My book review of 'The Fear Index' by Robert Harris

by Robert Harris
The Fear Index
by Robert Harris

A brilliant physicist, Dr Alex Hoffman was thwarted in his research at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, so entered the world of high finance. He joined forces with an investment banker to form a company exploiting his knowledge of artificial intelligence to make vast fortunes for themselves and their clients. The story begins with Hoffman at home in Switzerland in his multi-million pound mansion, aware of an intruder. In confronting the man, Hoffman is attacked, injuring his head. He is taken to hospital as the police begin their investigations. From then on, Hoffman's life seems to rollercoaster out of control. It seems someone has stolen his identity and is ruining his relationships and reputation through extreme bizarre actions - or is he just going mad? 

This is a fascinating book. It was a very easy read that was deceptively enjoyable. I put it down feeling that I had been entertained by a puzzle which had a fantastical conclusion. However, in days since, the theories that Harris introduced have played on my mind, and have almost caused me to introduce into conversation as reality.

Date of this review: October 2011