Bubble by Anders de la Motte

review by Maryom

In this, the final part of the Game Trilogy, HP and his sister Rebecca  are trying to finally work out who is behind The Game - and stop them. Cutting their way through the lies and deceit is easier said than done. Old family friend, Uncle Tage, a person with mysterious Government contacts and influence, appears to be helping Rebecca, both career-wise and in uncovering a mystery relating to her father's past, but is he the dependable supportive old friend he claims to be or is he manipulating Rebecca for his own purposes? HP meanwhile is caught in a position where he sees conspiracy all around him and doesn't know who to trust at all. He's arrested on terrorist charges, believes his new neighbours are there solely to spy on him, gets involved with a group intending to blow up the company believed to be behind the Game - all in all an average sort of week for HP! He believes that in all he does, he's acting of his own free will, but maybe he too is being controlled more than he realises? As events move towards a climatic ending, with threats of terrorist action at a royal wedding, both HP and Rebecca have some hard choices to make.

If you've read the first two novels, Game and Buzz, you'll know that The Game progressed from fun, but dangerous, pranks to a behind the scenes conspiracy intent on controlling public opinions. Bubble brings this trilogy to an excellent close with twists, turns and double-crosses galore. There are hints at the Game's involvement in everything from the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme to the insidious shaping of public opinion to support its backers' policies. I tried my best to keep track of who I thought were the good guys and who the bad, but found it nigh on impossible.

For anyone who loves a bit of conspiracy theory this series is a must! It's best, though, to treat the trilogy as one long novel, as plunging straight into Bubble would probably make very little sense.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime, conspiracy theory

Buzz by Anders de la Motte

Welcome to the next level

review by Maryom

Having managed to get out of The Game alive, HP has spent 14 months hiding out in exotic places as far from his Swedish home as he can get. Even there though he's constantly reminded of the Game and its dangers - the distinctive mobile phones used by players seem to be everywhere. When a casual (sexual) acquaintance dies suddenly, HP is sure that the Game Master is somehow behind it, and decides to do a little investigating....
Meanwhile his sister Rebecca has problems of her own. Suspended from police duties after a botched up security operation, she seems to have become the target of a malicious internet forum. The gossip and rumours about her are all posted anonymously, so how can she fight back?

There's a change of pace in this, book two of the Game Trilogy. Previously, HP was out on the street, one of the 'ants' scurrying around at the Game Master's bidding; there was a lot of action and violence. Now using his brains and the power of words, he's trying to move up a level in the organisation of The Game by infiltrating behind the scenes in what appears to be a 'normal' company. Its 'business' though is to shape public opinion via internet sites using multiple identities to blog and comment here, there and everywhere. Being paid to spend all day chatting in online chat-rooms, posting on forums and commenting on blogs sounds like HP's ideal job and there are times when he almost forgets his real motive. Fortunately, there's always a nagging voice asking Who's behind it all? What do they gain? Is there a link to The Game?
Rebecca's story winds in and around HP's with disastrous results for him when the two collide. While most of the tension is of the 'will he be found out?' kind, poor HP does end up on the receiving end of some menacing violence.
Buzz is just as compelling as Game but in a very different way. Whereas bk 1 was fun and exciting, I couldn't imagine it really happening; this time I can. Everyone's heard of the companies that pay to have good reviews written about them, and of people who go round anonymously rubbishing their opponents, so why not take things a little further and shape opinions on politics or world events? Again, it's a brilliant story for the conspiracy-theorists, tapping right into the things they fear most.

Now on to Book 3 where all will be revealed......I hope.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime

Buy Buzz (The Game Trilogy, Book 2) from Amazon

Game by Anders de la Motte

review by Maryom

Henrik Petterson - HP to his friends - is a bit of a drug-taking, petty criminal sort of low life, so when he finds a shiny new phone his first thought is to turn it into some ready cash. Then he sees the message that keeps flashing up - "Wanna play a game?" Thinking he's being challenged by a mate, he plays along, stealing an umbrella. Then he realises there's more - a web-site devoted to The Game, cool video clips of his actions, praise from other Gamers and cash rewards. HP is easily hooked; it's more exciting than any computer game he's played! At first the tasks are more like pranks - a bit of spray-painting, the stopping of a public clock - but HP soon finds things becoming increasingly dangerous, for both himself and the victim. Getting out of the Game though could be as life-threatening as staying in, and once HP starts to see conspiracy plots, there's no end to them... 9/11? the murder of Swedish PM Olof Palme? and of course the big one, who killed Kennedy?

The Game is like a book version of all my favourite conspiracy-theory movies, from Z to JFK to Enemy of the State rolled into one with some added Die Hard-style action (and language) - so what's not to love about it? It's an excellently-written, rattling good read - and I gobbled up every page of it. The reader is there with HP every nerve-tingling, adrenalin-filled step of the way, can share his initial excitement and thrill at taking part, then his growing unease as events take a serious turn. HP isn't the most instantly charming of heroes but I soon warmed to him.Yes, his language is at times strong but it felt right and fitting for his character.

The plot is shared between sleazy HP and his conscientious sister, Becca, a policewoman with the prestigious bodyguard division - an ill-matched pair with an intriguing back story that unfolds along with the main action - both story-lines keeping their secrets till the very end. The reader isn't abandoned on a cliff-hanger finale but is left with a tantalising glimpse of what may come next... fortunately all three books of the trilogy are already published, so I don't have to wait months before the next instalment.

A thriller that conspiracy-theorists everywhere will love - and one that will alert everyone else to the hidden currents behind world events.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime

Buy Game (The Game Trilogy, Book 1) from Amazon