AUDIO

The Fear Index

by Robert Harris
9 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 10 hrs. Books on Tape. 2012. ISBN 9780449008751. $40; 9 CDs. retail ed. Random Audio; Playaway digital; digital download. F
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Dr. Alex Hoffman, one of the world's most brilliant mathematicians, has created an algorithmic program that permits his Geneva-based hedge fund company to make obscene profits. In the course of a single day, his empire comes under attack from an unseen source that bypasses the highly secure program and slowly drives Hoffman insane. He is brutally attacked in his own home, but the Swiss police officer investigating the crime begins having suspicions about the victim's claims. No matter what actions Hoffman takes, the assailant always is one step ahead. Harris has created a financial world far beyond what most readers will understand, but the tension and suspense are just as powerful as the often-confusing stock market jargon.
VERDICT British reader Christian Rodska does a great job presenting the slow disintegration of Hoffman's seemingly untouchable life, and readers won't be disappointed in the breathtaking sequence of events that culminates in a startling climax. Highly recommended for all public libraries. ["Get ready to enjoy a brilliant integration of fascinating research, compelling themes, and vivid characterization," read the review of the New York Times best-selling Knopf hc, LJ 1/12; the Arrow: Random mass-market pb will publish in June 2012.—Ed.]
Reviewed by Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Lompoc, CA , Apr 15, 2012
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