New "business thriller" book, STARTUP, from California writer Glenn Ogura

SAN FRANCISCO - Feb. 15, 2014 - PRLog -- Debut author Glenn Ogura displays all the skills of a veteran storyteller in his novel, STARTUP, a roller-coaster ride of a book that finds the sweet spot between the legal suspense tales of John Grisham and the science-fiction thrillers of Michael Crichton. Kirkus Reviews has hailed STARTUP as “a solid business thriller … reminiscent of John Grisham's THE FIRM.”

Comparisons of STARTUP to novels by John Grisham and Michael Crichton are not accidents. Ogura lists those bestselling authors as among his personal favorites. “I like Grisham's straightforward story lines and realistic dialogue,” he says. “I like Crichton's use of science in his thrillers and how each chapter ends in a cliffhanger.” Ogura adds that he also admires Arthur Hailey, author of the blockbuster novels WHEELS and AIRPORT “because of the way (Hailey) researched a specific industry like automotive or airline.”

STARTUP also brings Grisham and Crichton to mind for its fast-paced story and well-drawn characters, which make the novel a solid contender for adaptation into a major film.

Set in California's Silicon Valley, STARTUP follows a young idealist/entrepreneur, Zack Penny, as he strives to achieve his dream of creating a new company that will launch an international revolution in technology through the creation of wallpaper-thin displays that will completely surround a viewer. Zack works for a highly successful company called Display Technik, run by CEO Allen Henley, whose vision is based on a success-at-all-costs philosophy.  Zack sees Henley as a mentor, but Zack's philosophy favors high morals and values over Henley's ruthless, end-justifies-the-means model of doing business.

Zack's dream takes root one morning when he discovers an important paper has been taken from his office. Someone has exposed Zack's secret plan to break away from Display Technik and start his own company. Henley gives Zack another chance to pledge his loyalty to the firm, but Zack resigns instead, more determined than ever to realize his vision. Soon, the optimistic if naive Zack steps into his new facility with high hopes for success. Henley, however, has already launched a plan to destroy Zack, his company, and Zack's relationship with Henley's daughter, Mary Anne.

Ogura knows firsthand the grim territory he explores in STARTUP. Working in Silicon Valley, he would “see the events unfold in front of you,” he says. “You would see the pain on people's faces. You would hear them talking on the phone to their families about how they lost their jobs. You witness meetings of
CEOs treating employees as cattle. You could see the anguish on people's faces as they faced moral dilemmas of keeping their jobs to support their families or to take the high road and quit.”

Summing up, Ogura says that “STARTUP is a story about greed and corruption …it addresses the issue of morals and ethics in business (and in life) which are certainly controversial topics in the headlines today.”

What critics and readers are saying:

“STARTUP has all the ingredients of an epic thriller.”
Goodreads, August 19, 2013

“STARTUP is an entertaining and fast moving book. Any person who works in a company and has the ambition to start a new company will be mesmerized by this Silicon Valley book. Plenty of plot twists, fascinating characters and an unexpected ending.”
LibraryThing, November 3, 2013

“STARTUP is an intriguing and suspenseful good-versus-evil story set in the cutthroat Silicon Valley culture. STARTUP will appeal to readers who want to root for the little guy.”
ForeWord Reviews

… (an) extraordinarily well-written novel ….”
Deborah Craytor
Director of Law-Related  Education at the State Bar of Georgia

About the Author
Glenn Ogura earned a degree in electrical engineering from Queen’s University in Canada. He is currently the executive vice-president for a New Hampshire-based laser micromachining company. Glenn lives with his wife in California.  In addition to his love of writing and talking technology and the study of business ethics, he plays tennis. Startup is his first novel.For more information on the author visit his web site at www.glennogura.com

Startup
486 pages
Hardcover, $27.08; Soft cover, 22.08; E-book, $7.99
ISBN-10: 1475988567
ISBN-13: 978-1475988567
Publication date: May 20, 2013
Published by iUniverse.com

Available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, iBooks, and booksellers nationwide.