*Book source ~ NetGalley

From Goodreads:
It’s the dawn of social media; Facebook is unknown and World of Warcraft is the world's biggest online game. An unhinged Hungarian-American Internet magnate is trying to take over it all, using soon-to-IPO web sensation Clamor.us. But nefarious content is coming to light on the Clamor social networking site, pointing to sex trafficking.

Enter Natalie Chevalier, glamorous ex-Head of Security at a large Seattle software company... with a father she never knew, a disastrous track record with men and a scandal that forced her from her old job.

I had to DNF at 8% due to excessive use of technobabble and mind-numbing stock and financial-type run on. I swear my eyes actually glazed over. 8% in and I had not a single clue about the story and zero feel for the characters. I feared the rest of the book would be just as bad so I jumped ship. The book is fiction, not non-fiction. Being factually correct is one thing, explaining everything in minute detail is another. An editor should really have culled all that. ( )

The plot has it all: social media, WoW-style game, hacking, IPOs, murder, human trafficking... and that's perhaps rather more than the plot can handle comfortably. Any one or 2- or even 3- of these could fit together to make a very tight, exciting plot... but here, they distract from each other.

I could see a solid plot involving social media, human trafficking, and an IPO. I could see one involving the online game, murder, and human trafficking. Or pretty much any combo of the above. But- when they are all thrown into the same jar, one does not get a smoothie as much as a mish-mash; as soon as the plot seems to be going in any one direction toward resolution... it changes course!

The description of the antics behind an IPO were entertaining, and well-enough explained that I pretty much understood them. Some of the other technical parts, though, made utterly no sense to me, and seemed to be vital to the plotline(s).

The characters were reasonably well-drawn, though the book brings in aspects of their lives that have no relevance to the plot, like the banker's daughter who is going to shoot a porn film. I was curious as to how that would tie in and it just- did not.

It was an exciting and pretty engaging book; I just wish that after I finished it, it had made more sense.

I received this ebook in exchange for writing an honest review. ( )

Jane Hunt Writer First Steps

Jane Hunt Writer Book Reviews Google


The Woman Who Stopped Traffic is a clever, contemporary, fast-paced thriller with a realistic edge. This first chapter is pivotal to the events that unfold. Read it carefully to fully appreciate what follows.

After a work place affair led to a scandal Natalie Chevalier ditched her role as a corporate technology security expert in favour of the good life in the Bahamas meditating and teaching yoga.

Clamor.us a hugely popular social media site is about to float on the stock exchange. Natalie Chevalier accepts an invitation from Tom Nguyen geek scientist and former colleague and attends a presentation for potential investors. A serious security breach occurs during the presentation. Tom needs her help. Natalie agrees but will keen observational skills be enough to find the culprit?

The story is fast paced and complex moving through the world of high finance and technology in great detail. The characters in each of these worlds are well written and easy to visualise. A fantasy on line role playing game proves integral to the story and increases the suspense and impact of the plot. The detail of this story is amazing although I found the description of financial trading too detailed at times but I 'm sure it will appeal to some.

The Woman Who Stopped Traffic is an inspired title. I found it an interesting and absorbing read. Natalie and Ben seem to have unfinished business. I can see them having further adventures together.

I received a copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest review. ( )

Enjoyed this - well written, captures the greed and conflict that must be generated when startups go public with the potential to conjure unimaginable wealth out of thin air. Great cast of characters. ( )

There is no doubt that Daniel Pembrey, the author of The Woman Who Stopped Traffic is well informed about the beginning of the internet mania and the computer craze as well as the workings of Wall Street insofar as Start-Ups and IPO's go. He writes easily and authoritatively about these subjects, which is not always easy to do when communicating this information in a story plot. Since this story begins with taking the subject of this novel, Clamor.US public to investors, it's important that the reader understands what is happening as well as knowing some basics about what social networks do with online patrons' information, and how they convince investors to put money into their businesses. Pembrey is very adept at setting up the reader with short, to the point passages on how these various entities work together as well as against each other to reach the goal of expanding business opportunities for owners and investors alike.


In the case of Chaos.US which is modeled somewhat after Facebook, it has come to the attention of the chief characters in the book that they have a breach of security within their ranks, so a woman is brought in to supervise getting to the bottom of the problem before the Initial Public Offering date to prevent any holdups in taking the company public. Although Natalie, the security expert, has some glitches in her past employment record she is highly qualified to do the job expected of her. Until the murders start. That detail brings with it more suspicion, distrust among employees and investors, and an overall sense that this business may never reach the stock exchange floor. I found this to be an intriguing subject and was interested from the start since I like reading about Wall Street and the way in which these start-ups get the money they need to become businesses like Amazon and the like. I haven't found many novels that deal with these subjects in such easy to understand terms.


The one problem I did have with this novel was keeping straight who was doing what to whom. I didn't develop an understanding of all the characters. Perhaps more character development would have helped; however, when it came down to understanding the end when all the loose ends were tied together, I was satisfied with the result.


I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the workings of both Wall Street and start-up businesses dealing in privacy issues. The extra bonus is there's a good mystery involved as well.


I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. ( )