TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., July 1, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- In A. Townsend Marshall's latest mystery novel, Paperless (now available through AuthorHouse), a network of unscrupulous businessmen use devious methods to reap the benefits of an ingenious technological breakthrough.
Technical visionary R. Jessup "Rich" Fuller has just created a set of software applications that allow control and manipulation of databases that span the Internet. Although initially motivated by his convictions to improve the Internet for the common good, the rejection of his theories by a doctoral committee led to his obsession with the project. Now that he has accomplished his goal, Fuller leaves behind his academic pursuits to build multiple companies and great wealth on the capabilities of his programs.
Several powerful companies adopt Rich's software as foundational components to their operations. Soon, a clever CIO consortium begins to speculate on the potential capabilities of his commercialized application. They coerce Rich into modifying his code to suit their purposes.
Meanwhile, Al Matheson, the hero of Marshall's first mystery, Thread of Decency, returns from retirement to help his friend, Jerry Kellster. Together, they form a team of professionals to implement Rich's applications in a company called Advanced Materials Applications, Inc.
Confronted with the compromised ethics of Advanced Materials' competitors, Al suspects a web of criminal activity lies just below the surface of the normal corporate competition. As the plot follows a series of twists and surprises, fueled by complicated white collar schemes, Al and his team of consultants navigate captivated readers through this exciting mystery.
Marshall was born in Detroit. He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. He wrote technical articles for the Michigan Technic, the engineering college publication. After graduation, he spent the first part of his career as a gas turbine performance engineer with a Detroit company. He married his wife, Marina, while working toward his Master of Business Administration. He eventually moved from engineering into information systems.
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