being entertaining, suspenseful, and 80's-tech nostalgic, we learn about Hench's childhood & professional education along with why & how he became a forensic accountant and force for good. (Much more exciting to read than the previous sentence implies.)

I completely recommend this to readers that enjoy Cory Doctorow's works. It is also a fun read for people familiar with San Francisco, Cambridge Massachusetts, MIT, or the 80's tech scene.

I thank Tor Books and Cory Doctorow for kindly providing an electronic review copy of this excellent book.

This was my first Cory Doctorow book and I enjoyed it. I’ve wanted to read him ever since I read about Wade Watts in Ready Player One reading and liking Doctorow books; that’s also what turned me on to Scalzi, and I LOVE his writing!

This story is historical fiction about the MC coming of age in the early part of the computer revolution. I was extremely drawn in to the cast of characters, their relationships, and the interesting storyline.

The pacing and plotting were solid and kept me turning pages right until the end. The antagonist characters are so perfectly hateable. I liked the character growth of the main character and his friendships and the found family vibe was great.

I would definitely read more by this author, this book was good.

Picks and Shovels (Martin Hench #3)
Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a 5 star with caveats. Let me explain. I think it's a wonderful novel within the Martin Hench universe, the place where forensic economics, spreadsheets, programming ability, meets modern techno-mystery.

But this isn't the modern Martin. Indeed, it might be what we've all been wanting all this time, assuming you've been following Doctorow's unique character. This is YOUNG Martin Hench. Before he made untold riches bringing down mastermind accountant villains. Indeed, this IS that story.

I won't say this is better than the ones that came before it, but it DOES fill in some major gaps, and it's very fulfilling on its own.

Indeed, this is a savory crock-pot of characterization, full of youthful, less-than-choice-cut meats, plenty of potatoes, and enough programming-veggies to make you feel like you've eaten both healthy AND smart. Do you smell that rich, hearty umai? This is what I sense with my synesthesia. This is what sticks to the bones.

I could read this stuff forever.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

Yet another great entry in Cory Doctorow's Martin Hench series of mysteries, a departure from his typical futuristic, fantasy novels. This volume explains Marty's entry in forensic accounting and how he made his start after a rocky start in college at MIT. We meet his friends (some of whom appear in other volumes) and his first love, as well as delve into the fast paced world of Silicon Valley as the tech boom started in the late eighties and early nineties. Witty, engaging and a quick, page-turning read.

There's just something about the Martin Hench novels that feels like being told a story out loud. It's great because the book flies by, but then before you know it, it's over. Anyone who's read Red Team Blues will enjoy this book. It's more of the same fascinating world of computers and spreadsheets and intrigue but set before the events of that first book, going back to the early era of computing and giving us the beginning of Martin Hench's story. From Cambridge to San Francisco and a world filled with noncompete clauses, religious hypocrisy, and good old fashion crime, Hench gets himself involved in a startup computer company as an overly invested contractor and there are dangerous consequences to be had. Recommended for anyone into early computer history and badass women.

Cory Doctorow does it again and really enjoyed this as a strong story and was everything that I was looking for from the previous books. I was engaged with what was happening and thought the scifi element worked overall. I thought this worked as a personal computer element that I was hoping for and glad it had that element.

I'm so glad that Cory Doctorow wrote Picks and Shovels so we could learn about the early years of Martin Hench's career as a forensic accountant, and I loved all the details of the 80's setting. I'm sure I'm not the only reader who wants to keep reading about Martin, so I hope Doctorow will write about what happens next.

This is the first Cory Doctorow book I've read and I'm certain it will be the first of many. I absolutely loved this story written in the form of a memoir of the main character Martin Hench. I initially thought I would be put off by the technology aspects of the story with its frequent discussions of types of computers and the programming discussions of the characters. I wasn't at all as it was carefully woven into the story and not at all a stumbling block. Picks and Shovels is not only well written, suspenseful, and informative in the way much of the historical fiction I've read can be, it is also fast paced and extremely entertaining to read. In some ways it is a coming of age novel for both the characters and the technology advancements of the 1960s and 70s, combining a bit of the hippie generation with the rise of computer geeks working in garages, their parent's cellars, or basically anywhere they could find simpatico folks who just wanted to code and debug code and figure out ways to make the technology work faster and better. Sure they had a desire to make money but it was often sublimated to the joy of the hive mind solving gnarly problems with hardware and software in its infancy and there is much of the "wanting to make a better world" attitude of the times in the characters' motivations. As a reader I rooted for Marty to find his path in life as he navigates (picks and shovels) his way to find that path while also amassing friends, lovers and enemies along the way. The family Marty creates is a microcosm of the social upheavals of the times and any reader above the age of 50 would be hard pressed to not find someone they recognize. Doctorow does a great job of describing the free-wheeling times the characters inhabit and I had to remind myself that all of them were mostly undergrads or younger and pretty fearless about taking chances that would help them each find their own paths. I highly recommend this book as a great read for someone who came of age in the 60s and 70s and for those ambitious enough to want to read about a time when there were no cell phones, computers often still used acoustic couplers, and social mores were beginning to break down and some of the many freedoms we enjoy today were being hard won.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the inimitable Cory Doctorow for this eARC of Picks & Shovels.

If you are a fan of Cory Doctorow, you know what kind of a ride you're in for. Usually. And that's exactly as it should be with Mr. Doctorow.

Picks and Shovels delivers well on the promise of Doctorow's name on the cover - solid characters, compelling story, the delightful and unique flair of humor. This follow up to The Bezzle and Red Team Blues absolutely belongs on your shelf!

"Picks and Shovels" is a historical thriller novel from Cory Doctorow, set in the late 1980s when computers were getting more popular. Martin Hench goes to MIT for engineering and fails his freshman year because he is too interested in learning about computers from his friends in the Newbury Street Irregulars. He uses this interest to get a degree in accounting and moves with his friend Art to San Francisco. While there, he is hired by a group of three religious heads (the Reverend Sirs) who run a computer business specifically for religious organizations. Martin finds out that all is not what it seems and the Reverend Sirs are actually the bad guys, so he switches to help their competition: three religious women with a love for computers and an actual desire to help people. Unfortunately the Reverend Sirs are not willing to let things go easily.
An interesting and compelling view of the beginning of computing in America coupled with a thriller involving extortion, violence, and pressure. Readers will root for the underdogs in this novel. A must buy for fiction collections, especially where Doctorow is popular.