Mindscrew

"I love this series!""This is the best writing in decades."You've pulled off the crime of the century. You've stolen billions. The global economy is in ruins, but you've become one of the richest men on the planet.Except you've somehow fallen into the clutches of the people you robbed - a band of spies, mercenaries, and dollar-hungry power brokers who'd just as soon gut you as look at you.That's Sabot Mondragon's predicament. He was a brilliant hacker, but now he's a prisoner in some Central American hellhole, facing a very short and very painful future. And while he doesn't know it, the fate of the world's economy happens to be intertwined with his own. A global power grab of unprecedented scale is underway, and the consequences couldn't be graver.Which is why Special Agent Sam Jameson is hot on his tail. She's a brash, ballsy, and beautiful spy catcher, and she's racing headlong into a buzz saw of intrigue and bad blood left over from the cold war.Will Sabot survive his vicious kidnapping? Can Sam stop the world's most secretive organization from pulling off a global coup?From the jungles of Central America to frozen Moscow, MINDSCREW's explosive action, razor sharp plot, and smart, sexy characters will keep you turning pages well into the night.MINDSCREW is the final installment in conspiracy master Lars Emmerich's DEVOLUTION trilogy, a collection of three #1 bestselling financial thrillers starring Sam Jameson.----Interview with #1 Bestselling Author Lars EmmerichQ: Who are your influences?A: Too many to list! I started out years ago as a Tom Clancy addict, and I thoroughly enjoy many of Nelson DeMille's novels. I regularly read David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, Barry Eisler, Michael Connelly, and John Grisham. James Patterson has redefined what it means to be a working author, and I read his stuff as well. My top picks are usually espionage and private detective novels, any of the thousands of thrillers and mysteries best sellers, and, of course, books featuring classic pulp heroes. And I'm greatly influenced by all sorts of nonfiction, as well. I read all the time, and I'm a bit of a magpie about the topics - science, economics, finance, politics, history, mathematics, engineering, biomechanics, medicine... It's a big world out there, and I love learning more about it. Many of those topics find their way into my fiction, so I can justify it all as "research." Q: The Sam Jameson series has become quite a phenomenon. What do you think has been the driving force behind the books' success?A: I think Sam has something of a unique voice. She says the things we all wish we could say, and she gets away with it about half of the time. The other half of the time, not so much. I think she's also a very human heroine. She has plenty of flaws and weaknesses, yet she accomplishes some amazing things. She's kind of like every one of us in that regard, which resonates.Q: You have developed personal relationships with your readers over the years, which is unusual in the publishing business. Was that a conscious choice?A: Absolutely. Books are intimate things. They occupy a person's mind and thoughts for hours at a time. Good books leave a lasting impression, and great books might even change the way we think about things, but all books are a relationship. I felt that Big Publishing did a great job of distributing novels, but at a very high cost - there was almost no way for a personal connection to form between writers and readers. But I always wanted a conversation. I wanted to learn from my readers, to hear what was on their minds, to listen to their criticism and hopefully improve the books I write. It's been extremely rewarding, and I'm hopeful it can continue for years to come.