Something to Hide - Peter Levine - 4 stars

[Robin P]

I read this book because it is about academia, and I usually enjoy academic satires and mysteries. Zach, a not-very-successful grad student in philosophy, is finally almost finished with his PhD thesis. However, when every online and paper copy of it disappears, he gets involved in a mysterious plot linked to secret societies and a Supreme Court nominee. Multiple scenes take place at Yale, Princeton, and Cornell, all of which I am familiar with, as well as on the road between all those places. The book is set in the 1990's, which means that communication has to be by landline, fax and minimal email, which adds to the challenge. There is a fair amount about a philosophical stance which could be dangerous to society. I'm not sure I really understood all that, but it didn't matter to me.