Review: In for a penny, in for a pound
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 10, 2012
This is the second Amazon Kindle Serial that I've tried, and so far the score is two for two on winners. The "hacker mom" of the title is Becky Taylor, a middle class homemaker and mother of a young son. In her youth, Becky was a champion for social justice, but now she's living the mundane life of a suburban housewife. Her sister Molly is just the opposite - a famous (or notorious, depending on your viewpoint) computer hacker, dedicated to exposing the secrets of governments and businesses. When a CD with a very damaging memo from a megabank falls into her hands, at Molly's urging and with her guidance, Becky - reluctant at first - crosses a line and becomes a whistleblower.The story has some humorous moments, but the subject is a serious and timely issue: freedom of speech and the public's right to know versus the right of privacy. Having made the decision to become a whistleblower, how far will Becky go, and how willing is she to risk her freedom and reputation to expose the perceived wrongdoings of others? As the first segment of the story ends, the Feds have caught the hacker who slipped the CD to Becky, and they're interrogating him. He vows to keep quiet, but the Feds have years of experience in breaking people.Hacker Mom is an engaging, well written story with a pair of great characters in Becky and Molly. I'm looking forward to the next episode of the story as Becky becomes an all-in volunteer for a WikiLeaks-like organization.--------------------------------------------UPDATE (October 4, 2012): Episode 2 was released today. The scene shifts to Bear Lake Manufacturing, where US Army helmets are made. The company is in desperate financial shape and is cheating on the specifications for the helmets, and they've been getting away with it. A Bear Lake employee turns whistleblower and sends incriminating documents to OpenWhistle, the WikiLeaks-type organization that Becky "BadMama" Taylor is volunteering with. The volunteer work may be satisfying to Becky, but it's complicating her life enormously, as she's neglecting her young son Jacob, and her district attorney husband Hank begins to suspect something from her strange behavior. Becky discovers that there are consequences to whistleblowing, and she has some tough decisions to make. Will Becky yield to the temptation to walk away from OpenWhistle, or will the satisfaction of exposing wrongdoers keep her in?---------------------------------------------UPDATE (November 1, 2012): Episode 3 was released today. We learn a bit more about "Alex," the shadowy figure who runs OpenWhistle. Alex is about to make an announcement that could change the course of history. Becky "BadMama" Taylor wonders again if she's gotten in too deep with her volunteer work with OpenWhistle, unaware that the FBI is on to her.---------------------------------------------UPDATE (November 29, 2012): Episode 4 was released today. Becky ("BadMama") is learning how leaking secrets can have consequences she never expected. Things are really coming to a head now as Becky is desperate to return to a normal family life and not go to prison. Only Molly can help her, but will she stick her own neck out any further for Becky? As the FBI closes in on Becky, it looks like all the cards are stacked against her.---------------------------------------------UPDATE (January 1, 2013): Episode 5, the last installment, was released on December 27, 2012. FBI agent James Hale is just one piece of evidence away from arresting Becky for treason, but can he find what he needs to put her away? The action builds rapidly to the dramatic climax, where Becky's future will be determined. (And how did the late Lou Gehrig affect the outcome?)---------------------------------------------SUMMARY: I enjoyed Hacker Mom very much. The storyline was timely and not too unbelievable, with OpenWhistle being an obvious WikiLeaks-like organization with all the controversy surrounding it. Becky and Molly were marvelous characters, good people who were inadvertently drawn into a web of intrigue and deceit, and had to use all their wits to save themselves. The outcome wrapped things up nicely, but left open the possibility of a sequel.