SECRETS OF THE WHOLLY GRILL

Subtitled "A Satire About Software, Barbecue & Cravings," Townsend's first novel is a provocative if cartoonlike comedy about the potentially evil uses of technology. In a mythical Silicon Valley, the Thinksoft Corporation attempts to addict and enslave its clients with a modem-operated laser grill that comes complete with a secret recipe barbecue sauce, ready-to-cook meat and a seemingly airtight licensing agreement. In short order, a dog is blinded by unlicensed use of Thinksoft barbecue products on an ordinary grill; dog owner Lenny Milton, who represents the average American—grossly overweight, gullible and financially irresponsible—develops a chemical dependency on the barbecue sauce; and a class action suit is brought against Thinksoft. In a world that runs on lawsuits, with judges, lawyers and expert witnesses all using the artificial intelligence of Thinksoft's Reasonware to weigh their decisions, young and untried lawyer Will Swanson seeks to protect the barbecue-addicted public and redeem himself in his father's eyes. Meanwhile, his former college friend, technology reporter Persi Maria Valentino, infiltrates Thinksoft as weekend cleaning help. At the 11th hour, when the lawsuit seems doomed before the onslaught of Thinksoft's huge legal team, Persi enlists the aid of Joon Newman, the brilliant computer-game-designer son of the corporation's owner and inventor of Reasonware, himself a Wholly Grill addict, and the line between what is real and what is virtual starts to blur. Joon, Will and Persi steal the evidence they need to expose Thinksoft's unscrupulous tactics, and there follows a chase scene reminiscent of computer games. Clichéd but likable characters abound in this classic David and Goliath battle between good and evil, but its over-the-top and frequently out-of-control plot fails to fully engage the reader. (Feb.)