Fresh out of college, computer programmer Sheila Carpenter takes what she believes is her dream job.  Working in Washington, DC; living in a townhouse in a lovely neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia;  making lots of money.  She soon discovers that working for the prestigious consulting firm she’s chosen is anything but a dream.

Her first day on the job, Sheila is assigned to work at a national transportation company.  Her job will be to write a new set of accounting software to replace the outdated software currently in use.  There’s one little catch:  This new software must be written so that kickbacks (illegal payments) will be hidden from the company’s books, and from the IRS.  Uncomfortable with this notion, Sheila turns to her boss for help.  He tells her to write the program and keep her mouth shut.

This is only the beginning of a situation that rapidly spins out of control.  As Sheila struggles to find a way to protect herself and convince the authorities that she’s telling the truth about her employer,  she realizes that she is being watched and followed.  There are intruders in her home.  People she cares about are being threatened. Associates are found dead.  And she has no idea who to trust.

The computer and accounting components of the story are explained simply and well.  Even with no background in computers or accounting, the reader should have no problem understanding the basic concepts and enjoying the story.  I had no trouble at all believing that a boss would tell a young employee to do something blatantly illegal.  Speaking from experience in the accounting field, I know that it happens all the time.  Sheila’s reactions are logical and believable.