When young American art student Mia Fraser is brutally murdered steps from the London house she shares with computer genius Ula Mishkin, it leaves the socially inept scientist heartbroken. As it becomes clear that Detective Sarah Boyd is making no progress in solving the crime with traditional methods, Ula creates a software program that allows her to reach into her dead housemate’s memory in … order to reveal the identity of her killer.
Entering the dead girl’s life through the echo of her memory, Ula learns that sometimes the past is best left undisturbed.
Praise for Gabbay’s Previous Works:
“Powered by relentless pacing and a story line abounding in subterfuge, treachery and subversion, this Ludlumesque page-turner offers invaluable historical insights into the turbulent relationship between America (“the Great Satan”) and Iran.”
– Publisher’s Weekly on “The Tehran Conviction”
“A Cold War thriller of real brilliance; John le Carré with a witty ironic edge that will start you thinking about the real truth behind the Kennedy assassination.”
– Jack Higgins on “The Berlin Conspiracy”
“Gabbay serves it all up with Raymond Chandler–esque dark humor, a rich sense of place and a fine feel for the yawning chasm between those privileged to float above the exigencies of that dark time and those who were engulfed in its horrors.”
– Forbes on “The Lisbon Crossing”
“Add a new and adept name to the must-read list of thriller writers.”
– The Rocky Mountain News
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Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
Gripping, suspenseful and emotionally stunning read!!
Ula Mishkin is a very smart scientist who is
awkward in social situations. After she is in an
accident while riding her bike home from her lab,
Ula works from home. Her working cohort
at home is Erik Berg who calls what he and Ula
are experimenting on “Bio-technical neurology”
which deals with human memory.
Erik encourages Ula to get a roommate and
places an ad in the paper for her. Ula is very
shy about having a roommate at first.
Mia Fraser is a student at the Fine Arts college
at Central Saint Martin. She is an American who
has been living in London for a year. Mia has just
broken off a relationship so she is looking to
start lanew. She and her current roommates have
received a notice that they need to find a new
place of residence. Mia answers the ad. She
decides to take the room in Ula house.
Mia begins to have strange feelings about the
house but befriends Ula.
Then Mia is murdered!! Ula decides to look into
Mia memory bank to find the killer. This opens a
can of worms for a Ula. A scary time evolves!!!
Detective Inspector Sarah Boyd has Mia’s murder
case. She is finding it difficult to discover leads.
Then a call in the early morning from Ula
presents an eerie, suspenseful, intriguing and
twist with a shocking turn that will give the
reader heart palpitations!!
I volunteered to read Access Point. Thanks to the
Mystery Review Crew for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
When I received a request to read an ARC for this, I took it as the story sounded like one I would like. In my opinion the story was not well written and was very confusing at times. I very rarely don’t finish a book and as of this review I have not been able to & not sure if I will.
I gave it 3 stars as the story line has real potential, but the way it was written was not for me.
This is one gripping read, to say the least. When Tom Gabbay contacted me to read his new book Access Point, I was intrigued right away by the description. Crime thrillers are right up my alley and learning that technology plays a role in figuring out a murder interested me further. So many readers will relate to Mia, an American art student who currently lives abroad in London looking for a fresh start after a bad relationship. As someone who left her own hometown to do the same, that is a difficult decision to make. Once I learned Mia found a roommate like Ula, it tricked me into thinking she was safe. Then Mia gets murdered! I had to believe it wasn’t who she just met, then Gabbay pulls you in even more by showing how dedicated Ula is to figure out who the murderer is.
Ula is a great character. I loved how real she was rather than your stereotypical detective-like character. Along with Ula being a savvy and skilled investigator, Gabbay includes her personal life into the story. Ula’s dreadful bike accident that left her in a coma for several months shows why she is so sympathetic to Mia’s tragic incident. As someone who once found herself looking for roommates and ended up living with a friend of a friend of a friend, it can be very unsettling letting someone you hardly know into your life, let alone your own residence. It is strange how quickly you find yourself connecting to your peculiar new roommate. That is another element of Ula that I liked. The true-to-life relationships are terrific!
One thing that I appreciated about Access Point is how formulated structural it is. I find that writing a crime thriller comes with its own set of challenges. If an author gets too excited about getting to the end, the story falls apart and I get lost. Although there were some points where I needed to backpedal, the majority of the book’s twists and turns were clear and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is clear that Gabbay took his time to outline the story, something that I feel is a must or else you do get a plot that falls apart. The technology information confused me, but then again, I’m not someone who works in tech. Despite my lack of technical knowledge, it made sense in the end. If that makes any sense. So, for those of you who are like me, I can say you will enjoy this part of the story.
I downloaded the audiobook version and recommend enjoying Gabbay’s book in that form. Hannah Chinn does a fantastic job bringing life into Access Point. It is a quick listen at 5 hours and 33 minutes. Its compelling storyline and fast-paced style had me finishing it while cleaning the house.
Wildly imaginative! Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!
Thrilling, scary, edge-of-your seat entertainment. Wasn’t sure until the end what was happening…
This was one great read…truly, I could not read fast enough. I started to feel like I saw what was happening but then there was a twist I didn’t see coming. In hind-sight might have guessed though. Compelling psychological thriller with a sensitive detective investigator looking for answers for a 19yo tragic murder victim.
Ula Mishkin is a loner, possibly on the Autism spectrum, in a big house and she is brilliant. Before a bad bicycle accident, she was working on a project that would revolutionize neuroscience. After the accident, she finds a way to reach the brain’s hard drive aka the neocortex. This is significant later in the book. Ula takes on a boarder, Mia Fraser whose kindness and friendliness brings out a hidden nugget in Ula. Mia’s death threatens to bring certain circumstances to the fore and that just can’t happen. Right?
Oh. My. Word. I can’t really say more without letting you know more than you should. Just know that readers who enjoy thrillers will heartily approve of this book and it’s ending. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through BookSirens. Well-written, fast-paced, compelling story to be read in daylight.