Review: On a whimsical trip with a loopy crew
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 3, 2012
The title of this book is a clever twist on the word kidnapped, a serious subject. Before reading the book, I took it as a hint not to take anything in it too seriously. The writing style is light, often funny, and the book has so many improbable situations, events, and characters that anyone taking it seriously will be scratching their heads. Best advice I can give is to treat it as a romp.The main character is Kelly, a young female coding intern and all-around problem-solver (nickname "Ms. Mac Gyver"). She works for a programming outfit called Bytewise, whose CEO is a guy named Rupert, whom Kelly at first considers an unapproachable ogre. As the story begins, Kelly and Rupert are silently riding an elevator together. An elevator door opens to a masked man holding a gun, who politely kidnaps them, main target Rupert.What happens next? In a nutshell, they are taken to a remote location, escape, hook up with some good guys, learn the motive is to rip off Bytewise, and . . . nuff said. I don't want to ruin the story for you by revealing too many details. What's important about the story is the journey, rather than the ending. Suffice it to say they encounter many interesting and generally improbable characters and situations; examples: a villain named Yuri, goons from "central casting" who speak like they did in 1930s gangster movies, MI-5 and FBI operatives, a sentimental dude named Nonno who has recreated a village from Taormina inside a slum warehouse, trips on trains, planes, and limousines. And so on. One result of the misadventure Kelly shares with Rupert is that she revises her opinion of him; he seems to do likewise.Bitnapped is worth reading if you like subtle humor, and even more so if you are familiar with the IT world. It's a quick read, entertaining, and will not give you heartburn. It would make a splendid movie.One complaint. I sometimes lost track of who was speaking because dialogue tags were used sparingly.