In 2014 hubby and I went to the L.A. Times Festival of Books and had a wonderful time. We are both bibliophiles and were in heaven; books, books, books and authors, authors, authors. One of the panels we attended was hosted by the very funny, writer and podcaster Tod Goldberg, with Adam Sternberg introducing his first Spademan book SHOVEL READY. Being a fan of the mystery/thriller genre I picked up the book, after all the author was there ready to autograph it for me. Well as things often go SHOVEL READY sat on my "priority to read" shelf for around 6 months before I pulled it and jumped in. Let me tell you, SHOVEL READY isn't the typical dystopian novel. This is a future where you either live in a ravaged New York City decimated by a dirty bomb, or tap into the limnosphere to live a virtual reality of your own making. The protagonist, Spademan, is a garbageman turned hit-man, kinda the same, the difference being the garbage you dispose of. In NEAR READY Spademan was contracted to dispose of a hacker and limn bed-hopper
Jonathan Lesser, only when he meets up with Lesser he tells Spademan of an impossible occurrence he witnessed while bed-hopping a bankers virtual reality in the limn. What Spademan soon learns is terrorists are again threatening to bomb New York, only this time ground zero isn't Times Square this time it is the limn. As fun as the Spademan novels are they do have a serious side to them and NEAR ENEMY seems to be a tad edgier than the first book, SHOVEL READY. I loved both books and NEAR ENEMY didn't have to sit on my bookshelf for long as I began reading soon as I had it in my hands. But I will warn you, after reading NEAR ENEMY you will be standing on Adam Sternberg's front lawn with me holding banners demanding the third Spademan novel. Mr. Sternberg assures me he is working on the third Spademan.......at least he better be.
P.S. The L.A. Times Festival of Books for 2015 is being held at University of Southern California on April 18, 19, 20. I recommend you attend if you are a lover of books as you will meet authors, book sellers, publishers where you will pick up some fantastic books, many are give-a-ways by the publishers. And you will have a fabulous time.
