FINDING ELYSIUM: HACKED 'N WACKED

by Henry Simpson

The protagonist of this tale is Ed Lane, a retired Army officer, widower, and father of a twenty-one year old daughter about to leave for law school. A few years ago, he embarrassed a congressman and was fired from his job as a Federal Police Inspector. Lately, he’s been working at odd jobs—bail agent, pizza deliveryman, private investigator, and, most recently, bartender at Keiko’s, a small jazz club.

A Keiko’s regular, president of Elysium Analytics, hires Lane to identify the person who hacked into his company’s computer network and posted damaging information on the Internet. Lane interviews company founders, managers, employees, ex-employees, and others. All are dissatisfied and want something—managers, more power; employees, better working conditions and job security. All want company stock and more say in executive decisions, but the powers that be won’t sell. Lane fails to identify the hacker and is fired.

When an Elysium co-founder is murdered, his wife hires Lane to find the killer. Two other co-founders have died recently, possibly murdered. Lane uncovers an old case of hacking followed by a murder. He theorizes that Elysium’s hacking and murders were linked and follows up with an investigation that takes him to a computer chip manufacturer, marriage and family counselor, country club, decrepit RV, tank gunnery range, fanciful Oz, popular surfing spot, Elysium competitor, and lemon grove.

Along the way, a suspect initiates a love affair, he tracks a killer, gets in tight spots, endures obstructive cops, applies creative interrogation techniques, unravels a twisted narrative of who did what to whom and why, and gains a greater appreciation of mom, apple pie, and the American flag.

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2015

About the author

Henry Simpson is the author of several popular murder mysteries featuring mobster lawyer Joe Costa (Death on the Strand, Golden Girl, Joe Costa’s Lonely Hearts, Joey Costa’s Law, Joey Costa’s New Game, Open House, Princess Lily, Some Kind of Genius) and Special Agent Ed Lane (A Splendid Little Murder, Island of Sprits, Finding Elysium) as well as short stories in literary magazines and anthologies. His fiction is character-based and usually has a plot involving greed, revenge, abuse of power, revenge, jealousy, flimflammery in arts or religion, the unsettled nature of reality, or achieving the American dream. He is married, lives in Monterey, California, and has two adult children and five grandchildren. Writers whose fiction he admires include Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Truman Capote, Raymond Chandler, George V. Higgins, James Crumley, and James Dickey. His early influences were Boy Scouts, an urban high school, jazz musicians, surfers, street racers, juvenile delinquents, and a probation officer. At age eighteen, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve and began college. He studied engineering, did graduate work in English and Psychology, and holds a PhD from UCSB. He spent most of his professional career at small consulting companies as a military research psychologist, and worked independently as a software engineer, security consultant, real estate hack, and free lance writer while writing fiction on the side. He welcomes readers to his Facebook page or contact him at woodcrest400@yahoo.com.

Reviews

[Al Moe · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Henry Simpson pens a narrative that keeps you guessing and unsure exactly where the story is going and who you think the protagonist should trust.

Simpson's Ed Lane series continues with "Finding Elysium," and the ex-Federal Police Investigator (who keeps trying to retire to a quiet life) gets dragged into a simple case of computer hacking. At least that's what it starts as.

Within just a few chapters, Lane is defensive,opinionated and right, which of course gets him fired from his computer-tech gig. And then comes the murder. By that time you're hooked and turning pages quickly.

Simpson writes with a fun, easy style and this installment is well worth the read!

[Richard Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third Ed Lane novel, we find the ex-cop working as a bartender for a colorful oriental lady. He was a Federal Police inspector in an earlier life but was fired from that because of his tendency to buck the system. It is that personality trait that makes Ed who he is – a cross between James Rockford of the Rockford Files and Dirty Harry that Eastwood made famous.

When Ed is hired by John King, the president of a think-tank, to uncover a computer hacking scheme, he manages to get on the wrong side of nearly everyone in his usual nonconforming way, then goes on to tick of several detectives, company bigwigs, and in fact almost everyone he comes in contact with. In the end he does solve the hacking case, and a few murders for which he wasn’t supposed to. In typical Lane style he never reports the hacker to King for reasons you will have to read the book to find.

I really enjoy Simpson’s style. The narrative is fast without a lot of unnecessary description or back story. Just enough to paint the scene and keep the story moving. If you enjoy mysteries with real people, caught in real-life situations, then this is the book for you.

[Joyce Lavene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following Ed Lane through his life is like being on a roller coaster. I'm never sure where he's going but I know there will be thrills and spills on the way! In Hacked n Wacked, it feels as though author Henry Simpson is moving Ed into the 21st century with the computer theme and a more realistic plot. Ed is a man who cares deeply about his life and the lives of those around him, even though people frequently let him down. He tries hard to keep things going on the path he thinks they should be on - but then there's that roller coaster dip and things go crazy again. In short, I like Ed and enjoy his stories. Give him a try. I think you will too!

[R.J. Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book without having read the others in the series, and it worked perfectly as a standalone. It was a quick-paced, gripping read with rapid-fire dialogue--almost like a script. I loved the interplay between characters, from Lane and Keiko to Lane and his daughter, and enjoyed the way the subplots added to the whole. Dubus's bumbling attempts to investigate and the misguided romantic interlude (with a suspect!) were fun, and I enjoyed guessing at who the murderer was. A couple of the big reveals at the end completely caught me off guard!

[L.A. Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad to read another in the Ed Lane series. He’s a no-nonsense character I can respect – he’s intelligent, honest, and capable.

I’m happy to be able to award this book five stars:
1. Interesting and developed principle characters
2. Well described settings – Elysium Analytics office, Keiko’s Jazz Club
3. Some twists and turns as Ed looks for a computer hacker and murderer
4. Just enough of Ed’s personal life to keep him real
5. An enjoyable read with a nicely wrapped up ending

[Rob Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WORTHWHILE READ

A solid Ed Lane private detective story with a colorful cast of sad, seedy and pathological characters and unexpected, and complex plot twists. A whodunit that keeps you reading until the very end. Henry Simpson does not disappoint.