A secret that can never be revealed is threatened and time is running out for its protectors. A security-critical facility is destroyed to get to it and it is called Oracle. That’s all USFID investigator Donovan Pierce knows. And while he is told to find whoever perpetrated the deadly attack, and find them fast, he is also warned not to look for Oracle itself. Lara Holsworth never expected Oracle … Holsworth never expected Oracle to be in any danger. She would like nothing more than to keep it secret and Pierce away from it and from her, but hiding is no longer an option.
With those who now know too much more determined than ever to destroy Oracle, will its protectors’ cooperation be enough to keep it safe?
Oracle’s Hunt is the first novel in the groundbreaking Oracle suspense series, from the author of the new Blackwell series and of The First, her riveting debut novel.
more
Agent Donovan Pierce is asked to investigate a break in at a secure government storage facility, and unearths a plot to destroy “Oracle,” a top secret project which saves lives on a regular basis.
Lara Holsworth works at USFID, and joins forces with Pierce to prevent terrorists from destroying Oracle.
Will they succeed? You will need to read this well written and fast paced techno thriller to find out!
I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the next in the series.
The central question in Oracle’s Hunt doesn’t get revealed until nearly halfway through the book. But part of the mystery of the book is exactly what that central question is, and Everward does an excellent job disguising and feinting. The twists are fantastic and make Oracle’s Hunt a compelling read.
The plot itself is well-structured and moves along quickly. However, the first several chapters are weighted down by backstory. The two main characters are well-drawn and complex. Lara, the main character, is strong, brilliant, gifted, and capable. This is in contrast to the agent, Donovan, assigned to investigate the explosion that opens the book, who is intelligent but driven by emotion. Two small problems, however: Lara’s so “good” that she her personal arc doesn’t have a lot of room for growth; Donovan is so controlled by his knee-jerk reactions and uncontrollable emotions that I have trouble believing he’s considered the finest investigator in the agency.
The investigator and Lara butt heads at the beginning, and he threatens to shoot Lara a couple of times early on, too. (It doesn’t seem metaphorical or very jokey.) Then, as their relationship inevitably transforms into flirting and potential romance, the “I’ll have to shoot you” line becomes their cutesy code for doing something the other finds frustrating. I mention this not just because the threat of actual violence between the two of them is romanticized (which is kinda icky), but also because Lara is shown to care so much for not only the people she serves but also for human life overall that it’s simply not believable for her character to interpret the shooting threat as something kitschy and romantic. And while the investigator is hunky and intelligent, he’s also possessive and controlling—which Lara seems to embrace.
Although their boy-meets-girl, boy-and-girl-hate-each-other, boy-and-girl-start-to-flirt dynamic is a little problematic because of the threat of violence, the action of the plot is mostly solid. The reveal of the central question in the middle of the book is truly shocking. And the way the question plays out—the people in danger and how they deal with it—is all page-turning goodness.
The secondary characters are less clear than Lara and Donovan, and people we think are going to be important early on more or less disappear as the plot goes on.
As the big twist shows, Oracle’s Hunt is based on an interesting concept, and I’m interested to see how it’s manifested in future books. Everward shows a real gift for plot and structure. The romance might be less of a problem in future books in the series as well. It’s a solid if uneven start to a thriller series.
Oracle’s Hunt is a clever, well written futuristic technothriller.
Pace is good, and dialogue is done well.
Great story, well worth a read.
I received this book through a posting on GoodReads asking for reviews. I didn’t know what to expect since I haven’t read anything from this author before. I must say I was really able to enjoy this book.
The story begins with the discovery of a breach of a data storage location.. Donovan was brought in to discover what party was responsible. As he began his investigation the word “Oracle” was discovered in reviewing the video . This referred to the specific data feed that was wanted. As Donovan started looking into what Oracle related to, he was getting stonewalled. They told him to find the party that caused the breach, but to stay away from Oracle.
AS the investigation went forward, the individual that was responsible for the breach was looking for revenge. He was trying to make the group that destroyed his base pay dearly. He had a hacker with him and was told that Oracle was AI. The individual was intent on destroying the computer. The hacker also told him that if he couldn’t destroy the AI, the next best action was kill the controller. The hacker developed a list of 3 individuals that could be the controller. He planned on killing all of them. Donovan on learning who the individual responsible also discovered that one of the individuals on the list was his neighbor.
The terrorist set his plan in motion and sent teams to each of the homes of the other two individuals o the list. The neighbor was to be attacked once his neighbor left the facility and was on their way home. They forced his neighbor off the road and surrounded their car with 3 SUVs. They jammed their communications so things looked bleak. Donovan eventually got to the scene and discovered that his neighbor was being chased and went to protect them. Meanwhile other members of the neighbor’s organization arrived on the scene and foiled the attack. Unfortunately the terrorist escaped.
After Oracle was able to learn more information about the terrorist, It started searching for him. The terrorist also decided to attack the building where he thought the computer was located to destroy it.
To get a better understanding of how “Oracle” operated, why Donovan’s neighbor. Lara, was so important and whether the terrorist succeeded, then you must read this book. You won’t be disappointed. I know I wasn’t and can’t wait to read the next book in the series “Oracle’s Diplomacy
after reading the first four chapters provided to me i want more. a break in and a fire occurs in secure government data storage center and Donovan Pierce is called in to figure out how and why this happened. the fire has completely burnt everything beyond saving or using to gather evidence and all that he has is one camera that the perps didnt think was hooked up anymore after a new security system was put in. with that camera he can see that the perps downloaded something about Oracle. the only issue is that he cant find anything to do with Oracle and after a video conference with a director and a woman that sets his mind racing is is told off from looking into Oracle and told to solve the break in without the knowledge. the woman lara has ties to Oracle and Donovan is soon to find out is his new next door neighbor….