"Many clues popping up all over the place!"

Every so often, when I am just about given up on self- published books, one crosses my desk and pleasantly surprises me, reconfirming my faith that there are still some very good ones around. Such was the case when in an afternoon I devoured first time novelist Norman Carmichael's thriller, The Founders.

This is the sort of a novel that hooks you from the first page onwards with its mixture of interwoven intriguing events and characters. In this case, we have a start up technology company that is soon to launch an IPO. Murder, suicide, complicity, manipulation, a paid assassin with ties to terrorists, greed and power are all thrown into the mixing bowl.

The book's principal focus centers on TrueDimensions Video (TDV), a company that has come up with a product that is about to revolutionize the way one watches television, movies and the Internet. Using a technology that had been around for nearly fifty years, a team of five individuals had combined their unique talents to create an enterprise that would in all probability lead them to tremendous wealth. Up to now, three- dimensional viewing of movies depended on the wearing of specialized and bulky eyewear. This was on the verge of changing with the company's new hardware and software. Action would leap off the screen and viewers would feel they were actually part of the scene, and not merely passive observers. You can well imagine the market for such a product, particularly sporting events, and the immense revenue this could bring in with virtual advertisements.

Carmichael spins a good tale with this classic mystery novel. Three of the five co-founders of the company mysteriously die. Two seemed to have committed suicide, while the third one is blown up together with her husband in a helicopter accident. Is this coincidental or is there some devious plot behind these deaths related to the company's impending IPO?

We are continually peering over the shoulders of one of the two remaining founders, Ian Ross and his girlfriend Cristina Pous, who are collaborating with detectives and police investigators from various cities and law enforcement organizations in trying to solve the mysteries of these untimely deaths. They all appear to be muddling along and trying to make sense of it all, while Ned Schuyler, the other surviving co-founder confronts Ross with the latter's attitude, approach and motives.

The book's fast paced action propels us through some exciting and chilling adventures, as we watch the plot unraveling in Barcelona, London, Washington and France. Readers are challenged with many clues popping up all over the place, some based on speculation, others partially revealed or even concealed; all permitting us to try and solve the mystery on our own before reaching the satisfying finale.

For the most part, characters, dialogue and plot are quite convincing and are sure to delight lovers of mystery novels. My only reservation is that I felt that the love story between Ian and Cristina seemed trite and corny, lacking the necessary depth to make it original and compelling. I look forward to reading this author's future endeavors.

To read an interview with the author click here: http://bookpleasures.com/interviewsdetail.php? interviewid=33

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted June 18, 2004