A. I. Smith

by Kathleen Helms

A five woman paddle boarding therapy session on Carlsbad Lagoon goes from peaceful to deadly in the blink of an eye when a house on shore explodes. Within days three of the women are dead and Maggie Macphearson and Elsie Davenport are on the run. The ruthless enemy, with seemingly unlimited resources, is following closely behind. Maggie and Elsie must join forces in an attempt to stay alive. Can the two women put aside their considerable differences and work together?

310 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2019

Reviews

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling political thriller about artificial intelligence run amok in North San Diego county, a setting neglected by most thrillers. While some quibbles mentioned by other reviewers are accurate, this story could be adapted quite readily to the screen.

Two strangers—Maggie & Elyse—are thrown together by witnessing the same crime. As with most buddy plots, the mutual irritation must be overcome. In A.I. Smith, the protagonists reconcile in an unusual way that is original to SoCal off-roading.

The POV of the title character is both an attribute and a liability: an attribute because it is nearly complete as an omniscient narrator: a liability in that intelligence is completely logical, therefore flat and predictable.

The Act III scene sequence set Las Vegas shifts a bit away from the psychological conflicts of the protagonists to the fed-beat-v.s.-local-beat trope of procedurals, but by putting “psychology” into the psychological thriller, Act III could get marvelously messy.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the plot a lot. Writing was a bit weak. I cringed when I saw “it’s” instead of “its” for the 6th time. Where on earth were her editors? Some of the story was a bit too convenient. She just happened to be a quasi niece of the other guy who helped birth this exact AI? Really?

The story itself was fascinating and terrifying. I liked all the north county San Diego tie ins, even though some felt a bit contrived. Explaining all the nuances sort of takes away the magic at times.

[Zzyyzx Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced, strong character development, very exciting. Loved the San Diego county locations. This book hooked me from the beginning. I couldn't put it down.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling & relevant to the times!

[Lea Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read

Gets kind of scary! The topic really makes you think, then start looking things up on the internet. Easy and fast read.