THE PUNCH ESCROW by Tal M. Klein – Review

I received this book for free from the Publicist in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE PUNCH ESCROW by Tal M. Klein – ReviewThe Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein
Published by Inkshares/Geek & Sundry on July 25 2017
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 319
Format: ARC
Source: Publicist
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four-half-stars

The nitty-gritty: A heady mix of high entertainment, non-stop action and interesting facts about physics and future technology,  this book was, simply put, a blast!

After reading a couple of fellow bloggers’ rave reviews of this book, I knew I had to get a hold of a copy and read it for myself. And they were right! This was one crazy, wild ride! The Punch Escrow reminded me a bit of Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter, although I didn’t enjoy it quite as much (hence the slightly lower rating), so anyone who had fun with that book will love this. I’ve been so lucky with debut novels this week, because here is another one that surprised me in just about every way. The concept is fairly simple—a man is accidentally “copied” during a transporter accident—but the execution is anything but. Klein’s novel is filled with hard science fiction elements, and readers may get more than they bargained for in the form of physics and history lessons, but trust me when I say it was all entertaining.

This is one of those stories that is easy to spoil, so I’ll just give you the bare bones of the plot. It’s the year 2147, and thanks to a company called International Transport, teleportation is commonplace, with Teleportation Centers (TCs) placed all over so that people can easily get from one place to another. Teleportation has also been made entirely safe, thanks to an invention called the Punch Escrow. Joel Byram is a “salter,” someone who is paid to trick computers and AIs in order to make them evolve and seem more human. Joel and his wife Sylvia are planning to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary in Costa Rica, but because of Sylvia’s highly secretive job working for International Transport, their marriage has become strained. Joel is hoping the vacation will put them back on track.

But things don’t go at all as planned when Joel enters the TC in New York, on his way  to meet his wife in Costa Rica. Just as he’s about to transport, the station is sabotaged by a bomber,  and Joel emerges from the blast only to discover that there are now two of him—one in New York, the “real” Joel, and the other one who made it to Costa Rica. So much for the Punch Escrow! All Joel wants to do is reunite with Sylvia, but suddenly everyone seems to be after him. Joel finds himself stuck between two factions—IT, who are trying to cover up a huge secret, and a religious group that believes teleportation is more or less evil.

One of the best things about this story is Joel. He’s a little rough around the edges, a guy who doesn’t have a lot of ambition (I mean come on, he tells computers JOKES and tries to trick them for a living!). He’s content to listen to his beloved 80s music, play video games, and take on salting gigs whenever he needs some cash. But the one thing Joel is sure about is that he loves his wife, and he’s determined to mend their relationship. So when things turn ugly after the transporter mishap, Joel discovers that he actually has a backbone, and he more or less turns into a hero. He also swears a lot.

And keep in mind that there are two Joels, although I’m reluctant to say much about that because you know, spoilers! Let’s just say there are some mind-bending moments that were both hysterically funny and cringingly uncomfortable at the same time.

One of the joys of The Punch Escrow is the wonderful juxtaposition between the futuristic setting and Joel’s obsession with the past. In the same paragraph the reader is treated to descriptions of Joel’s “comm,” an implant that basically lets him instantly communicate with anyone, anywhere, and a conversation with a friend about the movie The Princess Bride. Klein definitely knows how to write a futuristic story but still engage his audience, who is still stuck in 2017.

Klein’s future is pretty much what you’ve seen before, there really isn’t anything terribly unique about it, although because I’m a science fiction fan, I never tire of reading about the high-tech futures that the best writers come up with. Of course, the teleportation idea is very cool, and I loved the author’s descriptions of exactly how it all works. Klein has either done a ton of research, or he’s a physicist in disguise, but whatever the case, he completely convinced me that traveling from one place to another in the blink of an eye is entirely possible—or at least it should be.  (Whether it’s safe or not, well, you’ll just have to make up your own mind after reading this story!) At this point I should mention that there are lengthy footnotes, but they’re mostly in the first quarter of the book. Any reader who is fascinated by science, physics and history is going to love them. I personally had a blast trying to figure out which were true, and which were fabrications. I’m pretty sure there were some of both!

The story gradually builds as Joel gets deeper and deeper into the conspiracy surrounding International Transport. It also gets very violent, which I wasn’t expecting, but the violence is so well done and makes sense in a weird way. Joel isn’t the violent type, but when he’s thrown into unexpected danger, he embraces his violent side. As I got closer to the end, I still didn’t know how things were going to resolve themselves, and I was happy that I never was able to predict the final outcome.

One sure sign of an unputdownable page-turner is that I forget to take notes while I’m reading, and I managed to get through The Punch Escrow with only a few sentences written down to remind me of things I wanted to say in this review. Luckily I found quite a bit more I wanted to share, and I hope I’ve piqued your interest. For readers who love non-stop action, thrilling glimpses into our possible future, and characters that jump off the page, this is a must read.

Big thanks to Wunderkind PR for supplying a review copy.

 

Posted August 31, 2017 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 11 Comments

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11 responses to “THE PUNCH ESCROW by Tal M. Klein – Review

  1. I remember Mogsy’s rave review of this book and since then I have been meaning to read this one so I am glad your opinion reinforced that. The premise is slightly echoing the book I am reading right now, The Real-Town Murders by Adam Roberts and it’s good since so far I am enjoying this book a lot, it’s quirky, hilarious and very clever so far! 🙂

  2. Honestly, I’m afraid you might have lost me at “physics.” I remember taking it in high school and the teacher, who also had me for Chemistry, asked why in the name of God did I sign up for Physics? I answered “To drive you nuts.” I don’t think he was amused. Don’t get me wrong, I was a pretty good kid and a good student but science -aarrrgghhh. My lab partner in chemistry ended up catching my sweater on fire (and I was still in it!) Anyway, got off track. Good review and I’m glad you enjoyed this one!
    Barb (boxermommyreads) recently posted…Lots of Cute Puppies! (A New Leash on Love Review)My Profile

    • Tammy

      Thanks for the hysterical visual, Barb! Yeah, I’m usually not the physics type either, although I did find the information fascinating, even if I didn’t understand it all.

  3. I WILL get hold of this one… There’s a good chance our library will stock it – failing that, I’m sure it is bound to come out in a Kindle edition… surely?? A cracking review, Tammy and I’m very much looking forward to getting hold of an ebook version in due course.
    sjhigbee recently posted…While the Morning Stars SingMy Profile

  4. This sounds intense and complex, but I actually like Joel a whole heap in this. The hard science bit I’m a bit hesitant about but then again, it kind of reminds me of Star Trek, so we’ll see how I go. Great review, Tammy!

  5. Glad you read and reviewed it! I loved it myself. Going to review it soon, but it struggling cause I usually struggle with 5 star reviews. I also liked the footnotes! You’re right, some of them are definitely fake and some true, and it’s such a fine line – I love it. Also, do you think there will be a sequel? Cause that ending!
    This book was such a gulp of fresh air for me. And I thought Joel’s future was quite unique too – because of the corporations being governments. I don’t think I’ve personally read that anywhere yet!
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