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Dangerous Conjectures
From the award-winning author of Money Matters , an explosive family drama set in the Bay Area during the early months of the a suspenseful tale of transgressions, betrayals, and the rise of outrageous conspiracy theories. Oakland, California, 2020. Computer scientist Adam cannot understand the widespread appeal of conspiracy theories popularized by the president. He decides to investigate one, QAnon, which turns out to have hidden connections to a White House intent on subverting the upcoming presidential election. His wife Julia, who works at the ACLU, is terrified by the outbreak of the coronavirus and is drawn to the fake online cures Adam detests. Further threatened by the reappearance of a violent ex-boyfriend, Julia sees her life unraveling and resorts to desperate remedies. Brian Finney's Dangerous Conjectures is a powerful, gripping exploration of two Americans' inner lives living through a pandemic and a culture overrun with misinformation.
280 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 2021
1 person is currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Brian Finney
21 books8 followersBrian Finney is a prize-winning writer and professor emeritus in English literature. Born in London, he obtained a BA (hons) in English and Philosophy at Reading University and a PhD on D. H. Lawrence’s shorter fiction at University of London, where he taught literature and arranged extra-mural courses in the arts from 1964 to 1987. After immigrating to Southern California he taught at UC Riverside, UCLA, the University of Southern California ad California State University Long Beach.
He has published eight books. His second book, Christopher Isherwood: A Critical Biography, was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for non-fiction that year. It was also voted one of the best three books of the year by Philip Toynbee in the Observer. He went on to publish, among others, The Inner I, a pioneering study of British literary autobiography, and a widely cited book about British fiction in the eighties and nineties, English Fiction Since 1984. In 2011 he published on Amazon Terrorized: How the War on Terror Affected American Culture and Society. He has also edited three editions of D. H. Lawrence’s work, and published a range of essays and reviews in various journals and newspapers.
In August 2019 he published his first novel, Money Matters, in which an inexperienced young woman is persuaded to search for a woman who has disappeared and comes up against the powerful forces of big money, politics and a drug cartel. By the end of her search she has become a different person. This book is a Finalist in the 2019 Best American Fiction Awards. His second novel, Dangerous Conjectures, set in the Bay Area in the opening months of 2020 when the pandemic was spreading,, was published in 2021. His third novel, Only the Rich, is forthcoming in 2023.
Brian Finney is married and lives in Venice, California.
He has published eight books. His second book, Christopher Isherwood: A Critical Biography, was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for non-fiction that year. It was also voted one of the best three books of the year by Philip Toynbee in the Observer. He went on to publish, among others, The Inner I, a pioneering study of British literary autobiography, and a widely cited book about British fiction in the eighties and nineties, English Fiction Since 1984. In 2011 he published on Amazon Terrorized: How the War on Terror Affected American Culture and Society. He has also edited three editions of D. H. Lawrence’s work, and published a range of essays and reviews in various journals and newspapers.
In August 2019 he published his first novel, Money Matters, in which an inexperienced young woman is persuaded to search for a woman who has disappeared and comes up against the powerful forces of big money, politics and a drug cartel. By the end of her search she has become a different person. This book is a Finalist in the 2019 Best American Fiction Awards. His second novel, Dangerous Conjectures, set in the Bay Area in the opening months of 2020 when the pandemic was spreading,, was published in 2021. His third novel, Only the Rich, is forthcoming in 2023.
Brian Finney is married and lives in Venice, California.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 6, 2021
I received this free through Netgalley for an honest review.. What a day to finish a book about 2020. This is the day that we found out the real identity of QAnon and I am glad that the author's prediction was wrong, though it is equally scary. I will admit I struggled at the beginning of this novel as I am not emotionally ready to read about 2020. It is a year that still makes me mad and I did not want to revisit all of those emotions. The story does pick up half way through and becomes less about the news and more about the characters and their personal struggles. Now this story takes place in six weeks so we do not find out how Adam and Julia survive quarantine and social distancing, but their marriage is a work in progress at the end.
This novel is about fear, both external and internal and how we cope with triggers in our lives. Adam is a computer scientist who is trying to uncover QAnon's identity, which is not what the government wants. Julia works for the ACLU and is battling an ex who is an INCEL blaming her for his issues, but threatens her life and family. These demons are creating an addictive situation and Julia must face this as the world shuts down. It would have been interesting to see how addition therapy worked in lockdown, but the book ends on March 13 when life stopped for most of us. I was sent home permanently on March 18 so know first hand that Zoom is the new normal for meetings. This is not a horrible book, but it does draw out the emotions from early in 2020.
This novel is about fear, both external and internal and how we cope with triggers in our lives. Adam is a computer scientist who is trying to uncover QAnon's identity, which is not what the government wants. Julia works for the ACLU and is battling an ex who is an INCEL blaming her for his issues, but threatens her life and family. These demons are creating an addictive situation and Julia must face this as the world shuts down. It would have been interesting to see how addition therapy worked in lockdown, but the book ends on March 13 when life stopped for most of us. I was sent home permanently on March 18 so know first hand that Zoom is the new normal for meetings. This is not a horrible book, but it does draw out the emotions from early in 2020.
March 30, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy. The subject was what drew my attention as being very recent events, ie the Covid19 crisis and the November 2020 US presidential elections.
Parts of the conspiracy aspects were confusing, possibly because I don’t follow or understand US politics. The concept was valid in view of recent events, but it came across that it had been hurriedly written. A good read, but sadly spoilt by descriptive sex scenes. Has this been written by two authors? On the one part the ups and downs of family life and the other from someone who knows and understands political conspiracies.
This book might be best read on a long haul flight, to pass the time or send you to sleep, but hopefully not before the ending.
Parts of the conspiracy aspects were confusing, possibly because I don’t follow or understand US politics. The concept was valid in view of recent events, but it came across that it had been hurriedly written. A good read, but sadly spoilt by descriptive sex scenes. Has this been written by two authors? On the one part the ups and downs of family life and the other from someone who knows and understands political conspiracies.
This book might be best read on a long haul flight, to pass the time or send you to sleep, but hopefully not before the ending.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews