The Expert

There's a jungle of technical information awaiting the reader of this wonderfully complex courtroom thriller--facts and theories about computer technology, chip manufacturing and cryptography techniques--and all of it centers around James Perrein, head of Tera-Tech Integrated. When the government retrieves a Tera-Tech chip from China, Perrein is accused of selling advanced technology to the Chinese, but his claim of innocence is bolstered by computer expert Rado Terescu, who maintains that the chip, as described, is beyond the technology of anyone in the world. Perrein's lawyer, hard-edged Rebecca Verona, is confident that Terescu's testimony will exonerate her client--until Terescu finally takes the stand, and her carefully presented defense blows up in her face. Gruenfeld (The Halls of Justice) has written a comic opera of a novel with four main characters who pretend to be objective about each other when, in fact, they are linked by old grudges and attractions. By using Rebecca's point of view to tell the story, Gruenfeld guides the reader through a maze of facts and motives with skill and daring. The excellent courtroom scenes keep the data clear and understandable, while Gruenfeld builds tension about the motives of Terescu and the guilt (if any) of Perrein. Considering the daunting challenges he meets, readers might be excused for thinking that the title of this novel refers to Gruenfeld himself. (Apr.)