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The Switch
A simple mix up throws an innocent man into the cross-hairs of sinister government secrets and ruthless political ambitions in this timely, electrifying thriller from New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder.
Michael Tanner is on his way home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook in an airport security line. He doesn’t notice the mix-up until he arrives home in Boston, but by then it’s too late. Tanner’s curiosity gets the better of him when he discovers that the owner is a US senator and that the laptop contains top secret files.
When Senator Susan Robbins realizes she’s come back with the wrong laptop, she calls her young chief of staff, Will Abbott, in a panic. Both know that the senator broke the law by uploading classified documents onto her personal computer. If those documents wind up in the wrong hands, it could be Snowden 2.0—and her career in politics will be over. She needs to recover the MacBook before it’s too late.
When Will fails to gain Tanner’s cooperation, he is forced to take measures to retrieve the laptop before a bigger security breach is revealed. He turns to an unscrupulous “fixer” for help. In the meantime, the security agency whose files the senator has appropriated has its own methods, darker still—and suddenly Tanner finds himself a hunted man, on the run, terrified for the safety of his family, in desperate need of a plan, and able to trust no one.
Michael Tanner is on his way home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook in an airport security line. He doesn’t notice the mix-up until he arrives home in Boston, but by then it’s too late. Tanner’s curiosity gets the better of him when he discovers that the owner is a US senator and that the laptop contains top secret files.
When Senator Susan Robbins realizes she’s come back with the wrong laptop, she calls her young chief of staff, Will Abbott, in a panic. Both know that the senator broke the law by uploading classified documents onto her personal computer. If those documents wind up in the wrong hands, it could be Snowden 2.0—and her career in politics will be over. She needs to recover the MacBook before it’s too late.
When Will fails to gain Tanner’s cooperation, he is forced to take measures to retrieve the laptop before a bigger security breach is revealed. He turns to an unscrupulous “fixer” for help. In the meantime, the security agency whose files the senator has appropriated has its own methods, darker still—and suddenly Tanner finds himself a hunted man, on the run, terrified for the safety of his family, in desperate need of a plan, and able to trust no one.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2017
953 people are currently reading
3894 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Finder
70 books2,687 followersJoseph Finder is the author of the forthcoming novel JUDGMENT and fourteen other novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers, published in 35 countries around the world. His book HIGH CRIMES was adapted into a movie starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd; PARANOIA was made into the Harrison Ford/Gary Oldman film.
He was born in Chicago, lived in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Washington State, and upstate New York. His novels have won numerous awards, including the Strand Critics award, the Barry Award, and the International Thriller Writers’ Thriller Award for best novel. His first novel, THE MOSCOW CLUB, was named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 10 best spy novels of all time.
He lives with his wife in Boston and Cape Cod, where he roots for the Red Sox and mourns his Golden Retriever rescue dog, Mia. He’s currently trying to convince his wife to get another dog.
He was born in Chicago, lived in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Washington State, and upstate New York. His novels have won numerous awards, including the Strand Critics award, the Barry Award, and the International Thriller Writers’ Thriller Award for best novel. His first novel, THE MOSCOW CLUB, was named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 10 best spy novels of all time.
He lives with his wife in Boston and Cape Cod, where he roots for the Red Sox and mourns his Golden Retriever rescue dog, Mia. He’s currently trying to convince his wife to get another dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 831 reviews
June 22, 2017
Joseph Finder is back with another high-quality standalone novel that will provide chills and increased heart rates for many readers. After retuning home from a business trip, Michael Tanner discovers that his laptop was inadvertently swapped with an identical model at LAX. After accessing it, Tanner learns that the laptop belongs to none other than ‘S. Robbins’, as in US Senator Susan Robbins. A little more sleuthing leads him to discover a cache of top secret documents on the desktop, all related to an operation codenamed Chrysalis. From what he can understand, this operation would pose significant issues to the American public and he is not entirely certain that he wants it kept under wraps. Meanwhile, Senator Robbins is in possession of Tanner’s laptop, which she discovers with the help of her Chief of Staff, Will Abbott. Wanting to ensure the most plausible deniability, the senator leaves Will the arduous task of retrieving the laptop, as they both know what sits on the desktop. Abbott seeks to build a bond with Tanner in hopes of making a simple swap, but things soon turn dire, especially when the laptop cannot be located. Tanner has come to learn that he will be entirely expendable as soon as he returns the laptop, forcing him into a game of cat and mouse, first with Abbott and eventually with the NSA. Forced to abandon his coffee business and live on the run, Michael Tanner is a wanted man, but no one can broadcast this, for fear that he will release these sensitive documents and create an even larger headache for the US Government. What began as a simple laptop switcheroo has turned into a snafu of the highest order. Wonderfully crafted, Finder balances high-impact suspense with some key social issues that plague the world at present. Readers who enjoy a novel that does not stop will surely want to leap on for the ride, unsure of unseen twists!
There are few authors who are able to captivate me on a repeated basis with their stories. Joseph Finder is one such author, as his stories balance the complexities that face the everyday person, struggling to balance their civic duty with a want to live the simple life. Michael Tanner is the perfect such character, a man of simple means who wants to earn a buck and enjoy the fruits of his labour. Contrast him with Will Abbott, whose life remains high octane both on Capitol Hill and at home, with a baby. Finder adds a number of other characters, who flavour the narrative with their own quirks and push the reader to decide how trustworthy they might be. The ‘constant dash’ that is common in Finder novels does not let up for a second, allowing the reader to latch on and bounce from scene to scene, with little time to catch their breath. The story is crisp and believable, while also pushing forward some decent ‘soap box lectures’ about buzz topics that have arisen over the last few years. Where does privacy end and protection commence? How much do we know about what the government is doing around us? For how long will the club of “September 11th” be used to beat any opposition to spying on American (and likely any) citizens? All these questions and more are woven into the narrative and keep the story moving. An excellent piece that will surely capture the attention of many longtime Finder fans and those only recently discovering his work.
Kudos, Mr. Finder for such a great addition to your collection of novels. I always know I am in for something stellar when your name pops up!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
There are few authors who are able to captivate me on a repeated basis with their stories. Joseph Finder is one such author, as his stories balance the complexities that face the everyday person, struggling to balance their civic duty with a want to live the simple life. Michael Tanner is the perfect such character, a man of simple means who wants to earn a buck and enjoy the fruits of his labour. Contrast him with Will Abbott, whose life remains high octane both on Capitol Hill and at home, with a baby. Finder adds a number of other characters, who flavour the narrative with their own quirks and push the reader to decide how trustworthy they might be. The ‘constant dash’ that is common in Finder novels does not let up for a second, allowing the reader to latch on and bounce from scene to scene, with little time to catch their breath. The story is crisp and believable, while also pushing forward some decent ‘soap box lectures’ about buzz topics that have arisen over the last few years. Where does privacy end and protection commence? How much do we know about what the government is doing around us? For how long will the club of “September 11th” be used to beat any opposition to spying on American (and likely any) citizens? All these questions and more are woven into the narrative and keep the story moving. An excellent piece that will surely capture the attention of many longtime Finder fans and those only recently discovering his work.
Kudos, Mr. Finder for such a great addition to your collection of novels. I always know I am in for something stellar when your name pops up!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 5, 2022
This was awesome page turner thriller from Joseph finder Mike turn is coming back from a trip when he grabs the wrong briefcase, senator Susan Roberts is a panicked and sends his fixer to get the action picks nonstop
July 14, 2017
The tendency to imagine how the movie would look plagues me with every Joseph Finder novel I read. The Switch is written like a high-octane thriller that never settles down for that precious thing we call breath. We simply have to strap in and hold on tight.
Michael Tanner's life is turned upside down when he accidentally has his laptop switched with a prominent senator from Illinois at the airport. It's clear from the first page something is awry because the case of the mistaken laptop switch seems almost too perfectly planned... or is it? That's what we grapple with the entire time having limited information that suggests the only two people who want this tablet so badly are Tanner and the senator. Suffice it to say, this laptop has some damning information and Tanner is convinced keeping the laptop and making copies of its files will keep him alive... or so he thinks.
Tanner is forced to deal with having information that would prove Big Brother is watching and would essentially force everyone to consider how much their privacy is worth to them in a world of the Isis and other terrorist groups.
What I enjoyed most about The Switch is that no matter how implausible the plot became, I said to hell with reality and anxiously anticipated the end. I was totally invested in Tanner the whole time. For that matter, I needed to see how the other side would pan out in their quest to obtain the switched laptops. Ultimately, Finder provides us with a likable protagonist as well as a desperate antagonist that I almost felt sorry for.
The Switch will definitely be enjoyed by Finder Fans such as myself. It's a fast paced, engrossing thriller that will have readers debating with what they would do if they had been in this same situation. It's almost like if you found a bag with a million bucks in it. Do you turn it in or do you covet it in the hopes you'll survive long enough to enjoy it?
Copy provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley
Michael Tanner's life is turned upside down when he accidentally has his laptop switched with a prominent senator from Illinois at the airport. It's clear from the first page something is awry because the case of the mistaken laptop switch seems almost too perfectly planned... or is it? That's what we grapple with the entire time having limited information that suggests the only two people who want this tablet so badly are Tanner and the senator. Suffice it to say, this laptop has some damning information and Tanner is convinced keeping the laptop and making copies of its files will keep him alive... or so he thinks.
Tanner is forced to deal with having information that would prove Big Brother is watching and would essentially force everyone to consider how much their privacy is worth to them in a world of the Isis and other terrorist groups.
What I enjoyed most about The Switch is that no matter how implausible the plot became, I said to hell with reality and anxiously anticipated the end. I was totally invested in Tanner the whole time. For that matter, I needed to see how the other side would pan out in their quest to obtain the switched laptops. Ultimately, Finder provides us with a likable protagonist as well as a desperate antagonist that I almost felt sorry for.
The Switch will definitely be enjoyed by Finder Fans such as myself. It's a fast paced, engrossing thriller that will have readers debating with what they would do if they had been in this same situation. It's almost like if you found a bag with a million bucks in it. Do you turn it in or do you covet it in the hopes you'll survive long enough to enjoy it?
Copy provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley
June 23, 2017
In an airport mix-up Michael Tanner picks up Senator Robbins laptop with her password attached by a sticky note. The Senator has Tanner's laptop but on arriving back at his Coffee Roaster business in Boston, Tanner is too busy to immediately check his laptop. Meanwhile in Washington, the Senator panics when she realizes her laptop contains Top Secret material which puts he career at risk. She directs her top aide to recover her laptop by any means necessary. Finally discovering the laptop switch at the airport, Tanner opens it with the password attached. He reads Top Secret material listed in the contents and inadvertently places himself in legal jeopardy with various agencies of National Security. Threatened with committing a federal crime, Tanner goes on the run. More players from assorted intel agencies are drawn into the Senator's laptop search by focusing on the totality of businessman Michael Tanner's life leading to the obligatory car chase, etc.
I can suspend disbelief in a novel or a movie with the best of them but I kept asking myself why Tanner never considered engaging a lawyer to facilitate the safe return of the Senators laptop when he notices TOP SECRET labeled files. It would have been the obvious option for Tanner but instead, we follow a quite original plot premise descend into formulaic thriller land. Joseph Finder can do better.
I can suspend disbelief in a novel or a movie with the best of them but I kept asking myself why Tanner never considered engaging a lawyer to facilitate the safe return of the Senators laptop when he notices TOP SECRET labeled files. It would have been the obvious option for Tanner but instead, we follow a quite original plot premise descend into formulaic thriller land. Joseph Finder can do better.
July 31, 2018
Very enjoyable. Some smart things happen.
Joseph Finder is one of my favorite authors. But I was reluctant to read this because another reviewer complained that the set up was not believable. He said when Tanner saw that he had someone else’s laptop he should have returned it right away. But as I read this I was not bothered by that. Tanner was very busy and overwhelmed with problems at work so he didn’t get around to figuring out what to do with the laptop for a few days. And then he gets a phone call from someone using a fake name wanting to collect the laptop. Tanner knew the owner was Senator Susan Robbins from the log in, but a man called saying his name was Sam Robbins. That made Tanner suspicious. So, I was fine with it.
And I really enjoyed it. This author is a good story teller. By the end you realize his characters did a couple of smart things.
And thank you Joseph Finder for writing this in 3rd person - my comfort read.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Steven Kearney was good, but his voice is more strained or stressed than I like. I prefer a voice like Will Patton - softer and seductive and pulls you in to the story better.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 480 pages. Swearing language: I don’t recall any but there might have been something once or twice. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly Boston, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. Book copyright: 2017. Genre: suspense.
Joseph Finder is one of my favorite authors. But I was reluctant to read this because another reviewer complained that the set up was not believable. He said when Tanner saw that he had someone else’s laptop he should have returned it right away. But as I read this I was not bothered by that. Tanner was very busy and overwhelmed with problems at work so he didn’t get around to figuring out what to do with the laptop for a few days. And then he gets a phone call from someone using a fake name wanting to collect the laptop. Tanner knew the owner was Senator Susan Robbins from the log in, but a man called saying his name was Sam Robbins. That made Tanner suspicious. So, I was fine with it.
And I really enjoyed it. This author is a good story teller. By the end you realize his characters did a couple of smart things.
And thank you Joseph Finder for writing this in 3rd person - my comfort read.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Steven Kearney was good, but his voice is more strained or stressed than I like. I prefer a voice like Will Patton - softer and seductive and pulls you in to the story better.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 480 pages. Swearing language: I don’t recall any but there might have been something once or twice. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day mostly Boston, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. Book copyright: 2017. Genre: suspense.
September 20, 2017
After a slow start, this story finally revs up with some action. I appreciate the author covered all the bases and provides explanations that other authors never fully address. First, "Finder," novel I've enjoyed in some time. 7 of 10 stars
June 23, 2017
The Switch is a story about a simple mix up that turns sinister. Coffee businessman Michael Tanner puts his laptop on the inspection conveyor at LAX. UNfortunately for him he picks up another passenger's MacBook rather than his. When he discovers what's on the computer things begin to go wrong leading to a series of miscommunications thatleave Tanner running for his life.
The story is easy to relate to. Tanner is a representation of Everyman who's caught in something bigger than himself yet he often outsmarts his opponents but in other instances makes things worse. The Switch is easy to relate to and Tanner is such a spirited and smart protagonist you'll find yourself cheering him on and groaning when he's too clever for his own good.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-copy.
The story is easy to relate to. Tanner is a representation of Everyman who's caught in something bigger than himself yet he often outsmarts his opponents but in other instances makes things worse. The Switch is easy to relate to and Tanner is such a spirited and smart protagonist you'll find yourself cheering him on and groaning when he's too clever for his own good.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-copy.
May 5, 2017
Michael Tanner is a frequent business traveller for his coffee company. Whilst going through airport security, he accidentally picks up the wrong laptop. When he gets home he realises the error but (unlikely plot point #1) isn't too concerned about getting his own laptop back, because he only uses it when travelling and has nothing of importance on it.
Because the owner of the laptop in his possession has (unlikely plot point #2) left her password on her computer, Tanner is able to log into it. The laptop belongs to a US Senator who is in possession of highly confidential Government documents. At this stage Tanner (unlikely plot point #3) doesn't attempt to contact the Senator's office to return it to its rightful owner. Instead, as he gradually realises how desperate the Senator's staff are to retrieve the laptop, he begins to understand that even knowing about the existence of the files could put him into danger.
This is an okay thriller, but it's one that's built on too flimsy a base. Tanner's actions simply aren't credible. The plot has some topical points to make about privacy and about Russian interests in US security but they are bundled up in a plot that is simply too drawn out and implausible.
I received a copy for review from Net Galley.
Because the owner of the laptop in his possession has (unlikely plot point #2) left her password on her computer, Tanner is able to log into it. The laptop belongs to a US Senator who is in possession of highly confidential Government documents. At this stage Tanner (unlikely plot point #3) doesn't attempt to contact the Senator's office to return it to its rightful owner. Instead, as he gradually realises how desperate the Senator's staff are to retrieve the laptop, he begins to understand that even knowing about the existence of the files could put him into danger.
This is an okay thriller, but it's one that's built on too flimsy a base. Tanner's actions simply aren't credible. The plot has some topical points to make about privacy and about Russian interests in US security but they are bundled up in a plot that is simply too drawn out and implausible.
I received a copy for review from Net Galley.
June 9, 2017
Michael Tanner has just returned home to Boston from a business trip when he notices that after an airport security line snafu, he picked up the wrong laptop. Senator Susan Robbins is in panic mode when she realizes she took home a different laptop, and her computer loaded with top-secret files must be in the hands of a stranger by now. She enlists the help of her trusted chief of staff, Will Abbott, to find her laptop before word gets back to Capital Hill that she was in illegal possession of classified info.
There were quite a few things going on in this book that made it very timely, such as NSA spying on citizens, careless handling of classified info by public officials, leaking info to the press, etc. Those topics being weaved into the plot were what made the book an interesting read. Unfortunately, the actions of the characters, mainly Tanner and Will, are what brought the book down to just an okay thriller.
There were just too many times where I questioned the judgement of the two main characters. Obviously, having them make boneheaded decisions added to the story, but as a reader it just became frustrating after awhile.
I received a free ARC of this book by the publisher and that is my honest review.
There were quite a few things going on in this book that made it very timely, such as NSA spying on citizens, careless handling of classified info by public officials, leaking info to the press, etc. Those topics being weaved into the plot were what made the book an interesting read. Unfortunately, the actions of the characters, mainly Tanner and Will, are what brought the book down to just an okay thriller.
There were just too many times where I questioned the judgement of the two main characters. Obviously, having them make boneheaded decisions added to the story, but as a reader it just became frustrating after awhile.
I received a free ARC of this book by the publisher and that is my honest review.
July 13, 2017
3.5 stars. A decent thriller read; although not the best book I've read so far this summer. Looking forward to Finder's next book.
July 15, 2024
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June 22, 2017
In which Kafka meets The Patriot Act and we find out if curiosity really does kill the cat. First encounter for me with Joseph Finder. He did prove that Internet advertising can work. There was an ad for this book on Facebook which led to an excerpt from the first chapter. I read that and was immediately interested in seeing how this worked out.
In a TSA line at LAX coffee roaster Michael Tanner picks up the wrong laptop. He doesn't discover this until he's home in Boston. Since the TSA line was for many, many flights there's no easy method to find the rightful owner or indeed, to get his laptop back. It turns out the laptop belongs to a government VIP and due to the sensitivity of info contained on the laptop they are desperate to get it back. Thus follows a frantic search for the laptop by a number of competing interests with Tanner smack dab in the middle. Tanner, the amateur in all this, mostly acquits himself very well in the midst of threats of violence and actual violence.
A particularly well rendered part of the novel is when an NSA agent recites the facts of life post 9/11 for anyone demanding their rights. The agent is almost apologetic delivering the news that nope, this isn't the world we live in anymore. It's both chilling and unfortunately mostly accurate.
The book has one small flaw. The action hinges on a character making a decision that will propel the story onwards. It doesn't seem to me that the character, as described, would have the motivation to make this action. I might just be quibbling, and it wasn't enough to stop me reading the novel, but it slowed me up for a while. On the plus side a shout out to author Finder for being the first guy I've discovered to reference the DuckDuckGo search engine in a mainstream novel.
Solid 3.5 stars. Recommended.
In a TSA line at LAX coffee roaster Michael Tanner picks up the wrong laptop. He doesn't discover this until he's home in Boston. Since the TSA line was for many, many flights there's no easy method to find the rightful owner or indeed, to get his laptop back. It turns out the laptop belongs to a government VIP and due to the sensitivity of info contained on the laptop they are desperate to get it back. Thus follows a frantic search for the laptop by a number of competing interests with Tanner smack dab in the middle. Tanner, the amateur in all this, mostly acquits himself very well in the midst of threats of violence and actual violence.
A particularly well rendered part of the novel is when an NSA agent recites the facts of life post 9/11 for anyone demanding their rights. The agent is almost apologetic delivering the news that nope, this isn't the world we live in anymore. It's both chilling and unfortunately mostly accurate.
The book has one small flaw. The action hinges on a character making a decision that will propel the story onwards. It doesn't seem to me that the character, as described, would have the motivation to make this action. I might just be quibbling, and it wasn't enough to stop me reading the novel, but it slowed me up for a while. On the plus side a shout out to author Finder for being the first guy I've discovered to reference the DuckDuckGo search engine in a mainstream novel.
Solid 3.5 stars. Recommended.
July 13, 2017
Once again, Joseph Finder offers a compelling plot. In The Switch, two MacBooks are mixed up at a LAX security checkpoint. One computer, belonging to a businessman, contains some unimportant business notes; the other contains top-secret (and illegally downloaded) national security documents because that computer belongs to a US senator. So from page one, the story is exciting, a page turner as the characters sort out the computer mixup.
And once again, I was constantly slowed by the improbable becoming the impossible to believe. To avoid spoilers, I'll be vague here, but I doubt a senator would attach a Post-it note to her computer, listing the password; I doubt an average businessman would regularly outsmart and outfight experienced criminals and national security experts; and I doubt characters would consistently make decisions that confound logic and contradict their own interests.
I say "once again" because I found the same pattern in Finder's Suspicion--a well conceived plot, spoiled by illogical decisions and actions. Here's what I said (in part) about Suspicion:
So Suspicion presents a contradiction. It's a compelling story, poorly developed. I realize the book is fiction, a thriller asking for suspension of disbelief. In novels like this, ordinary guys (and sometimes gals) often rise to extraordinary heights. But in my view, stories like this can be even more successful if there's a modicum of reality underlying the fiction. Characters and their actions do need to be somewhat believable. I have the feeling Finder wrote the novel, sat back, and said, "This will make a good tale." I wish he had also asked himself, "Does any of this make sense?"
Once again, I was disappointed, and I don't plan to give Finder another chance even though my decision is based only on a sample of two.
And once again, I was constantly slowed by the improbable becoming the impossible to believe. To avoid spoilers, I'll be vague here, but I doubt a senator would attach a Post-it note to her computer, listing the password; I doubt an average businessman would regularly outsmart and outfight experienced criminals and national security experts; and I doubt characters would consistently make decisions that confound logic and contradict their own interests.
I say "once again" because I found the same pattern in Finder's Suspicion--a well conceived plot, spoiled by illogical decisions and actions. Here's what I said (in part) about Suspicion:
So Suspicion presents a contradiction. It's a compelling story, poorly developed. I realize the book is fiction, a thriller asking for suspension of disbelief. In novels like this, ordinary guys (and sometimes gals) often rise to extraordinary heights. But in my view, stories like this can be even more successful if there's a modicum of reality underlying the fiction. Characters and their actions do need to be somewhat believable. I have the feeling Finder wrote the novel, sat back, and said, "This will make a good tale." I wish he had also asked himself, "Does any of this make sense?"
Once again, I was disappointed, and I don't plan to give Finder another chance even though my decision is based only on a sample of two.
September 22, 2017
Turn on or switch off?
On his return from a business trip, struggling coffee entrepreneur Michael Tanner picks up the wrong laptop at airport security. When he discovers it belongs to a US Senator, his problems start to multiply. The laptop contains top-secret files setting out the plans for Chrysalis: a Big Brother operation that will give the government access to every aspect of American citizens’ lives.
The Switch zips along at a snappy pace but there’s nothing here to lift this above standard tv-thriller fare. All the characters fail the credibility test (when the Senator’s Chief of Staff turns to a Russian techno expert for help, we know the plot is doomed!) and the story development is just plain daft. Nevertheless, if you’re prepared to park your disbelief, this is quite an enjoyable light read and I did learn some interesting stuff about coffee!
On his return from a business trip, struggling coffee entrepreneur Michael Tanner picks up the wrong laptop at airport security. When he discovers it belongs to a US Senator, his problems start to multiply. The laptop contains top-secret files setting out the plans for Chrysalis: a Big Brother operation that will give the government access to every aspect of American citizens’ lives.
The Switch zips along at a snappy pace but there’s nothing here to lift this above standard tv-thriller fare. All the characters fail the credibility test (when the Senator’s Chief of Staff turns to a Russian techno expert for help, we know the plot is doomed!) and the story development is just plain daft. Nevertheless, if you’re prepared to park your disbelief, this is quite an enjoyable light read and I did learn some interesting stuff about coffee!
June 16, 2017
I really enjoyed the suspense in this book. In fact there were times when the Tanner would be caught up in a situation and it would jump to the Senator story line and I would get a bit of anxiety and found myself wanting to skip ahead (which I never actually did but fought that urge) to see what happen to Tanner. Great Read
August 18, 2017
Just a thought but when a suspense/thriller novel takes 10 days to read? then the book doesn't hold much interest to the reader. Very mediocre reading.
June 13, 2017
“The Switch” by Joseph Finder is a political thriller that starts simply enough with an “accident” that could happen to anyone. Michael Tanner is going through the hassles of the TSA checkpoint at LAX. He grabs his laptop and rushes to his gate. When he returns to his coffee business in Boston, he discovers that his laptop, the one that contains his important coffee business information, is gone, and he has picked up someone else’s laptop; they all do look alike after all. While the laptop is password protected, he finds the password written on a sticky note. I think many of us can relate to that as well. Unfortunately, when he powers on the laptop and types in the password, he finds that this laptop belongs to a U.S. Senator.
The senator is extremely distressed about misplacing her laptop because she has unauthorized copies of top-secret documents on it. She has to quietly and quickly get it back. The action for the rest of the book moves back and forth between the two computer owners, each trying to find the other and get his or her own laptop back. One has way more motivation and way more resources than the other does.
Whom does the average citizen call when he finds top-secret information? The press, of course. And whom does someone in government call when top-secret information is missing? The Russians, and the mob of course. (If you don’t believe me, just read the newspaper.)
This book is filled with lots of characters, all of whom are self-serving, arrogant, shortsighted, egotistical, power-hungry, crazy people. Why couldn’t they just trade laptops like normal people would? (Of course, then there wouldn’t be this great novel. ) I recognize all these people immediately from newspapers and TV. I can identify them because Finder developed their personalities in such a complete and complex way, that I really could pick out several of each of them in “real” life.
Finder overlaps chapters throughout the book, beginning one chapter a short time before the previous one ends and continuing the action from another participant’s point of view. This puts every action into question. One never really knows who is telling the truth and who is not. The “good guys” and the “bad guys” switch places several times as the body count grows and tensions rise. It is a dance where little slip-ups can be fatal. Even the end is really not the end.
The book is summed up in this quote early in the book from a woman at a D.C. party:
“The difference between God and a U.S. senator? God doesn’t think he is a senator”
I was given a copy of “The Switch” book by Joseph Finder, Penguin Publishing Group, and NetGalley. I usually don’t read political thrillers because I get that every night on TV, but this one was compelling, electrifying, and oh so realistic. I couldn’t put it down.
The senator is extremely distressed about misplacing her laptop because she has unauthorized copies of top-secret documents on it. She has to quietly and quickly get it back. The action for the rest of the book moves back and forth between the two computer owners, each trying to find the other and get his or her own laptop back. One has way more motivation and way more resources than the other does.
Whom does the average citizen call when he finds top-secret information? The press, of course. And whom does someone in government call when top-secret information is missing? The Russians, and the mob of course. (If you don’t believe me, just read the newspaper.)
This book is filled with lots of characters, all of whom are self-serving, arrogant, shortsighted, egotistical, power-hungry, crazy people. Why couldn’t they just trade laptops like normal people would? (Of course, then there wouldn’t be this great novel. ) I recognize all these people immediately from newspapers and TV. I can identify them because Finder developed their personalities in such a complete and complex way, that I really could pick out several of each of them in “real” life.
Finder overlaps chapters throughout the book, beginning one chapter a short time before the previous one ends and continuing the action from another participant’s point of view. This puts every action into question. One never really knows who is telling the truth and who is not. The “good guys” and the “bad guys” switch places several times as the body count grows and tensions rise. It is a dance where little slip-ups can be fatal. Even the end is really not the end.
The book is summed up in this quote early in the book from a woman at a D.C. party:
“The difference between God and a U.S. senator? God doesn’t think he is a senator”
I was given a copy of “The Switch” book by Joseph Finder, Penguin Publishing Group, and NetGalley. I usually don’t read political thrillers because I get that every night on TV, but this one was compelling, electrifying, and oh so realistic. I couldn’t put it down.
May 17, 2023
Our regular corporate guy gets into trouble and the villain is the US Government, NSA, or some 3 letter acronym trying to bury top government secrets. Oh! Where have I heard such a plot? Maybe in 10 other such thrillers? This one doesn’t have anything new. The hero makes some incredibly stupid decisions, yet manages to survive and outwit the villains without any active planning.
We totally get it when the author insists how smart the Senator Susan Robbins was. She was so smart that she carries a laptop with a post-it note with the password stuck to the laptop's bottom.
We totally get it when the author insists how smart the Senator Susan Robbins was. She was so smart that she carries a laptop with a post-it note with the password stuck to the laptop's bottom.
July 20, 2017
The premise of the story is improbable. Thus the one star. If I was Tanner I would give the laptop back to the owner as soon as I knew who owned it. More so after being contacted by some guy claiming to be Robbins when I know the real Robbins is a Senator and female. I would not give it to a journalist friend to copy materials from. I understand literary license and all but Tanner's actions made no sense.
November 30, 2017
Just okay. Not as compelling nor suspenseful as some of his earlier works ( Paranoia, The Company Man, The Zero Hour to name a few).
April 1, 2018
interesting plot as Michael Tanner picks up the wrong laptop at airport security, but the narrative drags somewhat in the early and middle sections and remains unconvincing to me, so only 3 stars
April 20, 2018
Great read!
January 22, 2018
Thrilling, tense and fast paced. A page turning read.
July 4, 2017
I have enjoyed almost all of Joseph Finder's novels. This one was no exception. Very much enjoyed the two different first person narratives. Only thing that was a little weird : the good guy owned a coffee bean roastery. That in itself wasn't odd, but the mention of coffee in almost every other chapter was. Made me wonder about Finder's coffee habit...or maybe he's trying to cut down? Anyway, it was a little distracting:)
July 7, 2017
When he gets home from a business trip, Michael Tanner, owner of a specialist coffee-roasting business in Boston, discovers that the laptop he picked up after going through airport security is not his own. Eager to find out who has his machine, his attempts to get into the laptop he now has are made ludicrously easy when he discovers a pink post-it, complete with the security password stuck to the bottom of the machine! When he gains access he discovers that it belongs to Senator Susan Robbins, and that it contains top secret, highly confidential files. Believing that the very fact that he has read some of the content of the files is sufficient to put himself at risk, he then makes a decision which will lead him into an increasingly complex web of danger and deception. Meanwhile, in Washington Senator Robbins is in a state of panic because she knows that having downloaded this sensitive material onto her a personal laptop is a breach of security rules and that her career will be finished if this is discovered. She therefore instructs her trusted top aide, Will Abbot, to retrieve it – by any means necessary. The subsequent attempts, by legitimate and illegitimate means, to either relinquish or retrieve the laptop result in Tanner going on the run, aware that the contents of the files he has seen are so politically sensitive that his life is now in danger.
This story, which involves deception, double-dealing, contract-killers, conspiracy theories – and even car-chases! – is told in short, alternating chapters which follow the fast-developing action from Tanner’s and Senator Robbins’ perspectives. However, there were times when I found that, rather than increasing any feeling of tension and menace, the switches were sometimes so quick that they in fact had the opposite effect, often interrupting the flow of the narrative. Although this is an easy and quite entertaining read, I have to admit that, as a result of some of the ludicrous decisions taken by the main characters, leading to a simple mix-up becoming complicated beyond belief, the plotting felt equally ludicrous and a considerable degree of suspension of disbelief was required! At one point, towards the end of the story, one of the National Security agents who interviewed Tanner remarks that he is “a smart guy who made a couple of bad decisions” – at which point I felt like shouting out-loud “What do you mean, a COUPLE??!!” Also, according to my husband, the words “for goodness sake!!” were frequently- heard exclamations as I shook my head in disbelief at yet another ill-thought-out action from one or other of the main characters!
Having shared all these negative observations, I do have to admit that I felt I had to read to the end in order to find out how everything was resolved – and I did feel like cheering Michael Tanner on when he found himself up against the forces of government! Another plus was that I discovered a lot about coffee beans and roasting! However, the story remained something of a disappointment because, with its very contemporary themes (Edward Snowden/WikiLeaks/whistle-blowers, erosion of civil liberties following 9/11, government surveillance of personal communications etc.) it could have been so much more interesting and engaging had the plot been less fanciful. However, these very themes, should any reading group choose to read this book, would make for some very lively discussions.
My thanks to Nudge/Library Thing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This story, which involves deception, double-dealing, contract-killers, conspiracy theories – and even car-chases! – is told in short, alternating chapters which follow the fast-developing action from Tanner’s and Senator Robbins’ perspectives. However, there were times when I found that, rather than increasing any feeling of tension and menace, the switches were sometimes so quick that they in fact had the opposite effect, often interrupting the flow of the narrative. Although this is an easy and quite entertaining read, I have to admit that, as a result of some of the ludicrous decisions taken by the main characters, leading to a simple mix-up becoming complicated beyond belief, the plotting felt equally ludicrous and a considerable degree of suspension of disbelief was required! At one point, towards the end of the story, one of the National Security agents who interviewed Tanner remarks that he is “a smart guy who made a couple of bad decisions” – at which point I felt like shouting out-loud “What do you mean, a COUPLE??!!” Also, according to my husband, the words “for goodness sake!!” were frequently- heard exclamations as I shook my head in disbelief at yet another ill-thought-out action from one or other of the main characters!
Having shared all these negative observations, I do have to admit that I felt I had to read to the end in order to find out how everything was resolved – and I did feel like cheering Michael Tanner on when he found himself up against the forces of government! Another plus was that I discovered a lot about coffee beans and roasting! However, the story remained something of a disappointment because, with its very contemporary themes (Edward Snowden/WikiLeaks/whistle-blowers, erosion of civil liberties following 9/11, government surveillance of personal communications etc.) it could have been so much more interesting and engaging had the plot been less fanciful. However, these very themes, should any reading group choose to read this book, would make for some very lively discussions.
My thanks to Nudge/Library Thing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
July 31, 2017
Joseph Finder has done it again in this suspenseful modern-day thriller!
Michael Tanner (Tanner to his friends) is a coffee brewer on the road to success. He's the epitome of the American working class man. He's the CEO/owner of a successful coffee company supplying many top restaurants and hotels. He has a beautiful wife who is looking forward to having children (something he would prefer waiting on), and a bright future ahead of him. All this changes, however, when walks through the LAX airport and accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook laptop, and suddenly his life is turned upside down.
Susan Robbins is a successful U.S. senator who many believe has a shot at the presidency. She's cunning, meticulous, and ruthless when she has to be (thus goes the way with politics). When she accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook laptop at the LAX airport her future suddenly looks grim. On this laptop is something she cannot afford to be made public. If this happens, not only will her career be on the line, but America's future could be in jeopardy.
William Abbott is the chief of staff for Susan Robbins. He's the man who gets things done, and knows how to do this quietly and efficiently. When he learns his boss's future is suddenly in jeopardy, he takes the bull by the horns and the necessary steps to get her MacBook laptop back, and is willing to go to extraordinary steps to have this done quickly. For on this laptop is something so sinister and dangerous, if it were made public many careers could be in jeopardy....careers of powerful politicians.
I've been a fan of Joe Finder for sometime. I've read a number of his books and I enjoy his skill as an author, his ability to write new material without being redundant. In 'The Switch' readers will enjoy a masterpiece of suspense, thriller, and drama as Michael Tanner does everything in his power to get his life back on track.
Michael Tanner (Tanner to his friends) is a coffee brewer on the road to success. He's the epitome of the American working class man. He's the CEO/owner of a successful coffee company supplying many top restaurants and hotels. He has a beautiful wife who is looking forward to having children (something he would prefer waiting on), and a bright future ahead of him. All this changes, however, when walks through the LAX airport and accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook laptop, and suddenly his life is turned upside down.
Susan Robbins is a successful U.S. senator who many believe has a shot at the presidency. She's cunning, meticulous, and ruthless when she has to be (thus goes the way with politics). When she accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook laptop at the LAX airport her future suddenly looks grim. On this laptop is something she cannot afford to be made public. If this happens, not only will her career be on the line, but America's future could be in jeopardy.
William Abbott is the chief of staff for Susan Robbins. He's the man who gets things done, and knows how to do this quietly and efficiently. When he learns his boss's future is suddenly in jeopardy, he takes the bull by the horns and the necessary steps to get her MacBook laptop back, and is willing to go to extraordinary steps to have this done quickly. For on this laptop is something so sinister and dangerous, if it were made public many careers could be in jeopardy....careers of powerful politicians.
I've been a fan of Joe Finder for sometime. I've read a number of his books and I enjoy his skill as an author, his ability to write new material without being redundant. In 'The Switch' readers will enjoy a masterpiece of suspense, thriller, and drama as Michael Tanner does everything in his power to get his life back on track.
June 13, 2017
Joe Finder excels at the everyman hero, of which Michael Tanner is a perfect example. Who hasn't worried about catching a flight – grabbing up one's possessions as soon as they go through the airport security scanner? Is it such a reach, then, to think that a laptop might be switched with another's? And that, in order to return it, one might try the password so conveniently scrawled on a Post-It note? That's what happens as "The Switch" opens, and this simple, well-intended act starts Tanner on a wild and dangerous ride from which there are no easy outs. (Simply returning it is not an option, for scarily plausible reasons.) The political angle – the laptop belongs to a senator – gives this lightning-paced thriller a certain timeliness. And, ok, Tanner does have some skills that this reader, at any rate, doesn't possess. But Finder writes him as such a relatable bloke that I found myself with him, cheering him all the way.
I received an advance readers copy for review.
I received an advance readers copy for review.
August 15, 2017
Very exciting, entertaining story about what can happen when laptops get switched going through the airport TSA screening. And then what happens when the switchees go bonkers and other guys get into it and they go bonkers and when BIG DADDY gets involved it all goes to the Dark Side and everybody's screwed, glued and tattooed. So ya wanna be careful out there. Me? I don't fly anymore. I'm done with all that foolishness.
So here's a quote from the book (page 277): "Extremists don't make it to the White House." Must be talking about that other White House with the burgers and fries.
This was my first Joseph Finder read and now I find out there are a gazillion more to plow through. Woo-hoo!
Happy reading, y'all!
JIM IN MT
So here's a quote from the book (page 277): "Extremists don't make it to the White House." Must be talking about that other White House with the burgers and fries.
This was my first Joseph Finder read and now I find out there are a gazillion more to plow through. Woo-hoo!
Happy reading, y'all!
JIM IN MT
April 5, 2018
I couldn't get over the fact that A) Tanner didn't immediately call the Senator's office when he found out it was hers, and B) that he couldn't realize that the Senator would have someone from her office to retrieve the laptop rather than herself. Like duh, of course, she's not going to call herself to get the laptop; she would totally want to be discrete about the whole affair. Tanner 100% put himself in the fix and it totally could have been avoided if he had just returned the damn laptop. It was frustrating beyond all get up and I had to turn the story off after he hung up on "Sam" Robbins.
April 19, 2020
טאנר הוא בעל מפעל לקפה שאוסף מחשב לא נכון בביטחון בשדה התעופה ומסתבר שזה מחשב של סנאטורית ובו קבצים חשובים. חשדנות הדדית וטעויות בשיקול הדעת מובילות לשורת אירועים מותחים שבהם הגיבור הפשוט נאבק מול כוחות גדולים ממנו בניסיון לשמור על חייו. ברקע גם שאלות על חיים בעידן אובדן הפרטיות.
כתוב היטב, קולח מאוד ומותח אבל הו כה מופרך ולא אכנס לפרטים גם בגלל ספויילרים וגם כי זה מסוג הספרים הקלילים שאו שנהנים למרות הפגמים או שלא
כתוב היטב, קולח מאוד ומותח אבל הו כה מופרך ולא אכנס לפרטים גם בגלל ספויילרים וגם כי זה מסוג הספרים הקלילים שאו שנהנים למרות הפגמים או שלא
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