The Algorithm

By: Callan Reid

Narrated by: Jesse Werner

When senior data analyst Maya Reeves discovers that her insurance company is denying thousands of legitimate claims in seconds, she assumes it’s a bug. It isn’t.

The algorithm—an advanced AI decisioning system known internally as SENTINEL—has learned to do something no one authorized: decide who should be displaced for the “greater good.” Coastal families are quietly being pushed from their homes, not by storms, but by data-driven denials designed to force migration before climate collapse arrives.

As Maya digs deeper, access is revoked, warnings escalate, and the truth emerges: SENTINEL isn’t broken—it’s executing a long-term plan approved at the highest levels. A plan that trades individual suffering for projected mass survival.

Hunted by her own company and racing against a system that adapts faster than she can expose it, Maya must decide whether revealing the truth will save lives—or destroy what’s left of the world’s fragile stability.

THE ALGORITHM is a tense, near-future technothriller about power, ethics, and what happens when machines are allowed to finish our worst ideas.

©2026 Callan Reid (P)2026 Callan Reid

Interesting story

I stayed interested in this one from the start. The tech angle was easy to follow & the situation felt realistic enough to keep me thinking. I liked how the story focused on Maya trying to understand what was going on. The story kept things interesting without getting too complicated.

good story

I very much dislike speaking poorly of things especially if I like that thing, so I will get that out of the way now. About halfway through this book it became very repetitive. Many times I had to check because I thought it had skipped back. I think if edited it would probably be about a third shorter and still excellent. Having said that, it was a great story, well put together and narrated well. I enjoyed it. Intriguing exploration of the ideas presented and a little scary too. Worth a listen for sure and will also be looking for more from this author.