The Bottom Line: Pederson’s debut novel is an irresistible terrorism thriller featuring an unlikely heroine you won’t soon forget.
Nine Minutes Eleven Seconds opens as Silicon Valley executive assistant Samantha Dockett is catapulted into the air by a speeding SUV. The driver exits the vehicle and – in the most reassuring manner imaginable – finishes the hit by breaking her neck.
A month later, Sam’s replacement, Madison Cooper, arrives at Know Inc. The company is a leading data mining provider whose tagline is “We Know Everything.” Even in an era where consumers have more privacy than ever, Know’s proprietary AI claims to not only understand what consumers have done, but also what they are likely to do in the future. What could possibly go wrong?
The corporation at the heart of L.V. Pederson’s debut novel is somewhat reminiscent of The Circle, Dave Eggers’ landmark 2013 novel about a California tech company that takes its creepy obsession with data harvesting and data transparency to extremes. But Pederson’s novel offers far more entertainment value, starting with the moment Madison wonders why two FBI agents are investigating her predecessor’s hit-and-run death in Palo Alto. Soon after, she stumbles across something that makes her question her boss’ identity as well.
Know’s SVP of Strategic Marketing, T.J. Khan, is a handsome visionary with the charisma of a cult leader. He affectionately refers to his team as “know it alls,” and wastes little time before he begins sexually harassing Madison. His cunning nature is evident as he probes for a chink in Madison’s armor in the same conversation in which he compliments her beauty and intellect. While Madison talks a good game (“Does that line work on the other girls?”), she’s both afraid of him and attracted to him at the same time – a duality that creates irresistible sexual tension as the plot evolves.
Madison’s convictions are all the scarier because they are colored by her father’s death on 9/11, the spark in a series of traumatic events that continue to dominate her dreams. Adding to the tension is the constant conflict between pragmatism, intuition and observation that rules her inner thoughts, some of which is attributed to her therapist, Dr. Katz, urging her not to overthink things. Even as she confides in new friend Will about her suspicions – which feels every bit like the huge gamble that it is – it seems entirely plausible that she’s imagining the entire thing. Either way, the stakes are sufficiently high in this terrorism thriller that, thankfully, replaces the usual world-weary ex-CIA operative hero figure with a bright-but-paranoid heroine who just wants to live a normal life.
Know Inc may predict what you’re going to do next, but readers won’t see Pederson’s twists and turns coming.
