"A sentient computer searches for her programmer"

Turing Hopper is one of the Artificial Intelligence Personalities (AIP) at Universal Library's headquarters in Crystal City, Virginia. Turing was programmed by Zack Malone. She is sentient.

She begins worrying when Zack does not come to work for a few days. There is no record of his planning to be absent. Turing observes James Smith (is that his real name?) from security searching Zack's office. She then enlists Tim Pincoski who works in the copying room and Maude Graham, a secretary, to help her find Zack. Turing is able to view the goings on at UL via the various security cameras but soon realizes she cannot see any cameras on the ninth floor where security resides.

At first Tim insists Turing is a real woman who refuses to meet him in person. Over time, he begins to understand that she really is a sentient computer. Tim ends up on the run from security. Maude and Tim put themselves in continuous danger to help Turing in her quest to find Zack.

I found this to be a refreshingly new protagonist for a cozy mystery. Many times I almost forgot that Turing was a computer. She is so realistically written but yet has the limitations of a computer. It is those limitations that brought back the fact that she was a computer. The way she interacts with Tim and Maude in their search and the way she has to be careful who is listening or watching are so realistic.

Tim is a great character and I hope that he and Maude will be in future books in this series. I like the Crystal City location as I have been there and recognized many of the locations mentioned in the book.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Posted January 4, 2004

Summary

Turing Hopper is an Artificial Intelligence Personality, a mainframe computer with a mind like Miss Marple. And when her creator, Zack, begins missing work, the sentient Turing senses foul play...