Phreak

Georgina Powers #5

by Denise Danks

Georgina Powers is investigating a “phone–phreaking” scam in the gritty East End of London when her contact and boy–toy, Abdul Malik, a top–rank phone phreaker, is found dead at the bottom of a boat. Not only do the police want to nail her, but a Bengali protection gang wants to know what happened to Malik. Georgina calls on an old friend, East End villain and ex–boxer Tony Levi, to help her out—and finds herself in the middle of a gang war in cyberspace and a turf war in real life.

267 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: computer journalist Georgina Powers' contact, and boy toy Abdul, is found dead and she's become suspect #1.

[Kenneth]

A fast-paced crime/suspense story set in London, revolving around, in part, stolen cell phones

[Leah]

A little mixed up in the first third, nice and knotty and noirish complex by the end, and some glorious one-liners that I do actually think Chandler would have enjoyed, like 'I bought some water. The label said it was pure.'

I enjoyed the very specific moment in time that allowed this story to be told: phreakers can get access to any email they like by knowing the right command phrases but nobody believes you can trace mobile phones; gaming culture and its attendant paranoia is ramping up but a man can still make a million being a counterfeit tape seller.

[Ria]

Clubmoorden by Denise Danks (2006)

[Hermien]

I failed to see the real motive for the crime.

[Tux]

NL - Clubmoorden