Daniel Suarez
448 pages

Daemon as it applies to Computer Science is defined by dictionary.com as:

A program or process that sits idly in the background until it is invoked to perform its task.

And that’s exactly what this Daemon does. It sits idly in the background until computer genius Matthew Sobol dies of brain cancer. Upon his death and subsequent obituary notice, his Daemon is unleashed on the world in a bloody, twisting, turning path of suspense and intrigue.

This story took off from the first page and it kept me guessing. I’d say it kept me guessing up until the end, except there really was no end. The sequel, Freedom, is due out in 2010.

There is a lot of technology talk and gamer-speak involved in the book but I didn’t find that it hindered my enjoyment of the book. In most cases, the context of the story gave me a general idea of the meaning. The rest my gamer-nerd son filled in for me.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because it would be easy to accidentally give a spoiler. If you like technology, suspense, and intrigue then I can recommend Daemon. (4/5)