Review of The Insider by Reece Hirsch

Publisher: Berkley

Release date: August 19, 2010

More Info: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

First corporate attorney Will Connelly's colleague hurtles to his death outside his office window. Within days, Will is a prime suspect in a murder, the target of an S.E.C. insider trading investigation, and a pawn in a complex criminal scheme involving the Russian mafia and a ruthless terrorist plot. Now, to top things off, he must ensure a deadly enemy doesn't gain access to the nation's most sensitive and confidential information-that has the power to do incalculable, irrevocable harm.
 
My Thoughts:

The cover of this book has a blurb calling it "Gripping and gritty...". It is gritty but gripping...that was more erratic. It would hold my attention for a while then it would get dull and several times I dozed off. There are lots of twists and turns in the story though I guessed or predicted some some pretty quickly. To be honest, I figured out the identity of the person in the firm was who betrayed Will; Hirsch pushed us so hard in one direction that it was obvious to me that the guilty person was someone else. I think the story could have been trimmed a bit, tightened up, and that might have held my attention more.

Stylistically, the story is similar to John Grisham and James Patterson, but with more depth, and also to Michael Connelly. The plot is timely, with it's focus on technological privacy, mergers of giant corporations, and terrorist attacks. As I said, the story drags at times, but Will is likable. There are some implausibilities but some of them are due to Hirsch sticking with some of the thriller genre's standard tropes. However, unlike many mystery and thriller  protagonists, Will manages to stay calm most of the time and can think on his feet. He makes amateurish errors but they are, for the most part, in keeping with his character. He is smart enough to seek out a lawyer and ask for help when he needs it.

Overall, it's a well told story. If you like Grisham, Patterson, Connelly, then you should give this one a try.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.