Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Utopia : A Thriller

Utopia : A Thriller
reviewed Techno-thriller on + 21 more book reviews


Rising out of the stony canyons of Nevada, Utopia is a place known for its cutting-edge robots, awe-inspiring holographics, and white-knuckle thrills. Attracting 65,000 visitors each day, it embodies a new generation of entertainment. But serious mishaps are beginning to disrupt the once-flawless technology. A friendly robot goes haywire, causing panic in the crowds, and a popular roller-coaster malfunctions, nearly killing a teenaged rider. Dr. Andrew Warne, the brilliant computer engineer who designed much of the park's robotics, is summoned from the East Coast to get things back on track.
On the day Warne arrives, however, Utopia finds itself caught in the grip of something far more sinister. A group of ruthless mercenaries have infiltrated the park's computerized infrastructure, gaining complete control over all its systems. Their communication begins with a simple and dire warning: if their demands are met, none of the park's visitors that day will ever know they were there; if not. chaos will descend on Utopia and every man, woman, and child will become a target. Warne finds himself thrust into a role he never imagined - using his expertise to try to protect the lives of thousands of innocent people. As the minutes tick away, Warne's struggle to outsmart his opponents becomes more urgent - for his only daughter is among the unsuspecting crowd in the park.
With hair-raising thrills and heart-stopping twists, Lincoln Child evokes the technological wonders of Utopia with such skill and precision it is hard to believe that the park exists only in the pages of this extraordinary book.