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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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx