 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Midwest Book Review's CommentsDr. Anthony D. Wilbon is an Information Systems Department professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. In a former life, he logged in more than fifteen years in high tech and consulting firms, including several corporate companies.
Mongomery Quinn is an assistant professor at George Washington University. His life-long friend, Jovan Givens, is insanely jealous that his wife, Nia, a computer specialist at the National Security Agency, might be unfaithful to him. Nia has been working long nights, but she has her own agenda. Jovan buys a GPS to keep track of his wife, and takes a thumb drive from her computer. Their ensuing argument when Nia discovers his prank results in Jovan crashing his car and ending up hospitalized in a coma. Jovan has given Monty the thumb drive, asking him to dig out its contents. Nia guesses that Monty has the drive, and when he denies it her secret organization of Afro-American business women called NJAMA begins to destroy his life. His bank account disappears, his car is repossessed, his NSA grant is audited, and an old college flame nearly ends his marriage. But Monty is no slouch, and with a little help from an anonymous source, a fellow professor, and a grad student with armed services experience he turns the tables:
"Prior to leaving the campus, Donnie made Montgomery change into black sweat pants, black t-shirt, and a pair of black army boots. The only color on either of them were the red and light gray socks Montgomery wore because Donnie forgot to include a dark pair in the duffle bag when he rushed out of the house."
Dr. Wilbon does a nice job of creating a plot with non-stop action and interesting characters that are intelligent and talented upper class African-Americans. He gives the plot a powerful twist by having Monty Quinn becomes the target of NJAMA. Monty finds himself fighting a new kind of establishment, and he has to regain his life, renew his commitment to his marriage, and catch the culprits. Wilbon skillfully sets up situation after situation to build the action to a climax, even as he shows us the seduction of the power that resides in the hallowed halls of Washington institutions. NJAMA is a page-turner with a lot of conscience, or one might say, a lot of soul. It's a great read by an author who knows his computers.
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review