#BookReview: The Switch by Joseph Finder

the switchAbout the Book

A simple mix up throws one innocent man into the crosshairs of sinister government secrets and ruthless political ambitions in New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder’s timely, electrifying new thriller.

Michael Tanner is on his way home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook in an airport security line. He doesn’t notice the mix-up until he arrives home in Boston, but by then it’s too late. Tanner’s curiosity gets the better of him when he discovers that the owner is a US senator and that the laptop contains top secret files.

When Senator Susan Robbins realizes she’s come back with the wrong laptop, she calls her young chief of staff, Will Abbott, in a panic. Both know that the senator broke the law by uploading classified documents onto her personal computer. If those documents wind up in the wrong hands, it could be Snowden 2.0—and her career in politics will be over. She needs to recover the MacBook before it’s too late.

When Will fails to gain Tanner’s cooperation, he is forced to take measures to retrieve the laptop before a bigger security breach is revealed.  He turns to an unscrupulous “fixer” for help.  In the meantime, the security agency whose files the senator has appropriated has its own methods, darker still—and suddenly Tanner finds himself a hunted man, on the run, terrified for the safety of his family, in desperate need of a plan, and able to trust no one.

My Review

I have been really into thrillers lately, but The Switch was a bit of a shake up for my reading schedule. I’m mostly drawn to women’s fiction, but something about this one caught my attention. This novel was fast-paced and full of suspense and intrigue, getting my heart beating fast at several times and wondering who would make it out alive. My only issue is that some of it seemed just a little far-fetched, and while it made for a great story, I couldn’t get past a few issues. Like why top-secret government documents were so easily slipped through the cracks. Why a Senator has to go through a regular line in the airport, scan her laptop, grab the wrong laptop, and have her password written on her laptop – that holds top secret government documents. I have worked for the government in the past for several years, so all of that casualness just nagged at me. But, if you can look past some of those holes, it was an engaging read.

4 stars

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