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I've been aware of Cory Doctorow for MANY years, and have read his essays and blogs for almost as long -- but I'd never actually read the fiction which he's been releasing for 22+ years now. This was partly because I perceived it to be designed to appeal to younger, hipper readers: the kind who live in cohousing or polycules, are makers and practitioners of Burning Man-relevant hobbies, and experiment with physical and mental alterations. But now Cory is middle-aged like me, and he seems to be looking backwards to the era when tech was FUN with this newer thriller series about a middle-aged forensic accountant in Silicon Valley.

A lot of the joy of the scenario for older techies like myself is the pitch-perfect depiction of Silicon Valley's unique combo of technical idealism and sick amounts of money. Martin Hench is a professional skeptic but the habits and mores of the Bay Area are also deeply ingrained in him -- from living on a tour bus, to sleeping with beautiful women who basically see him as a well-mannered and undemanding friend, to taking 25% as his finder's fee -- he's a perfect observer as he moves through the world, cloaked by the fact he looks like a middle-aged forensic accountant named Marty.

Doctorow handles the thriller elements competently but there are few surprises in that area, except for a brief interlude where Marty has to hide in plain sight that was fresh if not particularly believable. Characterizations aren't deep, but these are all people who live for their work so that might be just as well. The story feels a lot like having a long boozy dinner with an old friend in Palo Alto, for better and worse.