The Definition of Experience
(Dan Gamble, Book 1)
By Jim Adameit
One Man’s Stand Against the Corporate Machine
An edgy, racy, action-packed business / financial / technology thriller, about the global industry that manufactures and brings us all our smart phones, laptop computers, cloud servers – and virtually any other electronic products you can think of.
Think this is boring stuff?
In a US$500 billion global market – with careers and that much money at stake?
Think again…
A primer on an industry that most people don’t know exists…
A cautionary tale for those people who do…
"Pawns are rarely left on the board at the end of the game..."
Dan Gamble was three short months away before he became fully vested in Stygian Electronics Manufacturing Company. He had sacrificed the last five years of his personal life, travelling all over the world at the company's beck and call, so that he could get to this moment. Dan had suffered the arrogant and ignorant corporate director, Calvin 'Cal' Beaudry's, jibes and the snide remarks, with quiet dignity. So it came as quite the shock when he was formally dismissed.
While Dan was tying up loose ends with Stygian, he noticed a document in his miscellanies file on his computer that he had never seen before. When he opened the document up, he could not believe what he was seeing. Someone was stealing product designs from companies that Stygian worked with. The question was, who?
The Definition of Experience (Dan Gamble, Book 1) by Jim Adameit is an action-packed Financial Thriller, filled to bursting with intrigue, lies, suspense, and drama.
The premise of this book piqued my curiosity, and even though I have no first-hand experience of the contract Electronics Manufacturing Services Industry, I was looking forward to reading and hopefully while reading, learning about it. When I started to read The Definition of Experience I did begin to have a few reservations, for this is an in-depth look into this industry, and I feared I would become lost in the technical jargon and the day to day activities of this vast industry. Thankfully Adameit is a competent tour guide, and he goes to some length to explain what things mean. When a lot of explanation is needed in a book, as this one does, it can sometimes make the narrative somewhat slow and cumbersome, but Adameit has made these explanations part of the story, and therefore it did not affect the pace of this novel at all, nor did it hamper my enjoyment. The short chapters also made this book feel incredibly fast-paced.
The protagonist of this novel, Dan Gamble, is an extremely likeable character. Dan is approaching retirement and knows the industry inside out. However, the rug is pulled out from under Dan when he loses his job. Still, Dan is a very pragmatic man who, although concerned about how employable he is with regards to his advancing years, is determined to secure the future retirement of himself and his wife. When he discovers that there is something sinister going on at Stygian, he becomes this very shrewd detective as he begins to piece things together. After the way he has been treated, he owes no loyalty to his former employer, and he is determined to see justice served. I thought Dan's depiction was fabulous. He is an unlikely hero that you can really get behind and root for. I enjoyed reading about him very much.
It is said that an antagonist can make or break a story, in the case of The Definition of Experience the antagonists, for there are several, made this book unputdownable. The first self-centred and self-important antagonist we meet is Cal Beaudry. Cal is despised at work and feared at home. He is this disgustingly creepy man who has all the charisma of a tormented serpent. Cal really made my skin crawl, and he is the kind of superior that no one wants to be under. Another antagonist that brought out strong emotions is Vincent Spagano. Vince reminded me of a leech. He is almost inseparable from Carson Hayworth "Bud" Styres, the CEO of Stygian. When Vince is not sliming up to Bud, he can be found in strip clubs. He certainly wasn't the nicest of characters.
The real villain in this tale is, however, Bud. He is an especially ruthless man who revels in his position of authority and power. And he gets a kick out of terrorising his subordinates. Adameit does give his readers a glimpse into Bud's life outside of Styres, and although I sympathised with his poor wife, I could not find any sympathy for Bud. He is, in all ways, a predator. Saying that however, his character drove this story forward, and for a villain in a suit, I thought Adameit portrayed him wonderfully.
There are many supporting characters in this book, each with their role to play. Juggling so many characters is always a risk, for sometimes such a considerable cast can confuse a reader. However, Adameit has firm control of his characters and his story, so I did not once find myself confused as to who everyone was and what part in the story they were going to play. Kudos, Mr Adameit.
If you love a good thriller, with an extremely entertaining and gripping plot, then look no further than The Definition of Experience (Dan Gamble Book 1) by Jim Adameit. It is, in all ways, a great success.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Pick up your copy of
The Definition of Experience
Jim Adameit
Jim Adameit is the author of ‘The Definition of Experience’, his debut thriller novel in this series. Jim is a 30+ year seasoned veteran of the Contract Manufacturing / Electronic Manufacturing Services industry, in which he’s held various senior level global positions, including sales & marketing, contract administration, and project management.
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