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Alex Vane #3
The Mockingbird Drive
FIVE PEOPLE ARE DEAD AT A SMALL LAS VEGAS NEWSPAPER....
THE POLICE AND THE MEDIA ARE RUNNING WITH THE "OFFICIAL STORY....
BUT ALEX VANE IS AFTER THE TRUTH.
Alex Vane was once a top investigative journalist. Now he peddles celebrity gossip and clickbait listicles, watching from a distance as his wife moves on with her life - without him. Alex's past catches up to him when he learns that an old source, James Stacy, has been killed in a random mass shooting.
But James left Alex one last scoop: a 50-year-old hard drive that may contain a secret worth killing for...and the name of the one person who can help him access the data. That person is Quinn Rivers, a paranoid and reclusive computer expert who believes the CIA is tracking her every move. And she may be right.
When Alex shows up at her door with the hard drive, armed operatives are right behind him. Now Alex and Quinn are on the run. There is no one to trust, nowhere to hide, and nothing but the hard drive to prove that James Stacy's death wasn't random at all.
Running Time => 8hrs. and 36mins.
©2021 A.C. Fuller (P)2021 OrangeSky Audio
THE POLICE AND THE MEDIA ARE RUNNING WITH THE "OFFICIAL STORY....
BUT ALEX VANE IS AFTER THE TRUTH.
Alex Vane was once a top investigative journalist. Now he peddles celebrity gossip and clickbait listicles, watching from a distance as his wife moves on with her life - without him. Alex's past catches up to him when he learns that an old source, James Stacy, has been killed in a random mass shooting.
But James left Alex one last scoop: a 50-year-old hard drive that may contain a secret worth killing for...and the name of the one person who can help him access the data. That person is Quinn Rivers, a paranoid and reclusive computer expert who believes the CIA is tracking her every move. And she may be right.
When Alex shows up at her door with the hard drive, armed operatives are right behind him. Now Alex and Quinn are on the run. There is no one to trust, nowhere to hide, and nothing but the hard drive to prove that James Stacy's death wasn't random at all.
Running Time => 8hrs. and 36mins.
©2021 A.C. Fuller (P)2021 OrangeSky Audio
Audible Audio
First published May 10, 2017
2268 people are currently reading
1258 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Fuller
29 books140 followersOnce a journalist in New York, A.C. Fuller now writes stories at the intersection of media, politics, and technology. Before he began writing full time, he was an adjunct professor of journalism at NYU and an English teacher at Northwest Indian College.
He lives with his wife, two children, and two dogs near Seattle. For a free copy of one of A.C.'s books, check out: http://www.acfuller.com/readerclub/
He lives with his wife, two children, and two dogs near Seattle. For a free copy of one of A.C.'s books, check out: http://www.acfuller.com/readerclub/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
April 8, 2018
Detailed and slow.
Do like this author, but this one at times was putting me to sleep. I you read the what this book was about, you'll know everything about the plot. Don't think I'll be reading more about Alex Vane and his personal and business troubles anymore.
Do like this author, but this one at times was putting me to sleep. I you read the what this book was about, you'll know everything about the plot. Don't think I'll be reading more about Alex Vane and his personal and business troubles anymore.
May 21, 2017
Once again I got to enjoy Alex Vane and his over the top personality. Only this time he was a little broken, a little confused and a whole lot personable. This story was gripping. It kept me on the edge of my seat anticipating what in the world could happen next.
This book was written so well and so descriptively by A.C. Fuller, I just can't get enough of his books. I stumbled upon him during Mystery Thriller Week and what a discovery he was. His books are dynamic, so well formed that you are living vicariously through Alex. It feels like real-time when reading and I forgot to take a breath on occasion. It is truly that gripping.
This story had a really modern and current climate storyline. It was exciting and riveting.
This book was written so well and so descriptively by A.C. Fuller, I just can't get enough of his books. I stumbled upon him during Mystery Thriller Week and what a discovery he was. His books are dynamic, so well formed that you are living vicariously through Alex. It feels like real-time when reading and I forgot to take a breath on occasion. It is truly that gripping.
This story had a really modern and current climate storyline. It was exciting and riveting.
April 15, 2020
I am happy top report another good book read. I have read all the books in this series. This could be a stand alone book but you would be better off reading the first two books first. I thought the first two books were outstanding this book however was not as good. I like the main character and the secondary characters were ok but story was just not there until maybe the end which saved it to an extent. I just thought the story was meah and that the main character Alex was too concerned about trying to meet his wife again and save their marriage. It bogged down the story. I will read the next book in the series. If you have read the first two books than go ahead and give it a spin but if you are starting out not in order them you might find this book to boring.
January 25, 2020
Once again it was a bit confusing, not to sure about computer mystery. Mists get another. Allen Vine story, perhaps I will understand better.
October 14, 2023
Whoa! This third story in the Alex Vane Media series has some very creative computer hacking and social media posting. I'm not savvy in information technology, so I can't say I believe everything portrayed in the book exists, but it was exciting and wild. Mr. Fuller is very adept at inventing off-the-wall situations and unique characters. I loved the vulnerability and courage of Quinn Rivers, a paranoid computer hacker who lives off the grid until Alex brings the bad guys to her door. Her character gives this story its moral fiber. I can't say the same for Alex, who seems to be becoming more shallow and materialistic. Who goes to have a gourmet meal after learning of their friend's murder? I'm not feeling any love for Greta, either. Maybe her digestive system is in tune with her psychological beliefs, but she seems very judgmental and self-obsessed. I hope Alex has moved on to a new love interest in the next book.
July 20, 2018
The Mockingbird Drive by A.C. Fuller can be a fast-paced novel of intrigue for fans of computer science forensics. There is a mystery that must be solved by an unusual system of reverse engineering. A central object in the first few pages is a hard drive, one of the earliest “ever.” While James Stacy does not know what is on it, he is sure that if he can decode this early technology device, he will find the knowledge of a huge conspiracy that will change the world. James does not have the necessary knowledge to do this; he travels to a small-town newspaper where he knows of a person who can explore corners of the Dark Web and reconstruct information from the drive. Fuller kills off James in the first few pages in a supposed random killing by a mentally ill attacker, hence no spoiler, and the scene shifts to Alex, the chief hero in a series of novels. This is Book Two, but Fuller assures us this is a stand-alone novel.
Alex is a flawed hero both professionally and personally. In love with Greta, his wife of twelve years, she had kicked him out eight months prior in a separation that will or will not lead to a divorce. For a reason that is difficult to define, it seems she has grown as a person and observed that Alex was stuck somewhere to the point that he was boring without hope of recovery. During this adventure to save the ethical world, Alex will self-evaluate his sense of social morals and ethics with an objective to make a positive change that will save his marriage while also rescuing civilization. Professionally, Alex is one-half of a high-tech website company that specializes in creating fame for its own sake. Even Alex admits that some of his company’s published works fit the category of sleaze. Alex contributes conceptual and marketing strategy to the firm. He is amazingly ignorant of basic computer skills and relies on his partner for all the techie gee-whiz type stuff.
Prior to the death of James, Alex had received a message from James offering some sort of game-changing story about a conspiracy in high places. Alex sets off for a meeting with James without knowledge of his friend’s death and, once knowledgeable, is left with little alternative than to meet Innerva, James’s partner. Luckily, she has a second hard drive to replace the one that had been during the supposed random attack on the newspaper where James had been trying to enlist computer expertise. Still, she is also not a computer expert but gratefully accepts help from Alex in finding knowledgeable people to exploit ancient technology. Innerva sends him to Quinn, an overclocker.
And this is where the novel gets slow for the general reader. From 16% to 80% the novel is about the relationship between dark web guru Quinn and Alex (she doesn’t respect Alex), Alex’s relationship with ex-wife Greta (she doesn’t respect him) and a further Indian guru who has managed to squirrel way hardware that might be useful in exploiting the mystery hard drive. Tudayapi, the Indian doesn’t really respect, like, or trust anyone. Maybe all these characters will eventually come together. There are chase scenes and mysterious identities but there is little excitement until the 80% point. Then the novel takes off again and is exciting until the end. I am happy I lasted to the 80% point because the final 20% is quite creative in its examination of the capabilities of social media to get things done.
Because of that lengthy, unexciting middle part, I gave this novel four Amazon stars. It is available through Kindle Unlimited as a free read. I will read more novels by A. C. Fuller but will probably go back to his political thriller series which include Open Primary, a novel I liked a lot.
Alex is a flawed hero both professionally and personally. In love with Greta, his wife of twelve years, she had kicked him out eight months prior in a separation that will or will not lead to a divorce. For a reason that is difficult to define, it seems she has grown as a person and observed that Alex was stuck somewhere to the point that he was boring without hope of recovery. During this adventure to save the ethical world, Alex will self-evaluate his sense of social morals and ethics with an objective to make a positive change that will save his marriage while also rescuing civilization. Professionally, Alex is one-half of a high-tech website company that specializes in creating fame for its own sake. Even Alex admits that some of his company’s published works fit the category of sleaze. Alex contributes conceptual and marketing strategy to the firm. He is amazingly ignorant of basic computer skills and relies on his partner for all the techie gee-whiz type stuff.
Prior to the death of James, Alex had received a message from James offering some sort of game-changing story about a conspiracy in high places. Alex sets off for a meeting with James without knowledge of his friend’s death and, once knowledgeable, is left with little alternative than to meet Innerva, James’s partner. Luckily, she has a second hard drive to replace the one that had been during the supposed random attack on the newspaper where James had been trying to enlist computer expertise. Still, she is also not a computer expert but gratefully accepts help from Alex in finding knowledgeable people to exploit ancient technology. Innerva sends him to Quinn, an overclocker.
And this is where the novel gets slow for the general reader. From 16% to 80% the novel is about the relationship between dark web guru Quinn and Alex (she doesn’t respect Alex), Alex’s relationship with ex-wife Greta (she doesn’t respect him) and a further Indian guru who has managed to squirrel way hardware that might be useful in exploiting the mystery hard drive. Tudayapi, the Indian doesn’t really respect, like, or trust anyone. Maybe all these characters will eventually come together. There are chase scenes and mysterious identities but there is little excitement until the 80% point. Then the novel takes off again and is exciting until the end. I am happy I lasted to the 80% point because the final 20% is quite creative in its examination of the capabilities of social media to get things done.
Because of that lengthy, unexciting middle part, I gave this novel four Amazon stars. It is available through Kindle Unlimited as a free read. I will read more novels by A. C. Fuller but will probably go back to his political thriller series which include Open Primary, a novel I liked a lot.
May 18, 2017
Kindle Unlimited Notice Media Thriller...finally a subgenre understand the reason for. See binge reading in my future. This one pretty sure free day or perma free, the 1 probably same, 2 ARC 3 ARC. Yes the here's a free book, we really hope you like it, but at least review it please.
Series List: An Alex Vane Media Thriller
The Cutline Book 0 {0.5}) - The Anonymous Source 1 - The Inverted Pyramid 2 - The Mockingbird Drive 3
The start, definitely not the finish. {0.5}, 1 Just like all good series, goes deeper and more involved.
Post 911 the reporter wants to break in to TV news, and just might with the scoop of a lifetime, which his editor buries, his source turns up dead, and there is a media conspiracy that could cost him his life. Is help from a professor, an internet genius, a billionaire's sex widow, and a washed up sports reporter, enough to survive discovering a $500-million secret that could derail the largest media merger in history? What does it all have to do with 9-11? 2 has Alex living stably with a massage therapist and co-managing a website investigating the media, but once again a breaking story that was supposed to be about low level political Washington corruption leads to probably vaster conspiracy, one that could lead to and affect the upcoming 2004 presidential election. His business partner disappears, the only clue being the name of the hacker but the same one that was murdered in New York City. Everything could be connected, but to find out they have to untangle a web, which includes the death of his parents seven years earlier as well as figure out who is pulling the strings of the investigation and the election.
3 proves that Data never dies, just people, as the former top investigative reporter is now peddling celebrity gossip and clickbait articles while his wife and life moves on without him. When an old source is killed in a random mass shooting he finds he left Alex one last scoop, involving a 50 year old hard drive that could contain a secret worth killing for, and the name of the person who can help Alex access the data. How does he get a paranoid reclusive computer expert who believes the CIA is tracking her every move to help him, and how do they escape armed men that are hot on their trail.
This trilogy has 4; there is a 0/prequel.
Series List: An Alex Vane Media Thriller
The Cutline Book 0 {0.5}) - The Anonymous Source 1 - The Inverted Pyramid 2 - The Mockingbird Drive 3
The start, definitely not the finish. {0.5}, 1 Just like all good series, goes deeper and more involved.
Post 911 the reporter wants to break in to TV news, and just might with the scoop of a lifetime, which his editor buries, his source turns up dead, and there is a media conspiracy that could cost him his life. Is help from a professor, an internet genius, a billionaire's sex widow, and a washed up sports reporter, enough to survive discovering a $500-million secret that could derail the largest media merger in history? What does it all have to do with 9-11? 2 has Alex living stably with a massage therapist and co-managing a website investigating the media, but once again a breaking story that was supposed to be about low level political Washington corruption leads to probably vaster conspiracy, one that could lead to and affect the upcoming 2004 presidential election. His business partner disappears, the only clue being the name of the hacker but the same one that was murdered in New York City. Everything could be connected, but to find out they have to untangle a web, which includes the death of his parents seven years earlier as well as figure out who is pulling the strings of the investigation and the election.
3 proves that Data never dies, just people, as the former top investigative reporter is now peddling celebrity gossip and clickbait articles while his wife and life moves on without him. When an old source is killed in a random mass shooting he finds he left Alex one last scoop, involving a 50 year old hard drive that could contain a secret worth killing for, and the name of the person who can help Alex access the data. How does he get a paranoid reclusive computer expert who believes the CIA is tracking her every move to help him, and how do they escape armed men that are hot on their trail.
This trilogy has 4; there is a 0/prequel.
May 21, 2017
Ten days in and out of Las Vegas, Seattle, and the Nevada/Idaho-border Duck Valley Reservation make for quite a ride when you’re a newshound and you’ve got an ancient hard disk to decipher, the CIA is after you, you’ve got a news site to run, and the wife you still love is looking at divorce. Yes, there’s an ongoing love story woven into the thrills and chills of data and truth hunts, and I liked seeing the man-in-love’s point of view.
But the chilling story at the heart of the book, so in tune with our times in mid-2017, is what grabbed me and kept me turning pages. What’s it like to be on the No Fly List? What’s it like to try to outrun the CIA? What’s it like to be a journalist who only wants to tell the truth? What’s it like to be waterboarded? As a journalist, how do you deal with the hard war between media truth feeds and public frisson hunger?
Fuller’s choice of names is one of the most exotic I’ve run into. Just the cast of characters promises, and delivers, edgy things. I got to meet the word “grafs” for the first time. And Overclocker.
My inner geek gal loved that the two computer wizards were women, with smart mouths to boot. And my justice streak loved seeing old political and greed-fueled chickens come home to roost via journalists who won’t give up on getting the true story. Even when that’s hard. Best book of the series yet—top-notch read! On my personal list: Best of 2017.
But the chilling story at the heart of the book, so in tune with our times in mid-2017, is what grabbed me and kept me turning pages. What’s it like to be on the No Fly List? What’s it like to try to outrun the CIA? What’s it like to be a journalist who only wants to tell the truth? What’s it like to be waterboarded? As a journalist, how do you deal with the hard war between media truth feeds and public frisson hunger?
Fuller’s choice of names is one of the most exotic I’ve run into. Just the cast of characters promises, and delivers, edgy things. I got to meet the word “grafs” for the first time. And Overclocker.
My inner geek gal loved that the two computer wizards were women, with smart mouths to boot. And my justice streak loved seeing old political and greed-fueled chickens come home to roost via journalists who won’t give up on getting the true story. Even when that’s hard. Best book of the series yet—top-notch read! On my personal list: Best of 2017.
February 22, 2018
Ten days in and out of Las Vegas, Seattle, and the Nevada/Idaho-border Duck Valley Reservation make for quite a ride when you’re a newshound and you’ve got an ancient hard disk to decipher, the CIA is after you, you’ve got a news site to run, and the wife you still love is looking at divorce. Yes, there’s an ongoing love story woven into the thrills and chills of data and truth hunts, and I liked seeing the man-in-love’s point of view.
But the chilling story at the heart of the book, so in tune with our times in mid-2017, is what grabbed me and kept me turning pages. What’s it like to be on the No Fly List? What’s it like to try to outrun the CIA? What’s it like to be a journalist who only wants to tell the truth? What’s it like to be waterboarded? As a journalist, how do you deal with the hard war between media truth feeds and public frisson hunger?
Fuller’s choice of names is one of the most exotic I’ve run into. Just the cast of characters promises, and delivers, edgy things. Plus, I got to meet the word “grafs” for the first time. And Overclocker. But I'm still looking for what "He had ghosted me" means.
My inner geek gal loved that the two computer wizards were women, with smart mouths to boot. And my justice streak loved seeing old political and greed-fueled chickens come home to roost via journalists who won’t give up on getting the true story. Even when that’s hard. Best book of the series yet—top-notch read! On my personal list: Best of 2017.
But the chilling story at the heart of the book, so in tune with our times in mid-2017, is what grabbed me and kept me turning pages. What’s it like to be on the No Fly List? What’s it like to try to outrun the CIA? What’s it like to be a journalist who only wants to tell the truth? What’s it like to be waterboarded? As a journalist, how do you deal with the hard war between media truth feeds and public frisson hunger?
Fuller’s choice of names is one of the most exotic I’ve run into. Just the cast of characters promises, and delivers, edgy things. Plus, I got to meet the word “grafs” for the first time. And Overclocker. But I'm still looking for what "He had ghosted me" means.
My inner geek gal loved that the two computer wizards were women, with smart mouths to boot. And my justice streak loved seeing old political and greed-fueled chickens come home to roost via journalists who won’t give up on getting the true story. Even when that’s hard. Best book of the series yet—top-notch read! On my personal list: Best of 2017.
June 7, 2017
Just finished the Mockingbird Drive. Let me first say I am a fan of the author and his character Alex Vane. That’s not to say I always like Vane but the stories built around him are entertaining, realistic, and plausible. Vane has aged a bit and become a mogul with an internet news site . He is struggling with the separation from his wife. And he is struggling with his departure from the hardcore journalism he practiced in his early years with his move into the internet technology version of “yellow journalism” he now practices via his highly successful website. He is called to Vegas to meet a former associate only to find he has been murdered in a mass shooting. While there, he comes into possession of a secret hard drive from the ‘60s and ends up on a road trip with a paranoid and delusional anti-government individual – both of whom want to find out what is on the drive. The story involves shadowy “government agents” and internet/technology intrigue. The topics, subjects, technology and issues are timely. Fuller has done his research which makes the story all that more realistic and even plausible where nothing seems to be secret in a world with a 24 hour news cycle and the ever present specter of “social media”.
January 11, 2019
It's hard to explain this book without giving everything away. Alex Vane is the owner and CEO of The Barker, an online news outlet that runs any story that will make them money. (For example, his wife leaves him after he runs photos of a young singer out clubbing in a short skirt with no panties as she's getting out of a car.)
AT one point in his career, he'd been partners with a techo-nerd, James. James' girlfriend and partner contacts Alex and asks him to meet James in Las Vegas about an important story. Unfortunately, James is killed before ALxe can meet with him. James' girlfriend, Innevra, shows up at Alex's hotel and give him an almost-50-year-old hard drive, saying that whatever's on it is why James was killed. She plans to disappear and suggests that Alex take the hard drive to a woman just outside of Vegas, Quinn Rivers.
Quinn is a bit crazy and very paranoid. She convinces Alex to flee with her, as she's sure the CIA is after them both. This is where the story gets complicated. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of government conspiracy theories, lots of running, lots of uncovering inconvenient truths. It was hard to stick with at times, but the way the author ties everything together at the end was worth it.
AT one point in his career, he'd been partners with a techo-nerd, James. James' girlfriend and partner contacts Alex and asks him to meet James in Las Vegas about an important story. Unfortunately, James is killed before ALxe can meet with him. James' girlfriend, Innevra, shows up at Alex's hotel and give him an almost-50-year-old hard drive, saying that whatever's on it is why James was killed. She plans to disappear and suggests that Alex take the hard drive to a woman just outside of Vegas, Quinn Rivers.
Quinn is a bit crazy and very paranoid. She convinces Alex to flee with her, as she's sure the CIA is after them both. This is where the story gets complicated. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of government conspiracy theories, lots of running, lots of uncovering inconvenient truths. It was hard to stick with at times, but the way the author ties everything together at the end was worth it.
May 25, 2017
Alex Vane was brought up to date for this book (previously they were set in the early 2000s, which was quite funny, as you kept getting comments like 'I wish they'd put a camera on these phones, it'd be so convenient!'), and it was quite a revelation for his character; gone was 'serious' journalist Alex, and instead he's managing an empire of clickbait news and bloggers!
Anyway, this story starts with the murder of James (who I loved in the previous books), which made me really sad and not sure I wanted to continue, but I'm glad I did - from going down to meet Innerva (James's partner) to find out what happened, Alex is thrown into a cross-country chase with mysterious Agents, whilst in the company of Quinn, a computer expert with mental health issues. I won't tell you more than that - spoilers! - but the writing was excellent, with lots of fast-paced sections that had slightly slower sections between them to allow you to recatch your breath! And the characters were brilliantly written, jumping to life in the imagination. Overall, a thrilling read, and highly recommended for readers who love spy thrillers, action and adventure books, and those by AC Fuller.
Anyway, this story starts with the murder of James (who I loved in the previous books), which made me really sad and not sure I wanted to continue, but I'm glad I did - from going down to meet Innerva (James's partner) to find out what happened, Alex is thrown into a cross-country chase with mysterious Agents, whilst in the company of Quinn, a computer expert with mental health issues. I won't tell you more than that - spoilers! - but the writing was excellent, with lots of fast-paced sections that had slightly slower sections between them to allow you to recatch your breath! And the characters were brilliantly written, jumping to life in the imagination. Overall, a thrilling read, and highly recommended for readers who love spy thrillers, action and adventure books, and those by AC Fuller.
June 1, 2020
Yellow journalist Alex Vane comes into possession of a very old hard drive which he believes holds information damaging to several government agencies. The agencies want it returned. Can Alex figure out how to access the info while eluding the owners of the drive?
This was a definite page turner that made for a quick and interesting read. I have not read the previous two installments in this series, and found the book to stand alone quite nicely. I liked that the author had done his homework with respect to both the conspiracy and IT technology aspects of the story, which made this more realistic than most books of this type. I also found the dynamic between Alex and his quirky (ok, unbalanced) sidekick Quinn Rivers quite enjoyable. Their conversations were some of the best parts of the book. Finally, I respected the author's take on the power and consequences of modern social media. A definite recommend.
This was a definite page turner that made for a quick and interesting read. I have not read the previous two installments in this series, and found the book to stand alone quite nicely. I liked that the author had done his homework with respect to both the conspiracy and IT technology aspects of the story, which made this more realistic than most books of this type. I also found the dynamic between Alex and his quirky (ok, unbalanced) sidekick Quinn Rivers quite enjoyable. Their conversations were some of the best parts of the book. Finally, I respected the author's take on the power and consequences of modern social media. A definite recommend.
December 9, 2018
A.C. Fuller writes really good thrillers! This is the 3rd in a row I’ve read, and I enjoyed it immensely. One of his main areas of focus is on the back door collaborations among American journalism and American security companies and the federal government agencies like the FBI and the CIA and the military and diplomatic corps. These books breed suspicion that the many conspiracies he writes about are at least partially true now and will be more likely to be true as time passes. Another focus is on the great characters he draws and their relationships with themselves and each other. The books are intriguing, genuinely scary, and pleasurable reading.
I’m taking a time away from Alex Vane and his love Greta and the many people who populate these books. I have no doubt I’ll be coming back, though, after an interlude of reading other books.
I’m taking a time away from Alex Vane and his love Greta and the many people who populate these books. I have no doubt I’ll be coming back, though, after an interlude of reading other books.
November 8, 2019
James Stacy, a journalist with Next Underground Media (NUM), is killed in a mass murder event in Las Vegas while trying to find someone to extract information on an antique disk drive. His partner, Innerva Shah, then discreetly gives an identical second drive to another journalist, Alex Vane, who quickly ends up on the No-Fly list and being pursued by a couple shadowy thugs.
This is a rather typical story about a journalist with a secret about the CIA and who is on the run from suspicious security agents. There's conspiracy theories and espionage elements mixed in with some computer hacking and tech-y details that give the story some tension and drama. The main character (Alex Vane) is also dealing with marital issues and finding the limits of his journalistic ethics. It's a quick easy read and an entertaining story.
This is a rather typical story about a journalist with a secret about the CIA and who is on the run from suspicious security agents. There's conspiracy theories and espionage elements mixed in with some computer hacking and tech-y details that give the story some tension and drama. The main character (Alex Vane) is also dealing with marital issues and finding the limits of his journalistic ethics. It's a quick easy read and an entertaining story.
May 23, 2017
"...just another angry white guy in his mid forties..."
Another excellent Alex Vane adventure where the tired journalist again gets into investigative mode following the death of his once partner, James. He was killed in a shooting incident at the offices he had visited to get the information from an old obsolete computer drive. For this reader, James's death was a sad shock: he had been a prominent character in a previous book and his early, violent death showed the author's ruthlessness towards his protagonists. No one is safe.
Great story, very well written. It is not necessary to have read the other books in the series but I urge you to do so: they are all so good.
Highly recommended
Another excellent Alex Vane adventure where the tired journalist again gets into investigative mode following the death of his once partner, James. He was killed in a shooting incident at the offices he had visited to get the information from an old obsolete computer drive. For this reader, James's death was a sad shock: he had been a prominent character in a previous book and his early, violent death showed the author's ruthlessness towards his protagonists. No one is safe.
Great story, very well written. It is not necessary to have read the other books in the series but I urge you to do so: they are all so good.
Highly recommended
May 25, 2017
What a great book. The thrills keep coming as Alex is called to Vegas and ends up with an antique disk pack from the early days of IBM. While he doesn't know what it contains, the bodies keep piling up as someone seems desperate to recover or destroy the information it contains. The characters range from weird to wonderful, and the story is filled with true suspense. The reader also sees a side of Vegas that is different. Alex is distracted by his need to recover his relationship with his wife while trying to escape alive with the information from the disk. The style of writing is perfect for the story, and the reader does not need to have read any other Alex Vane books to truly appreciate this one. The book is exciting, off-beat, and very entertaining.
May 8, 2018
Move over Big Brother. A newer, bigger, and badder Big Brother has taken over.
For Alex Vane, it is several years beyond the time when The Inverted Pyramid took place. Alex is “living the good life”, luxuriating in expensive hotel suites, dining in exclusive restaurants, and spreading out a bit at the waistline.
A forty-year-old hard drive (that was supposed to have been destroyed by the CIA) turns up, a meeting in a newspaper office ends in a bloodbath, paranoia abounds, and Alex Vane’s life expectancy drops to minutes, instead of years.
A. C. Fuller has pulled off another nerve-wracking thriller, presents some fascinating journalism history, and ponders the evolution of journalism morality, as well as how news dissemination is morphing as technology advances.
For Alex Vane, it is several years beyond the time when The Inverted Pyramid took place. Alex is “living the good life”, luxuriating in expensive hotel suites, dining in exclusive restaurants, and spreading out a bit at the waistline.
A forty-year-old hard drive (that was supposed to have been destroyed by the CIA) turns up, a meeting in a newspaper office ends in a bloodbath, paranoia abounds, and Alex Vane’s life expectancy drops to minutes, instead of years.
A. C. Fuller has pulled off another nerve-wracking thriller, presents some fascinating journalism history, and ponders the evolution of journalism morality, as well as how news dissemination is morphing as technology advances.
August 29, 2018
"Our anniversary was three days away, and it felt more important than the slow-motion chase scene I was in the middle of."
That about sums it up. Alex Vane is pulled into a huge conspiracy and he just isn't that bothered (until #spoileralert). He can't resist surreptitiously turning his phone on to check what his estranged wife is doing on social media, despite the risk of his phone being used to locate him and his fellow fugitive Quinn Rivers. And yet you can't quite blame him, because the book is pretty much a slow-motion chase scene. That said, it's still entertaining and contains enough nuggets of intrigue to send you off down a Wikipedia rabbit hole reading about conspiracy theories.
That about sums it up. Alex Vane is pulled into a huge conspiracy and he just isn't that bothered (until #spoileralert). He can't resist surreptitiously turning his phone on to check what his estranged wife is doing on social media, despite the risk of his phone being used to locate him and his fellow fugitive Quinn Rivers. And yet you can't quite blame him, because the book is pretty much a slow-motion chase scene. That said, it's still entertaining and contains enough nuggets of intrigue to send you off down a Wikipedia rabbit hole reading about conspiracy theories.
May 18, 2017
Talk about a thrill a minute. Alex awoke thinking his life was one way... Recently seperated and working to get his wife back... Little did he know his world would become a riddle. In one afternoon a close friend is murdered and he's suddenly caught up in a shadowy organizations plot to cover up everything. This is an adrenaline filled book.... If you're into conspiracy theories, spy novels, or covert anything you should check this out. It may make you look at the world slightly different. I'm leaving this review voluntarily thanks to reading an ARC. I look forward to seeing what's up next by this author!
May 19, 2017
Thrilling story!!
A.C. Fuller is becoming one of my favorite authors. I have read all his books so far, and The Mockingbird Drive does not disappoint. This is the third book in the Alex Vane Media Thriller Series but can be purchased as a stand-alone book. But do yourself a favor and get his other books and read them in order. You will not be disappointed. From page one in his current book, there is intrigue, drama, and heart-stopping action. Fuller does an incredible job with the well-developed characters and current-day storyline.
Please put this book and his other books are you MUST READ list. Cannot wait for future books!
A.C. Fuller is becoming one of my favorite authors. I have read all his books so far, and The Mockingbird Drive does not disappoint. This is the third book in the Alex Vane Media Thriller Series but can be purchased as a stand-alone book. But do yourself a favor and get his other books and read them in order. You will not be disappointed. From page one in his current book, there is intrigue, drama, and heart-stopping action. Fuller does an incredible job with the well-developed characters and current-day storyline.
Please put this book and his other books are you MUST READ list. Cannot wait for future books!
July 7, 2017
Really liked this book. It's written in the first person. You get to know a guy named Alex who was once a top-shelf journalist but now writes slop for the internet. He and his wife are on the skids. The action begins when Alex and a crazy tech-savvy woman named Quinn pair up to find out what information is contained on a discarded computer once used by the CIA.
The author has a grasp on how social media impacts all of us every day, like it or not. And he weaves that knowledge seamlessly into the narrative.
Without giving too much away, just know chances are good that you'll enjoy this story, which touches not only on megabytes but love, loyalty, patriotism and other weighty subjects.
The author has a grasp on how social media impacts all of us every day, like it or not. And he weaves that knowledge seamlessly into the narrative.
Without giving too much away, just know chances are good that you'll enjoy this story, which touches not only on megabytes but love, loyalty, patriotism and other weighty subjects.
November 5, 2020
A Thriller
I enjoyed the first Alex Vane novel and read the second ,Inverted Pyramid. I enjoyed that less. I should have stopped this series with the second book . This book was filled to the point of overflowing with Alex's personal drama with his wife ,stacked on top of that the reader is given a huge conspiracy involving an old CIA hard drive, add a layer of murders, paranoid character on an Indian reservation,a chase across several states,torture,and finally enough information about Facebook Live,streaming,and multiple other media jargon and it is too much . The story ,if there was one ,got lost . I do not recommended this book.
I enjoyed the first Alex Vane novel and read the second ,Inverted Pyramid. I enjoyed that less. I should have stopped this series with the second book . This book was filled to the point of overflowing with Alex's personal drama with his wife ,stacked on top of that the reader is given a huge conspiracy involving an old CIA hard drive, add a layer of murders, paranoid character on an Indian reservation,a chase across several states,torture,and finally enough information about Facebook Live,streaming,and multiple other media jargon and it is too much . The story ,if there was one ,got lost . I do not recommended this book.
May 22, 2021
Lots of action
Alex Vane is CEO of a social media company (think TMZ) and uses it to achieve his ends. He meets some hacker friends and one is killed in a supposed “attack”. None of this is accurate, but Alex knows the truth. He and a friend take an old hard drive to another hacker who runs illegal servers. They are being followed by the people who killed his friend. The plot is quite interesting, but sometimes verges on the convoluted rather than the merely complex. Those the enjoy techno thrillers (the climax is remarkably visual) are sure to enjoy this. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
Alex Vane is CEO of a social media company (think TMZ) and uses it to achieve his ends. He meets some hacker friends and one is killed in a supposed “attack”. None of this is accurate, but Alex knows the truth. He and a friend take an old hard drive to another hacker who runs illegal servers. They are being followed by the people who killed his friend. The plot is quite interesting, but sometimes verges on the convoluted rather than the merely complex. Those the enjoy techno thrillers (the climax is remarkably visual) are sure to enjoy this. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
January 14, 2022
Better and Better
I thought this book was a different kind of “better” than the first one I read. I’m not a critic, or writer, so as an average person this story was well done from start to finish. I mean, the exposition of how f’d up things can appear couldn’t have been better laid out than by the two main characters. Talk about Ying and Yang. One character is a rational paranoid psycho and the other is a pedantic reality rationalist, but they blend so well that the feeling of “what the f?” is no big deal - just deal with it. And introducing the dog and not focusing on it was also a nice touch. I like this trio and wouldn’t mind reading about them in the future.
I thought this book was a different kind of “better” than the first one I read. I’m not a critic, or writer, so as an average person this story was well done from start to finish. I mean, the exposition of how f’d up things can appear couldn’t have been better laid out than by the two main characters. Talk about Ying and Yang. One character is a rational paranoid psycho and the other is a pedantic reality rationalist, but they blend so well that the feeling of “what the f?” is no big deal - just deal with it. And introducing the dog and not focusing on it was also a nice touch. I like this trio and wouldn’t mind reading about them in the future.
October 18, 2019
This is the first book I have read by A C Fuller and it was brilliant. The story is well written and keeps its suspense right until the final page. It takes you to places in America that you weren't expecting. Without giving anything away the story starts when Alex Vane, an on-line media entrepreneur, when he goes to Vegas. While he is there one of his sources is shot dead. Alex is given a very old hard drive that might contain information important that the CIA and other organisations what to be kept secret.
July 19, 2023
First off, I found this book entertaining. I think Mr. Fuller does a great job with character portrayal. The story is very “now” with lots of terminology and techy stuff so that part was lost on me here and there, but I was able to catch up and get the gist of it. If you don’t believe in the dark world behind government and the movers and shakers, then you might have trouble suspending belief enough to enjoy this read. I didn’t have ANY trouble with that. I like a hero who isn’t all good and has faults. I would definitely read another book with Alex Vane as the main character.
May 22, 2017
I couldn't put it down. Although I haven't read all of Alex Vane's novels so there are a few gaps in my knowledge of his life story, it didn't take away the impact of the story. The fact that this is just a novel also doesn't mean that there is truth in it. I knew of the Dark Web but didn't understand its role in the Internet world. I learned from reading this but most importantly I was spellbound with the entertainment of it. I will be reading more by A.C. Fuller.
September 20, 2017
A Thriller to Think About
First off, this is my first Alex Vane book. It really does stand alone, though I am curious to read the other books in the series. Vane is a flawed and likable character. The book has a steady pace. It made me think. If we THINK then we can't be mindlessly influenced by the media. If a group pressures me to think in a certain way they are instantly suspect. Thanks to A.C. Fuller for raising some healthy questions.
First off, this is my first Alex Vane book. It really does stand alone, though I am curious to read the other books in the series. Vane is a flawed and likable character. The book has a steady pace. It made me think. If we THINK then we can't be mindlessly influenced by the media. If a group pressures me to think in a certain way they are instantly suspect. Thanks to A.C. Fuller for raising some healthy questions.
September 25, 2017
Slow start but heated up fast.
I downloaded this free because it sounded interesting. When I first started reading this O wasn't really sure I would finish. I persevered and by the time I finished the fifth chapter I was hooked. The room is very "wordy" we times but it needed to give some of the explanations in order for the reader to understand what was going on. All in all this was an excellent read.
I downloaded this free because it sounded interesting. When I first started reading this O wasn't really sure I would finish. I persevered and by the time I finished the fifth chapter I was hooked. The room is very "wordy" we times but it needed to give some of the explanations in order for the reader to understand what was going on. All in all this was an excellent read.
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