January 23, 2025 - fundinmentalfundinmental

Leine Basso thriller series, Final Encounter graphic

Leine Basso relentless cyberterrorist, non-stop action, white-knuckle thriller, action-packed

MY REVIEW

When I first read the title, Final Encounter, I thought, oh no, this can’t be the end of Leine Basso…and it is not. I am excited to spend some time with Leine in the US, even though I do enjoy traveling to all parts of the world. Instead of human traffickers, we have artificial intelligence.

Final Encounter by D V Berkom is Leine Basso’s fourteenth novel in the series. Leine is a kickass character that doesn’t hesitate to help out a friend. She has her own set of rules, and I don’t have a problem with that. Sometimes getting the job done blurs the lines.

I am seeing more books coming out that are dealing with artificial intelligence. I already thought we had enough problems with technology, but there is no holding it back. It’s not like you can put the genie back in the bottle. I think artificial intelligence can be a good thing, but, just like anything, there are always those who will use it for bad.

When Leine Basso is involved, bodies fall and suspense rises. At times she tiptoes through the pages, trying not to be seen. Other times, she is up front and personal. Leine likes action, and so do I. But, I like the written kind. I am an armchair spectator, so D V Berkom’s writing speaks to me. She knows how to keep me involved and I feel like I have a lot of other readers keeping me company.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A former assassin, a disgraced-cop, and a cyber-security expert race to stop a relentless cyber-terrorist determined to sell death and destruction to the highest bidder.

When three performers from a prestigious Seattle nightclub are murdered, former assassin Leine Basso is called in by a close friend to help investigate.

The clues lead her to a wealthy tech mogul with a state-of-the-art AI program. Despite compelling evidence implicating the billionaire, Leine senses a deeper conspiracy.

Assisted by a cyber-security expert and a disgraced-cop-turned-PI, Leine must navigate a maze of deception and cyber warfare, uncovering a cunning rival with a deadly agenda who is manipulating events from behind the scenes.

Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2024 by Duct Tape Press
Series: A Leine Basso Thriller #14

ABOUT D V BERKOM

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.