1414º

Bay Area Herald reporter Lou McCarthy, the protagonist of Carr’s impressive debut, has gotten a tip that she believes might finally, after previous efforts, bring down Raum, “the most valuable private company in Silicon Valley history.” She was emailed a draft lawsuit alleging that Alex Wu, Raum’s chief technology officer, raped a college student, choosing his victim via the creepy software he’d designed. Wu had modified his Uber-like vRaum ride service algorithm to locate and track young women who were both intoxicated and on their own; the wrist bands vRaum users must wear contain alcohol sensors, and Wu arranged to be notified of users matching his victim profile. Though all McCarthy has as proof is “a single leaked document from an anonymous source,” she publishes the story without getting her editor’s approval. The blowback threatens her career, and McCarthy begins to suspect she was set up by the person who emailed her. Wu’s suicide at a Raum reception ratchets up the pressure on the journalist to figure out what’s really going on. Carr doesn’t sacrifice character depth for the many plot twists. Fans of Michael Crichton’s Disclosure, which also involves sexual harassment allegations and corporate intrigue, will be hooked. (Self-published)