BKCM2GRF.RVW   971003

"Come to Grief", Dick Francis, 1995, 0-515-11952-0, U$6.99
%A   Dick Francis
%C   200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY  10016
%D   1995
%G   0-515-11952-0
%I   Ace/Berkley/Boulevard/Charter/Diamond/Jove Books
%O   U$6.99 +1-800-788-6262 http://www.berkley.com/berkley
%P   368
%T   "Come to Grief"

OK, I've already admitted that I like Dick Francis, OK?  But I *do*
have a reason for reviewing this one as well as "Driving Force" (cf.
BKDRVFRC.RVW).  Yes, a *technical* reason.  Two or three, actually.

First, this book involves the use of cell phones, and the interception
of cell phone conversations.  As in "Driving Force", Francis'
technical details are a mixture of good and bad.  It is good to see
that he is making the public more aware of the vulnerability in using
cellular phones to conduct confidential or private business.  (Or, as
Prince Charles found out to his chagrin, pleasure.)  However, in this
story, the lead character is told that getting a digital cell phone,
as opposed to analogue, is an automatic guarantee of security. 
Granted, a digital scanner is a lot harder to build than an analogue
one but without the use of spread spectrum or encryption, or both,
digital communications alone cannot ensure security.

Second, the main character admits that he is not keen on computers,
and uses them as little as is consitent with his business.  Fair
enough.  We can, though, therefore rule out the possibility that his
home computer is even moderately sophisticated, let alone running a
multiuser operating system.  In fact, we can probably assume that,
like most people, he turns the computer off when he is not using it. 
So how come he can call up his home computer from the office of the
bad guys, and transfer files from theirs to his?  (In fact, given the
lengths to which they have gone in order to secure and hide their
machine, how come it even has a modem?)

OK, as long as we're here, how about one more?  You know how in all
the movies, when the good guys get into the bad guys'
office/hideout/headquarters, and they discover the secret
files/computer, that as soon as they put the disk with the secret data
into the floppy drive the prompt "PASSWORD" appears on the screen? 
Yup, you guessed it ...

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997   BKCM2GRF.RVW   971003