Tender Malice

Rating:
Summary: PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY REVIEW
Review: "In the future, the shift in global power will not be who has the strongest air force or hydrogen bombs. Power will rest solely with which nation has the smartest computers," says a character in this debut romantic thriller by the author of more than 20 works of women's fiction and two novelizations. Lanigan portrays the complex, fascinating world of computers through her heroine, the "nerd" Karen Curie, as she invents a computer security program she calls Mastermind. Interest in her invention runs high so high that someone is willing to kill for it." "Lanigan, who never writes the same book twice, has created a fascinating credible heroine and put her in the middle of a well-thought -out and sexy page turner."

Rating:
Summary: A technically flawless production.
Review: Blessed with brains and beauty, Karen has created Mastermind - a computer program that can change the world. It has already changed hers. Suddenly she has a life beyond the computer screen, and two men want to share it. Life should be perfect, but it's not. Someone wants Mastermined and will kill to get it. No one is safe and everyone's a suspect -- including the people Karen loves most! Catherine Lanigan's Tender Malice is a tautly written novel. This highly recommended unabridged audiobook edition is superbly narrated by Anna Fields and would prove a popular addition to any community library collection.

Rating:
Summary: An intiguing mix of feminis and romance
Review: Ever since she was a little girl, Karen Cieve knew she was different. She always felt like a square peg trying to live on a round world. Her superior intelligence has kept her from simply conforming to and interracting with her peers. For years, Karen has worked closely with her father on developing advanced computer technology. At twenty-six, Karen has moved into her own home and perfected Mastermind, a software program that keeps hackers from penetrating a protected program and even catches them in the act.

Karen needs an investor to open up her own computer company. However, the corporate world is unwilling to invest millions in her revolutionary new project. That is no one is interested until Karen meets Lucas Tanner, CEO of Falcon Industries, who is willing to subsidize her. Karen finds herself very attracted to Lucas, but questions whether his interest in her is as a person or to gain control of and illegally use Mastermind.

TENDER MALICE is a fabulous journey into a carnival fun house where distortion is reality and reality is distorted. Catherine Lanigan entertains her audience with a thriller that includes wonderfully developed characters who grow as the story line progresses. For instance, Karen matures from a meek, apprehensive girl into a strong-willed woman, who fights for what she wants. Ms. Lanigan has created a special work that embodies the essence of the female spirit.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: There could have been more
Review: This is my first Lanigan book, and to be honest, I was disappointed. Although the author has a great story to tell, I felt like a rock skipping across the pond of what was truly there. The wording was short and choppy, almost elementary. I found myself trying to add more to the story to fill in what I found lacking. Karen, the heroine, finds herself blooming (a little late in life) in the arms of two men. The road blocks she faces in trying to develop a romantic relationship and the twists and turns of trying to sell her "save the world" software and are quick and superficial with a silly end.