One of the bright spots in the dismay about the looming effects of "the Y2K problem," with its ominous predictions of total chaos, is the existence of such technicians as Lorelei Muldoon.Lorelei wouldn't be able to function so well, however, without the talents - the genius, really - of a wild young hacker-turned-programmer, Rudy Persich. Lorelei has also gotten Rudy to teach a class in programming to an assortment of welfare recipients in order to prepare them to earn a living wage. Then an explosion in an uptown hotel takes place almost simultaneously with a strange exploding incident in one of the students' programs, and Lorelei sees a sure connection between Rudy's program and the explosion - as well as the threat of further explosions on the deadline date. It is the first sign that she is going to have something to worry about besides her clients' satisfaction.The second sign is the murder of Rudy in his East Village apartment.There are murders, police chases, and serious as well as ephemeral love affairs. And there is excitement and enjoyment for the reader, as the disparate and desperate investigators race to hold off their own Year 2000 threat. Read Less