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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In Mind Burn by T. E. Bakutis and Rhett C. Bruno, Detective Cowan Soto investigates a mass shooting by Sheila Fisher, which is linked to illegal manipulations of Personal Brain Assistants (PBAs). The investigation uncovers a network of criminal activities, including black-market PBAs controlled by Galileo and Doctor Barkov, and implicates Sarah Taggart, a hacker. As the case expands, Cowan and his partner Jeb Forrester are thrown up against corporate corruption, illegal synthcop modifications, and abductions related to anti-trafficking efforts. Through Cowan, the story exposes a larger conspiracy involving advanced technology, corporate cover-ups, and personal vendettas. Cowan must also contend with a tech labyrinth of threats, memory redactions, and rogue elements within the system in an arc that leans into the dangers of unchecked technological influence and corporate malfeasance.
“As much as it pains me to admit, I need your help. Our mutual enemy has decided to murder me.” Mind Burn by T. E. Bakutis and Rhett C. Bruno is a tech lover's dream novel, and the authors dig deep with crazy layers of conspiracy and simulations. As far as hacker thrillers go, this is probably the most technical I've come across. The good news is that it's fully consumable for those of us who are ridiculously clueless about jargon. The authors ensure this by having crafted the story with a lot of quick back-and-forth dialogue, all with intelligent exchanges that are softened by spectacular wit. I like the concept of clearing someone's memory by way of mind-burning, and thought the approach taken with a not-uncommon subplot was unique and cleverly managed. The world-building is top-notch in both the virtual worlds that the authors have brought to life for us, and in the metaspace, which readers will feel is greatly advanced but still familiar. Overall, this is a fantastically written and fully immersive novel, and I enjoyed every page of it. Very highly recommended.
