Stolen

Stolen by Paul Chandler follows Lena Alton, a young engineer who invents a groundbreaking long-range electric vehicle battery. The contract promises her a handsome reward for her invention, but when a Chinese conglomerate buys the company, she finds out that they won’t be honoring the contract. Lena redesigns her battery to extend its range and plans to sell her new version to a competitor. However, the Chinese company monitors her movements and becomes a threat. Lena enlists the help of Riley Callen. Riley and her AI assistant, Molly, step in to protect Lena and ensure she receives her rightful earnings. Riley is also working with the FBI on a kidnapping case when Molly discovers that the kidnappers are using an AI to plan and coordinate their crimes, making them harder to catch. The situation worsens when Riley learns that Mr. Shi, the Chinese company boss, has hired an assassin called The Black Dragon to kill Riley and Lena. Riley enlists her special ops friends, Carnivore and Vegas, to stop the assassin before anyone gets hurt. The question is: What chances do they have to stop a criminal as dangerous and clever?

What fascinated me most about Chandler’s novel is the complexity of the plot, the espionage, and the intrigue. This author creates scenes that are focused and a plot that pulsates with action. The multidimensional characters are cleverly developed within the contexts of their professional, criminal, and social lives, and I found the AI Molly interesting and likable. You’ll love Riley Callen’s resourcefulness as a private investigator. Atlas Ford, the FBI agent, is a by-the-book kind of guy who is initially skeptical of Riley's methods but eventually comes to respect her skills and determination. The Richter brothers, Gene and Nathan, are a pair of cunning and ruthless kidnappers who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Stolen successfully uses technology as a plot device, with uses ranging from surveillance, digital espionage, and hacking. You love delightful prose, characters that stay with you, and the plotting that relentlessly builds on a deadly game of survival, then you won’t be able to put this book down.