Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review
As a reviewer, I get more requests for reviews than I can accept. Occasionally a publisher/publicist will send me a physical copy, which I think is cool. When Factor Man showed up I was immediately drawn to the cover art. I couldn’t remember requesting this title so I looked it up on Goodreads. To my surprise, no one had it on their radar/to read list and I immediately added it to mine.
Factor Man has a great plot with equally great storytelling. It was interesting and completely engrossing, and I couldn’t put it down. I was sucked in to the math and science, and went full on nerd. Factor Man claims he can break the 256-bit encryption, say what! Ok, now you have my attention. He starts with a relatively small number, say 4 digits, and adds a number every few days until he reaches his goal of 256. The implications of this level of computer code would change everything. The discussion as to if this can be done, who is behind it, and how the hell he is going to pull it off is all suspenseful. Anyone who is a math or science nerd, or a computer geek, like myself, is going to enjoy this book.
The characters, of which there are many, are all very well created and fleshed out. I connected with and really enjoy our protagonist. Also, the many other characters surrounding Factor Man, were very well done and easy to connect with. For a book so deeply rooted in science and math it was a great read and thriller. Combine this with Factor Man being a debut novel for Matt Ginsberg, it makes it more impressive and it is now on my recommended read list.
Book Info
Length: 281 Pages
Publisher: Zowie Press
Release date: March 20, 2018
To Purchase Factor Man Click Here
One man holds the key to the most revolutionary and powerful technology since the invention of the atom bomb.
The press wants to interview Factor Man. The Chinese government wants to kill him. And the FBI wants to protect him.
But first, they need to find him.
William Burkett is a statistics-savvy journalist, but he isn’t qualified to judge the extraordinary claims in an anonymous email he receives from “Factor Man.” Is FM a crackpot, or has he discovered what computer scientists call “God’s algorithm?” As FM solves increasingly complex math problems in a public countdown to the day his identity will be revealed, the momentous consequences of his apparent invention draw the attention of a Chinese assassin. Will Factor Man survive until his coming-out party, or will his technology die with him?
Matt Ginsberg, biography
Matt Ginsberg and Dr. Fill will be competing at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, Connecticut in March 2018. Matt has written nearly one hundred technical papers and is the founder and creator of the automotive technology company, Connected Signals, which delivers real-time, predictive traffic signal data. FACTOR MAN is his debut novel.
The Scary Reviews 