Book Review: Zimmerman's Algorithm

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Zimmerman's Algorithm     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
S. Andrew Swann
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Daw, Jan 2000, $6.99, 400 pp.

The International Unification Front is a Middle East-based terrorist group that badly needs a Daedulus mainframe computer. They hire mercenaries to steal one. The caper succeeds even beyond the group’s wildest imagination and the world’s most powerful computer is now in the hands of the fearsome International Unification Front.

DC police detective Gideon Malcolm receives the tip as to where to find the lost computer. Along with his FBI brother Raphael, Gideon goes to retrieve the Daedulus. However, the duo walks into a Secret Service sting operation that leaves Raphael dead and Gideon barely clinging to life. The government takes full responsibility for the disaster, but that fails to appease a healing Gideon. He thinks the response is too perfect of an explanation, as if someone is covering up an even more sinister scenario. He continues his inquires, which soon lead him to Dr. Zimmerman, an apparent NSA defector. However, Gideon’s investigation also leaves him open to an individual with connections to the oval office that wants the nosy cop dead.

Any reader who enjoys a pulse pounding police procedural with military-political overtones will full relish ZIMMERMAN’S ALGORITHM. The story line focuses on the covert operations of some federal agencies and the lack of cooperation that borders on paranoia between theses groups. The resultant chaos allows secret sub-groups to form that unknown to most people and leads to misinformation for our leaders. S. Andrew Swann cleverly depicts this plausible situation within his action-packed thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner