The Second Law

Lynn Dayton #3

by L.A. Starks

In The Second Law, Lynn Dayton Thriller #3, TriCoast Energy executive Lynn Dayton is visiting the company’s San Francisco refinery when it comes under attack. Saddened by the fiery deaths of several workers, she traces the explosion to software malfunctions and contacts cybersecurity chief Kanak Singh to track it back to the source. The second law refers to the second law of thermodynamics: it means that in an isolated system everything tends towards chaos.

Lynn is still reeling when a TriCoast lease bidding manager is killed in New Orleans. The seeming motive is the theft of his computer containing billion-dollar secret offshore bid plans. Then her long-time mentor and good friend is gunned down in front of her in a Louisiana swamp. What terrible plan lies behind all these crimes? Lynn races against time to uncover a complex plot that stretches from murder in Vienna to a natural gas terminal attack in the Baltic to a major Caribbean oil installation off U.S. shores. Lynn is baffled as she learns of a high-stakes takeover bid by a mysterious group called the Second Law. Who are these people? Worse, who is the mole inside TriCoast that is feeding them so much deadly information? Unless she can find out, thousands more are scheduled to die.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Action, Suspense

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2020

About the author

Social media hub https://linktr.ee/lastarks

WINNER'S CURSE: A LYNN DAYTON THRILLER
Pub date: August 20, 2024
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Takeaway: Gripping sprint through the make-or-break oil and gas industry."
"Starks’s latest thriller, the fourth in her Lynn Dayton series, after (The Second Law), takes readers on a raucous ride of misadventure with Lynn Dayton. . . . Fast-paced and dramatic, Starks’s novel offers a slew of fascinating characters, including spies, estranged fathers, and both upstanding and morally corrupt politicians, all while establishing Dayton as a strong female lead, succeeding in a male-dominated, treacherous industry. Starks not only showcases the profession’s heavy sexism but also its complex web of power, effectively weaving in her own experience in the global energy sector to build a sharp plot that’s bolstered by obvious insider knowledge . . .Despite the many subplots that eventually unfold, from corporate rivalries to international politics, the novel ultimately comes together well, offering plenty of twists and turns along the way. Dayton’s undertakings are as risky as they are critical, but Starks offsets the danger with hefty character-driven scenes that will resonate with readers."
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Curse-...

WINNER'S CURSE: A LYNN DAYTON THRILLER is a pulse-pounding new thriller hurling you through the eye-opening, dramatic world of oil and gas. While taking you from the west Texas plains to Hungarian salons, Starks expertly infuses insider knowledge of this trillion-dollar industry into this suspenseful technothriller to keep you on the edge of your seat.

THE SECOND LAW (Lynn Dayton Thriller #3): *winner of first place award from Texas Authors for best international thriller,
*quarter-finalist (one of 62 out of 800+) for the 2019 BookLife Prize with a critic's rating of 9.5/10.0.
*finalist in action/adventure category of the National Indie Excellence Awards 2020.
*quarterfinalist in ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition 2023.
https://www.amazon.com/Winners-Curse-...

THE SECOND LAW is about deadly cybersabotage. Protagonist Lynn Dayton must uncover and stop a multi-pronged plot.

"unremitting suspense throughout...Spirited characters, both good and bad, populate this engaging, often surprising thriller."--Kirkus

Readers who enjoy stories of mystery, murder, mayhem and espionage will relish the intricate, complex yet highly accessible series of events The Second Law unfolds."
--D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

STRIKE PRICE, (Lynn Dayton thriller #2), winner of a first place award from Texas Authors for best mystery/thriller, is a story about a business deal turned deadly, concluding with a plot to destroy a hidden-but-crucial energy base and force the US into confrontation with another global power. To stop it, up-by-the-bootstraps Lynn Dayton must trust a Cherokee elder who carries a corrosive secret.
https://www.amazon.com/Strike-Price-L...

“Strike Price takes the reader from Oklahoma Indian reservations to the streets of Florence, in an imaginative and well informed fusion of oil refining economics, Native American politics, and the potential for lethal mayhem in the global energy market.”
Michael Ennis - - - author of New York Times bestseller, The Malice of Fortune

13 DAYS:THE PYTHAGORAS CONSPIRACY (Lynn Dayton thriller #1) is about a plan to sabotage oil refineries and Lynn Dayton, the woman who must discover and stop it.
https://www.amazon.com/13-Days-Pythag...

Rating: Excellent “Author L A. Starks delivers an unstoppable thriller that put this reviewer in mind of bestselling novels of this genre over the last several decades, with the welcome addition of depth . . . This is truly a book which will linger in the reader's mind long after the final ending, as we wond

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SECOND LAW by L.A. Starks is the third book in the Lynn Dayton thriller series. While this novel can be read as a standalone, the series is best read in series order which will provide the reader with some additional background on the characters, the environment and the relationships. The settings for this novel are numerous and include several countries.

Lynn Dayton, a TriCoast Energy executive is visiting the company’s San Francisco refinery when software malfunctions lead to the death of several employees. What caused the software malfunctions? Is this an inside job or did someone hack into their systems or was this a simple coding mistake gone horribly wrong? This is just the beginning of several bad weeks for Lynn and her team as they race to discover answers and hold those responsible accountable.

Lynn is a strong female protagonist in a male dominated industry. She is both technically sound and has the ability to manage through tough situations. In addition to this, she deals with situations many of us face in achieving a work/life balance. Despite set-backs, she meets adversity head-on and doesn’t hide behind others to get the job done.

This is definitely not a fluff thriller. It felt all too believable that at least some of this could happen. While it’s more technical than most, that aspect was nicely interwoven into the plot. It worked for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned a lot about the energy business.

Overall, this is a suspenseful, fast paced, and educational thriller. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The bottom line: If you enjoy action-packed thrillers with relatable characters, then I recommend you check out this series.

I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks go to Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group, LLC and L.A. Starks for the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date was October 24, 2018.

[Jypsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like The Second Law. The plot was just too much going on and confusing. It's also too far fetched for me. One woman and all of this tragedy? Not likely. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it overall. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading this book and I wanted it to be really great. The sad part is, the story of industrial espionage, cybercrime, murder, industrial sabotage, international espionage, is terrific. The story is well constructed, the dialogue feels natural and the characters are fully developed and three dimensional. So what's the problem? The problem is, I had no interest in reading an industrial manual on how to run an oil refinery. Believe me, this book included more information on oil refining, gas production, shipping, etc than I EVER wanted to know. And what was even more frustrating is that about the time the story was getting good and I was anxious to see what would happen next, the author would insert one of the above things that I wasn't interested in. SO frustrating. This could have been a solid 5-star rated book but instead, I struggled to get through it. I really hate it, too, because the thriller portion of the book was amazing. Maybe one of these days I'll find a book by this author that is strictly. what it professes to be - a murder mystery, thriller, or suspense. If so, I'll definitely grab it up because it will be a winner. Until then, I'm afraid I'll have to pass.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a e book from Net Galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a chaotic, high-tech energy mystery with a wide range of settings. Plenty of times I got bogged down in all the details of how the energy refineries worked, and all the technology with the cyber attacks. It was hard to keep up with and a bit much to follow. The plot itself was interesting, with the main executive, Lynn, being targeted and trade secrets stolen. Some of the best parts were when the book focused on particular people, and we got to know them. When the city of New Orleans was the place of action, it was very compelling. I was born there, so I find it fascinating, a city of much character...though I didn't live there long.

The story itself was complicated and full of murders and betrayal, and set all over the world, with China and Russia and The Philippines involved, along with the U.S. It's a global mystery, full of current events and such, so if you enjoy all of that, this is the book for you.

[Jeff Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading THE SECOND LAW by L.A. Starks, the third book in the Lynn Dayton thriller series. The story can be read as a standalone, but I think that THE SECOND LAW is best read in series order. The story centers around Lynn Dayton, an Energy executive investigating software malfunctions at a refinery in the San Francisco Bay area that ultimately results in the death of several employees. Was this an inside job or did someone hack into their systems or was this a simple coding mistake gone horribly wrong? And the fast-paced story is off. The Second Law is a conspiracy thriller buff’s conspiracy thriller. Great action. Strong character development. International settings. What more could a reader want. Kudo’s L.A. Starks. Jeff Bailey, author of the conspiracy thriller NOT ON MY WATCH.

[Pam Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold on for the ride of your life as you learn about the energy industry and what vulnerability we have based on our competitor's needs and long-term plans. There is a mystery, intrigue, murder, cyber-warfare, international competitive interruptions, and many more twists and turns.

At times the information about the industry felt as if I were being fed through a fire-hose. For others who know the industry, it may not have felt that way. This is the only reason I brought my star rating from a 5 down to a 4.

Lynn Dayton, the heroine of the series is unflappable both on the work and terror assault fronts. At times her fearless approach is understandable; sometimes it appears to be self-serving. Either way, you end up rooting for her to succeed. And she does, as after speaking to the author, I believe there may be a 4th in the series.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a pretty good thriller. It was a bit busy at times with Lynn always racing all over. There was plenty of action as she tries to find out who is trying to take the company down.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you goodreads and L.A.Starks for a suspenseful read. Slow-going and a bit chaotic in the beginning. Once I started putting the strings of the story together, I couldn't wait until my next reading session to see what was next.

[Keith McTaggart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynn Dayton is a wonderful character. She appears in her third thriller The Second Law that I found gripping and fascinating all the way through. I hope that I am not mansplaining when I say that Ms. Starks’ Dayton would be a fabulous role model as a business executive, as a practical scientist/engineer and just as a positive human being - and of course as a woman leader.
While I have scientific training it is biological and so I found the scientific side of the novel very informative and interesting, but not in a “for nerds only” sort of way. The susceptibility of the petrochemical industry to hacking shocked me and by extension to so many other industries, I was forced to rethink the vulnerability of the world to evil players.
I tend to think of terror and sabotage as limited and driven by relatively contained ideological players, but when the ideology is money and power and control of markets, the players can be very powerful “teams” indeed - read "nations without a conscience", but could that be all of them?
So readers, for high adventure in petrochemical production and sales, for market manipulation using the worst tricks possible, for hacking far in advance of pimply basement dwellers, for decision-making at the high end of business, get hold of The Second Law by L. A. Starks. I am seeking out the first two on Amazon if that is any recommendation as to how much I enjoyed this book.

[Susan Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.


TriCoast is under attack. But who is the enemy? China? Russia? Or Tricoast's competitors? And what do they stand to gain?

An explosion at a refinery. Arch Weber murdered for sensitive company information. And a good friend, Reese, shot dead in front of her eyes. All these events leave Lynn reeling. As the attacks escalate, it becomes clear that their systems are being hacked.

Cybersecurity expert, Kanak Singh determines that the hackers had inside help. And identify two suspects. Will Lyn and her bodyguard, Beau Decatur, be able to figure out who it is? And from the information obtained during the confrontation, will she and Beau be able to stop the final and ultimate threat to TriCoast?

An intricate plot and well-developed characters. I have read this book as a standalone and had no problems not having read any of the other books in the series. It has a lot of characters to keep track of, but all necessary for the storyline.

I did feel frustrated with so much information about refineries, the oil and natural gas industry and the politics involved, slowing the action down.

But overall, still worth reading!

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a jolly ride this Was. Several workers are dead. The workers were working in a refinery. When investigation started it all traced back to the software malfunction.
But there is a conspiracy also involved
By a group called the second law.
There is too much story going on so the reader has to pay attention.

Overall a very good read.

[Jennifer Mackin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. It was very thoughtful that the author signed it and wrote a personal note. This book just wasn’t for me. It focused so much on the ins and outs of refinery safety and operations. It did not hold my interest. There were some interesting twists and turns. But overall, I was disappointed in this book.

[Barred Owl Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SECOND LAW by L.A. Starks is the third book in the Lynn Dayton thriller series. While this novel can be read as a standalone, the series is best read in series order which will provide the reader with some additional background on the characters, the environment and the relationships.

This thriller book is full of espionage, murder, secrets, and danger. I couldn’t get enough of it.

If you enjoy action-packed thrillers with relatable characters, then I recommend you check out this series.

[Peacejanz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my sort of book. It is fast paced, characters are not developed, they rush from place to place, from disaster to disaster. There was a lot of action and new people kept popping up. A bunch of new owners ad rich people tried to find the source of their accidents. Readers who like a lot of action will like this book. It was a Goodreads win and I honestly read it and reviewed it.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is visiting a plant when their is a bomb attack and people are killed. She tries.to.find out who is behind it when she learn the computers had been hacked.Will she find them? Will she become a target? Can she stop the attacks? See if she can

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a copy from Goodreads Giveaways.

Plot is well formulated, the characters well developed and their interactions come across as natural. I thought the storyline was very intersting and I like the main character. However, it is hard to envision one person having so much bad luck.

Only drawback for me was just as I was getting to an interesting section it switched to a "manual" about how an oil refinery functions. Not quite as technical as the first two....and I have to admit I did learn a lot about oil refining.

Still, it was an enjoyable read for me. Definitely recommend, just a little different from other thrillers.

[Nancy Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a good while to read this book! There was so much I didn't know about refineries, cybercrime, and the fuel industry in general. It was difficult to understand the motivation of many characters as I was reading. I am glad I stuck with it, though, because the whole book finally made sense to me! I believe more tech-savvy readers or more informed readers would not have as difficult a time as I did.
I received my book free through a Goodreads giveaway. My copy was signed by the author!

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Law by L.A. Starks is book three in her Lynn Dayton thriller series. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was hooked from the first page. This thriller book is full of espionage, murder, secrets, and danger. I couldn’t get enough of it. As you read you can absolutely tell that the author has done a significant amount of research about the storyline and this story truly shines.
The author takes us from the U.S. to China to Russia and even to the Middle East. This story is easy to follow along with and the characters are engaging. I appreciate the amount of detail that the author goes into both with the cybersecurity but with the oil refineries and even the murders. I especially appreciate how the author doesn’t skimp out on certain scenes. I was worried that the author would just give us abstract scenes with the deaths but we get the full situation.
While some of the characters are true blue professionals in what they do I like that we are given less professional types as well. I feel that this makes the story truly well rounded. I can easily say that this book can be read as a stand-alone novel, but the author does give the reader snippets from her previous books and this makes me want to read them to learn what has happened before with Lynn when she had a very close call with a murderer.
There is nothing that I don’t like about this book. As I said before you can tell that the author put a lot of thought into this novel and it shows. The details are well done and thought out and very little is left to chance. This book has been thoroughly edited and what I would call a true success.
If you are looking for a novel that is a true thriller and gives you a mystery, murder, and danger hidden in the shadows around you and in cyberspace then this is the book to pick up. If you have read L.A. Stark’s other novels and enjoyed them then grab this book! You will not be disappointed! I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars.

[Nicole Bannister]

I Enjoyed everything about this book there was nothing I didn't like about the book. I Like the setting,the writing style,the plot,the plot twists and the characters in the book were amazing.I would gladly reread it again.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Law #3 - This is my first read by this author and I'm impressed! I thoroughly enjoyed this technology filled, intriguing, suspense filled story. Although this is the third book of a series, I did not miss the first two books; standalone and informative enough about the past, but I still want to read the others. If you enjoy serious reading on a real life level, you will enjoy this book, too.

There are multiple storylines covering you name it. Technology; cybercrime; murder; industrial spying; and the list goes on. The characters range from top echelon corporation types to scum and the many types in between. I had several characters I enjoyed and of course, I cheered when the baddies got their just rewards; no expense to the tax payers with some of them. The power of China is too great and although I knew C bought oilfields in CO, I didn't know part of South TX was bought by C, too. Having worked for two defense contractors, it's always interesting to see how many U.S. companies faced the same problems we did and how their methods were similar or different from ours to keep pace, protect ourselves, and survive and thrive.

The crime runs amok from nations on down; there are other International players participating, but as much as I want to tell all the excitement this book brings, I don't do book reports. I look forward to reading many more books by this talented, educated author. There's a depth to this story that comes from knowledge and experience, instead of some stupid Hollywood movies rehashed. I contacted the author to review her books and I received this book through Booksprout. Yeah! 5*

[T.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

L. A. Starks’ latest novel, the third in Lynn Dayton Thriller series is vividly up-to-date, involving global cybersecurity concerns and oil and energy politics. TriCoast Energy executive, the ever vigilant Lynn Dayton races to uncover a global conspiracy that threatens to disrupt the company’s oil refineries across various locations in the country while a shadowy Chinese group recruits dangerous people and works tirelessly to take over the American oil refineries’ operations for their own twisted reasons with the help of inside information from a TriCoast Energy employee.

The chapters shift between different settings from New Orleans to California, Europe, and South America, and despite the author’s multiple focus in terms of settings and characters, the narrative is easy to follow. Starks is good at the details (the reader learns a lot about working of oil refineries), her narrative flows easily, and she writes crisp action scenes without much blood and violence. The pace of the book is fast, which keeps the reader hooked to the book. The characterization come out a little flat, but it’s expected with all the technical mumbo jumbo in case of techno thrillers.

Among shifting locations and a large cast of characters, Starks proficiently builds suspense toward a tense, satisfying finale. Stark’s authoritative portrayal of the way things are done in the oil business brings the story to life and makes The Second Law a convincing, engrossing read. The science thriller fans will look forward to the next installment in the series.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I just finished this novel and thanks to L.A. Starks for letting me read the book. This is the first novel that I have read that has a woman main character. Which is one of the things I liked about this book. The main character does not have to be a man. The second thing that kept me reading is the ability to stop reading (for a personal reason) and pick it back up and still remember what happened before. The one thing is I did not know who was the Viper until the last chapter, which is one of the points to a book that I really like. I do not like novels that I know the end halfway through the book.

Matter of fact what I thought was the reason turned out that I was wrong, another cool part of the novel that got me in the end. Your reading along enjoying the book and right at the end opps its not what you thought was going on.

L.A. Starks has the ability to write a book that does not give the ending before she wants it too. Would I read another one of her books YES.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such fun reading this book. It was captivating and had me hooked from the first chapter. The author did a marvelous job with character development and storyline. The author did such a great job with the characters that I felt connected to them and was invested in their story. I absolutely loved the mystery and suspense that the author was able to lace throughout the whole story. Amazing twists and turns left me reading nonstop.

[Eric Staten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book the other day. This is the first one that I had to wait a day to review. It was that good. I like reading books that make you forget that it is just a story and not real life. When I read this one there were times that I forgot it was a story that is involved in this I was. That is why I am giving this a 5 stars review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Law kept me on pins and needles! Oh, my gosh, was it good. Everytime I thought things would calm, things exploded again. Figuratively speaking, of course. This is most definitely a keeper to be read again and again. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a thriller and a wonderful one at that. Keeps you on the edge of your seat and glued to the pages. I enjoyed this book immensely and I think my "prepper" son would love it as well.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you pick up this novel, hang on to your hat. The action never stops--and neither do the mysteries. This is a thriller that will keep your pulse pounding until the end. I received this book as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. Different kind of thriller. I like Stark's experience with energy sector stories. A good read, good character development. Worth a shot.

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!