Dot Dead by Keith Raffel5/22/2023 ![]() ![]() No surprise then that Ian Michaels, the startup executive protagonist of his first novel, “Dot.Dead,” reappears in “Smasher,” battling to save the company from a hostile takeover, while simultaneously trying to save his prosecutor wife from a murderous stalker. “Don’t we have as much ambition, money and greed as Wall Street or Hollywood?” Why is it that crime thrillers are always set in New York or Los Angeles or Chicago, he asks, turning the question on me. “One of the things I don’t understand is why more novels or mystery/crime fiction is not set in the valley,” says Raffel, who recently published his second novel, “Smasher: A Silicon Valley Thriller” (Midnight Ink, $14.95). What more could an ex-tech exec who’s launched a career as a mystery writer want? ![]() We live in a place of big egos, ruthless competition and people who are used to getting their way. He doesn’t repeat the question three or four times with incredulity.īut the truth is that Raffel can’t walk down the street of his hometown without bumping into potential characters, spying possible scenes or overhearing precious bits of perfect dialogue. He doesn’t laugh, roll his eyes or ask me to leave the comfort of his Palo Alto living room. What makes Silicon Valley a good setting for a novel? ![]() No sooner does the question leave my lips than I realize just how dumb it is. ![]()
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