Paranoia, a gripping thriller foretells us about a techno-espionage which revolves around the central character of Adam Cassidy, a ‘somebody someone’ in a big shot hi-tech corporation of Wyatt Telecom who was ignored as another cubicle worker until he thought of playing a prank by throwing a party for another ‘somebody someone’ and suddenly he was in the lime-light for all the wrong reasons! When he is thrown with a very uncompromising position of 2 choices: - Do jail-time for 55 years or go enter the rival corp. ‘Trion Systems’ as a mole. Through apparent luck, executive training and circumstance (and with info fed to him by his Wyatt handlers), Adam quickly becomes the special assistant to Trion's CEO. Fortunately or rather unfortunately he goes with the latter and then the actual story-line kicks in!
Adam Cassidy goes through leaps and bounds of sheer amusing and creative means to gain the job done rightfully where he battles against his own guilt and his own struggling conscience lecturing him about his utter stupidity. His mission is plain and simple yet full of obstacles. All he needs to do is get some insiders information about a new hi-tech chip that is bound to make ‘Trion’ a multi-billionaire company within days.
Going around the story from Adam’s viewpoint gives us a snapshot of the modern business environment. The book is effortlessly written and all the characters are very well drawn and are consistent. The book is always at a hypnotizing pace barely letting the grip loose of the reader and making the mind wander endlessly. The book is written in a very captivating manner which engulfs the reader throughout and a wonderful balance is maintained giving a tide of suspense and solution to the reader. He even finds secure refuge in his new boss and love flourishes towards a fellow colleague which is explained in a rather amusing and loving manner.
A Heavy dosage of Water-cooler jokes have been dumped into the book which are a pleasure to read. The amount of technology inculcated in the story amuses the reader and makes one wonder why he didn’t think of it at all. Paranoia portrays the cynical business practices and ethics in a rather quirky tone.
Although being a magnificent piece of writing, the book ends abruptly. My only complaint - a minor one - is that the last chapter, and indeed the very last line, is so lacking in closure for the Cassidy character that I looked to see if my copy was short a couple pages. Such gesture only works if it has a sequel but I guess not.
Paranoia is a pleasure to read in its own sense and a book which you might remember for a long time. You have a definite sense of being intelligent enough to guess the next event while a very different picture confronts you with gripping surprise. ‘Paranoia’ maintains its surprise element till the last word.
