The Switch

A Novel

By: Joseph Finder

Narrated by: Steven Kearney

A simple mix up throws an innocent man into the cross-hairs of sinister government secrets and ruthless political ambitions in this timely, electrifying thriller from New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder.

Michael Tanner is on his way home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook in an airport security line. He doesn’t notice the mix-up until he arrives home in Boston, but by then it’s too late. Tanner’s curiosity gets the better of him when he discovers that the owner is a US senator and that the laptop contains top secret files.

When Senator Susan Robbins realizes she’s come back with the wrong laptop, she calls her young chief of staff, Will Abbott, in a panic. Both know that the senator broke the law by uploading classified documents onto her personal computer. If those documents wind up in the wrong hands, it could be Snowden 2.0—and her career in politics will be over. She needs to recover the MacBook before it’s too late.

When Will fails to gain Tanner’s cooperation, he is forced to take measures to retrieve the laptop before a bigger security breach is revealed. He turns to an unscrupulous “fixer” for help. In the meantime, the security agency whose files the senator has appropriated has its own methods, darker still—and suddenly Tanner finds himself a hunted man, on the run, terrified for the safety of his family, in desperate need of a plan, and able to trust no one.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Switch

“Great characterization, heart-stopping chase scenes, a plot that never flags—and even a few fascinating facts about coffee sourcing. Finder may well be the best contemporary thriller writer going.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Seemingly ripped from recent headlines, Finder's latest...whizzes by so quickly and suspensefully...A master of what might be called the ‘man in over his head’ thriller, Finder delivers a tense, uncannily relevant tale about government secrets falling into the wrong hands.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[Finder] once again shows his knack for crafting an engaging thriller.”—Publishers Weekly

“Finder has written another compelling thriller that demonstrates his strengths of mixing corporate themes with mayhem...the perfect summer read.”—Library Journal

“[R]ipped from the headlines.”—The Washington Post

“If Alfred Hitchcock were alive and working today, this is the kind of story he would direct.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Perfect for fans of The Fugitive.”—The Boston Globe

“The Switch is a dazzling political thriller, a kind of 'Advise and Consent' postmodernized for the 24/7 news cycle world. Perfectly timed and wondrously prescient, this is summer reading of the highest order.”—The Providence Journal

“[A] much-needed shot of adrenaline sure to shake up the waning late summer days.”—The Oklahoman

“[A] master of the corporate thriller. [Finder’s] novels infuse fast-moving plots with well-researched business minutiae and impressively current tech details.”—WBUR Boston

Engaging suspense

Complex plot line holds the readers attention to the very end of the book. Very entertaining read. Will continue reading this author

This is not Finder's finest.

I wanted to strangle the protagonist, but I guess he had to be a dweeb so the book could be longer than a short story.

Great book!!!

Really enjoyed this book. Great writer and great plot. Loved the characters. Highly recommend it!

Why too Unbelievable

Great narration but the story is just way too far-fetched! I see there’s a sequel but I can’t imagine that it’s less far-fetched!

Good Story, but not so realistic

I guess since it's a novel it doesn't have to be realistic. Call it a pet peeve of mine. I prefer realistic stories. Even so, I enjoyed it. I will get other titles from this author. This was my first novel by James Finder.

Steven Kearney is a terrific narrator!

The story line kept me very intrigued. New Joseph Finder series? I definitely think do.

Could be better

Any additional comments?

I always look forward to Finder's books but this one has a lot of holes. Assumptions are made and events go unexplained. Some actions and characters are a little unbelievable (and a bit of a caricature). Could be a good story if it was more "padded". I'll give Finder some points for his After 911 description of our world - scary. The narrator performance was great, as always. Will keep on buying Finder's books but I expect a little more next time.

Even fictional works can’t exaggerate how bad spy agencies are…

With all we know about just how bad our spy agencies are about lying, killing in the name of democracy, spying on Americans… The only negative to this book is how inevitable it is that these people will never be stopped.

Well balanced mixture of action & espionage

Michael Tanner returns home from a business trip, and while at the airport, he picks up the wrong laptop in baggage. The laptop belongs to a US senator who has some files stored that she (and many other people) would rather not see the light of day. Once Michael realizes what he has - documents about a shadowy covert operation called Chrysalis - and who it belongs to, he's on the run to save himself and his family.

Michael is nobody special. He's an every day coffee shop owner way in over his head.. One that people would kill for to keep from the public. There's a balanced mixture of action and espionage as this man's life is turned upside down. Micheal learns he's smarter and braver than he ever thought, and he's willing to go the distance to protect everything he lives for.

Sure, it's another in a long line of government-spies-on-American-citizens books, but Finder doesn't approach it as anything but. He knows we've been here before, but he's clearly having fun with Michael, and I did too. This is not the kind of thing that is supposed to happen to an everyman like Michael. He's the little guy, and watching him take on forces bigger than himself is where Finder's imaginative writing really shines through.

Finder made a good choice in not making the antagonist a mustache twirling walking trope whose lines you can telegraph pages beforehand. There is just as much depth to the character as there is to very likable Tanner, and you can almost understand the motivations behind such a desperate attempt at keeping such a deadly operation out of the eyes of the American public.

Finder channels his inner Trump

What did you like best about this story?

Nobody does chase better than Finder but this one is so topical, a woman senator downloads classified info to her laptop, it's switched and the chase is one with our young hero pursued by the NSA, the Senator's Chief of Staff and of course the Russians. There's fake news, secret interrogations, electronic tracking implants--where were the drones?--and even a hit man turned Buddhist who tries to implant wisdom and restraint. Oh, and artesinal coffee. So because I like my beans small batch roasted, I'm addicted to MSN, and I'm always up for the whiff of a good conspiracy theory, this is one of my favorite Finders'. And the moral ambiguity of the hero Skinner makes it all the more complex, just like a good second cuppa....

Have you listened to any of Steven Kearney’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mostly listen to Finder books because they are well read and the story is always gripping