A runner stumbles upon a dead body while jogging along the beach at Chesapeake Bay. Thus begins Michael Mantler’s genre-bending new novel "Random Walk" — part-political potboiler, part-steamy love story, and part-philosophical meditation on the power of coincidence and the difficulty but not impossibility of starting over.
Those who have read and enjoyed Mantler’s first novel, "Clouds Passing," will recognize some familiar characters and themes. Sexy independent film producer Catherine Kruger and cult author Robert Sander make a comeback as does the diabolical Tailleur/Foster affair, an international plot to sell and distribute nuclear materials.
In "Random Walk," Mantler introduces us to Sander’s alter-ego, the dashing hacker extraordinaire and software mogul Jack Mason and to his boundless passion for computer forensics specialist Tracey Collins. Once again, Mantler takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of exotic international locations where he indulges his taste for fast cars, strong and compelling women and luxe living. Added to the mix are spectacular accounts of skydiving adventure and vivid descriptions of cutting-edge astronomy and its new giant observatories.
"Random Walk" offers a new twist on the classic novel of intrigue. A blockbuster of a novel, it promises its readers erotic love scenes, gorgeous scenery, and captivating women and adds unique lessons about astronomy and makes us think about what it means to pursue the American Dream in the 21st century.
With a plot and characters as powerful as Stieg Larsson’s and an ending as complex and surprising as Roman Polanski’s "Ghost Writer," "Random Walk" is sure to make its mark on Hollywood before long.
