Code of Darkness

by Chris Lindberg

During a deadly hostage standoff, Chicago police officer Larry Parker witnesses a heroic act by a mysterious intervener. But when the Samaritan disappears, Larry is left only with unanswered questions. Suddenly vigilante activity begins popping up all over the city. Larry finds evidence pointing to the Samaritan, and discovers his identity – a loner known only by the name Rage. But Rage has also drawn the attention of a covert Black Ops division within the Pentagon itself. Seen as a liability to their secret operation, Larry finds himself in the crosshairs as well, and must find answers while on the run. The deadly chase leads cross-country to a top-secret military facility in Virginia, where Rage and Larry uncover the greatest danger of all -- and only they can stop the unthinkable from happening.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2011

About the author

Chris Lindberg lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and two children. Besides writing, he enjoys traveling, bicycling, running, grilling, any kind of vintage music, college football, and just about any activity with his kids. Devil in the Dark is the follow-up to his first novel, Code of Darkness.

Reviews

[Arrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME book ... I just got it the other day and could not put it down. short, fast paced chapters with changing scenes gave it the feel of an action thriller movie. it blended elements of a pure thriller with some sci-fi, superhero-like action, and even some scary Silence of the Lamb-like scenes from the primary villain. it starts off as a simple Batman-like cop-vs-vigilante story, but then mushroom-clouds into this government-blackops-cover-up-potential-terrorist-act climax that really stretches the imagination. to be honest, I was intrigued by the book jacket, but it kind of undersold the story. the main character's name threw me off a bit, but as I read on, it grew on me not only for the character, but also for the dark, brooding tone the author created for the story. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a fast-reading action thriller with a satisfying ending, especially readers who like darker themes and anti-heroes.

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code of Darkness starts with a rather simple scenario – a bank robbery – that very quickly goes wrong, only to be set right by the intervention of a mysterious stranger. If it sounds like a big budget action flick scenario, or the opening of a DC comic book, then you’re on the right track. This is a story that’s big and bold, full of big ideas, even bigger conspiracies, and the kind of sci-fi tinged action that goes just far enough so as to stretch your disbelief, without becoming cartoonish.

What sets this apart from the standard Hollywood thriller is the way in which the lines between good and evil, between hero and villain, are slightly blurred. While it’s easy to decide who to root for, it’s not always so comfortable being on their side. Good people are forced to do bad things, and bad people . . . well, it’s no surprise that there are always ulterior motives behind anything they might do.

If you’re a fan of the darker superheroes, comic book rogues like Wolverine or the Punisher, then I suspect you’ll take to Rage as well as I did. In many ways he reminded me of Jack Bauer (of TV’s 24) at his meanest and darkest, a man with the best of intentions, who honestly believes the end justifies the means. Elias Todd (aka Asset One) is definitely harder to like, coming off a career as a mercenary assassin, but you can’t help but feel for his role in the conspiracy. If all of that makes you feel a little dirty for wanting to enjoy it, Larry Parker (police officer) and Mira Givens (social worker) not only serve the reader’s perspective into events, but also as heroic palate/conscience cleansers.

Generally, I’m not a fan of the short, quick chapters, but they lend themselves well to a story like this. Instead of becoming unwelcome breaks in the narrative, they’re more like quick scene changes, giving the book that blockbuster, Hollywood feel. Having said that, the character building is fantastic (both the heroes and the villains), the government conspiracy angle is probably a bit too clever and well thought out for Hollywood, and the ending . . . well, I’d rather not spoil the ending.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

G'ahhhhh. OK, between the cops turning on the feds, the feds going after the police officers, and the military being completely evil (of course), the unlikable main character, the terrible name (RAGE? Seriously? Not one guidance counselor or social worker tried to change his name?), the ridiculous part where the police officer 'goes by his gut' and doesn't hand the woman over to the armed men, just because he had a feeling. I mean, granted, she was a good woman, but still, she could have been a trained assasin for all this guy knew. Anyway, between all that it was halfway decent. But, you know, that was about half to two-thirds of the book.
In other words, I was not impressed.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code of Darkness begins with a mysterious stranger intervening in a bank robbery with what appears to be superhuman abilities. Cop Larry can't put thoughts of the stranger aside and instinct leads him to investigate the matter further; putting the lives of not only himself but also those of his family in grave danger.

This is the debut novel from author Chris Lindberg and it's a fantastic read. It's fast paced with an overload of action spilling onto every page. This is how a thriller should be written. The 'superhuman' angle is refreshing and took a completely different direction to being just another superhero rehash. The writing is excellent and showed no sign of being anything other than from the pen of a very competent author.

Thanks to author Chris Lindberg for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

http://barnseybooks.blogspot.co.uk/20...

[Heavensent1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code Of Darkness is a Suspense Thriller.

The story surrounds three men, Rage, a wanderer and a drifter who saves the life of a cop, Larry Parker and a innocent bystander, Mira Givens, when a bank robbery goes awry. He does an incredible feat and Larry is unable to put his cop instincts aside and is intrigued with the mysterious stranger.

Elias Todd, a hired assassin with numerous kills under his belt. He has the ability to be discreet and loves to live life extravagantly. He is unaware that there are people who have a special interest in his abilities.

Colonel Nolan Hayes, Executive Special Agent to NSA and the head of Project Safeguard. Colonel Hayes is very interested in attaining assests number one and two so that he can further investigate scientific findings surrounding the genetic makeup of the two men. Colonel Hayes will stop at nothing to capture these two men and he has every resource at his disposal.

When Elias is captured, he is unaware of the circumstances around his incarceration. He is taken to a secluded, underground laboratory where unspeakable acts of science are performed upon him. Loretta Barnes, a scientist working on the project has come to the conclusion that things aren't as they appear and she begins her own investigation and the results she uncovers are beyond her scope of imagining.

Rage has befriended Mira and the two come to realize that their lives are in danger as the NSA has ordered Mira to be brainwashed and Rage to be captured. Along the way, Larry is caught up in the intrigue and his life has been forfeited for knowing too much. After his family is kidnapped, Larry and Mira team up to bring the truth to light while dodging special ops, the police and their own demons.

I thought this was a great read and was soon caught up in the mystery found within the pages. I liked the characters and found they all worked well together to bring the story alive. I liked Rage and found his inner thoughts to be a great addition to the story. I would've liked to have seen more from Elias and had a better knowledge of his inner machinations.

I was captivated by the plot, I had to know what was going on and found myself perusing the pages to get to the end. I found some of the storylines weren't tied up as good as I had hoped. I still do not know why any of them had the special abilities that they did and I was waiting for the climax and the answers to all my questions, however, it fell flat and I was left with only more to ponder.

I thought that Hayes was a decent enough antagonist but his motivation often eluded me, I know why he wanted them but not for what he wanted them for exactly. I have my own opinion but I felt that the author didn't convey the message clear enough.

I would give Code Of Darkness a three and a half stars out of five. I found it slow to pick up and a bit cliched in the beginning but then the story finds its own and you are soon caught up in the mystery surrounding the characters. I wish the reasons had been clearer as I was left with an impression that the author wasn't sure what the reason was himself or it was being set up for another installation and perhaps a series. I am unsure but I would read another book by Chris Lindberg, he has a great writing style that captivates the reader to continue to read more of his work.

[Jeannie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In real life the lines between good and evil are sometimes foggy. Movies often blur the difference between villains and victims.
This novel is like a puzzle ... you have to keep looking for the right piece if you are going to make sense of what could be a paradoxical mystery.
I personally think it is a pleasure to read books that have been well edited and well written.
I hope readers give this one a chance. I don’t think a novel has to have complicated words or language to be a good one. I think you will be able to downshift into first gear and navigate your way through the winding driveway. Switch on the light to your ebook reader. Take a sip from your glass and plunge into the “Code of Darkness”.

Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)

[Alaiel Kreuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not I only got the chance to start reading this book yesterday morning and I just finished it. My verdict: A great addition to my sci-fi collection.

We are set with Larry, a Chicago police officer that seeks answers after seeing a man doing an incredible heroic performance. Who is this guy? How and why did he do it?! After a short while other mysterious activities begin to happen and he only finds one answer to his questions: the identity of the heroic guy. His name is Rage and thanks to him his life is about to go upside down.

I'm afraid I can't really say anything more about the book without spoiling things. What I can do is tell you that the twists are 100% originals, the parts where the main characters have to run away and are chase were incredibly amazing... just so you can picture it: I was reading the book lying in my bed and when I was reading these parts I HAD to sit down. Rage's identity is one of those things that leaves your mouth hanging open for a long while and the ending is just superb.

It's been a long time since I read a sci-fi book, so when I begun Code of Darkness I was prepared to be, I'm not sure, enthralled. But it was way more than that, I was captivated and thrown into an action movie. I just love when books make me imagine a complete series of movie sequences, it makes my imagination work a lot which I simply enjoy.

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very solid first novel. It had a complex main character, and a well-thought out plot and sub-plots. What I liked best was the author lit several fuses as the story moved along, and then without warning gave the reader the payoff in rapid doses with several explosive action scenes toward the end. Some nice twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing who was good and who was bad, and an ending that was designed (I'm hoping) to set up a sequel.

[Ami Blackwelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the sample, cuz I wan't given the whole book on the book tour ...but you can read all about him and the book at http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

I thought the sample intro was excellent and left me wanting more!!!

[Kaeli · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway last year and didn’t get around to reading it until now...

The book was outlandish and Jason-Bourne-y. The plot was an ok concept, but I think it should have been approached differently - the idea of the government creating super soldiers isn’t an un-compelling idea, but it needed to provide a better and more logical sequence of events. The style of the writing also bothered me a little - there were weird spaces, wording, and details that were unnecessary or incorrect that gave the book a weird b-movie feel.

But regardless of the issues that I had with the style of the writing and the plot, I still found the book easy to read - as I was constantly looking for answers to my numerous questions (that I did not receive).

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read. Fast paced from the very beginning. I like the dark superhero theme. It didn’t take me long at all to feel hooked.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad to say but I can see this really happening.

[Arturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok book, but I’m looking forward to Lindberg’s next book

I just want to start off by saying that although I had a few problems with the book, the overarching ideas and scenes in the story were good. What was lacking for me was the execution.

First – Characters: I felt myself really wanting to connect with the characters, but I always felt there was something missing. There were just too many moments when characterizations just became a little too stereotypical and one dimensional

Example: There’s a scene where the police officer Larry Parker and his partner Gino go into the precinct lab to look over a video with the lab technician. What follows is a painfully clichéd (and almost out of character) scene. Gino, who’s generally a nice guy in the rest of the book, became the stereotypical tough guy messing with the scrawny science-y guy. The “anal retentive lab technician”, Robby Morton, was described as having “tiny, recessed eyes”, a “thin frame”, and wearing a “long lab coat as white as ever”. Aside from his description, Morton acts like the smart pretentious jerk and gives Larry Parker garbage for not being able to work the basic video controls (something basic Parker can’t figure out, although he’s fully capable of looking up information from the National Information Sharing System later on).

This is just the most glaring scene. The book is unfortunately peppered with small moments/characters that are just as formulaic (grizzled police captain called “chief”, the biologist – Dr. Loretta Barnes – who, thankfully, also just happens to be able to hack computers)

The pacing could also use some work. Most of the mystery behind this book gets revealed in two large scenes (one, following Dr. Barnes’ “hack”, involves her watching a DVD of a classified presentation that conveniently explains everything in one scene).

I don’t want to sound like I’m just bashing the book or the author. I think that Lindberg has some really great and unique ideas that really worked for me. Code of Darkness definitely had some great actions scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. Still, I think it’s very apparent that this is Mr. Lindberg’s first novel. Although my experience was mostly lukewarm, there was enough in this book to make me want to read Lindberg’s books as he develops as a writer.

Pick up the book if you want something quick to read and can look past some small defects. Otherwise, I’d wait for his second novel.

[Penroj · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this is a first novel and did I enjoy it?. Well yes, but with reservations, which I will explain.

This is a fast paced (very fast paced) thriller about DNA sequencing and its consequences, so of the difficulties I had with this book is that you do not seem to get time to catch your breath from one incident to the next one, you might think this is a good thing, but to be honest for me, I felt exhusted trying to absorb all that was happening, which brings me to the next point, which for many may be nothing at all, but for me the violence, destruction and body count put the book in like a "splatter" movie type presence (and that may well be what the author was trying to achieve), but it was not cartoonish so you could like, "laugh it off", I found it quite distubing in its depiction. As I said this may be what some readers want, but for me, it was uncomfortable at times.

So the good, I like the story and the main characters, but if there was a message about messing about with DNA and what you might regret, then it was just lost in mayhem presented. The pace for me as I said was too quick, but others may find this to their liking, you certainly will not find yourself getting bored or waiting for the next bit of action.

So in conclusion, it was not for me, but I am sure there are others out there who will find it is just their "cup of tea".

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code of Darkness is an exciting, tense and non-stop adventure. I don't normally like straight action books, but I really enjoyed this one! The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking this would make a great movie. I could even picture how the scenes would play out. The plot was well written and well thought out.

The characters were well written. Rage has special abilities and struggles with the question of using them or not. In seeking justice for the helpless, he becomes a vigilante. His actions bring him into the cross hairs of the police as well as a Black Ops team. What interest does the military have in him and what is going on inside the secret research facility? You will have to read to find out. I hate to give away too much of the plot because it would really spoil it. I never would have guessed the secret behind who Rage is and how he came to be. I had a dozen scenarios in my mind, but I didn't even come close.

I definitely recommend Code of Darkness. I was sorry when it ended. This is the debut novel for Mr. Lindberg. I see a bright future ahead of him and look forward to his next book!

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast-moving detective-like story centered in Chicago. A seemingly indestructible man becomes a vigilante wanted by the police and the Feds. The police because the vigilante is killing folks, the Feds because his blood could be used to create an Army of indestructible soldiers. Action moves from Wrigleyville to outside DC. Lots of blood, straightforward plot, little character development. What do you expect when you buy a $2.99 ebook based on a placard on the Red Line?

[Mark Messing · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I don't typically read suspense/action thrillers but this book had me interested on every page. It's just good entertainment. It was a like a combination of all my favorite action movies. It kept the plot intriguing without overcomplicating. It's action-packed and fast moving. There are unrealistic parts, but it still works very well somehow.

Rage's name bothered me a bit. My only complaint.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very confusing for me at first, but not wanting to give up, I kept reading. Once I understood what was going on the storyline was quite good and was hard to put down after that. I felt very sorry for the main character though and wished his life would have turned out better.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ended up liking this book surprising myself as frequently supernatural powers (via genetic mutation in this case) leave me bored. The interwoven story rattled at a good pace with some nice twists. I could ignore the implausibility (even with the super powers) and enjoy the ride.

[Tiffany Mullan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! I loved the way the story, plot, and characters developed. I couldn't put it down!!

[Karyn Wendling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Action packed but extremely cheesy, predictable, not thought provoking and poorly written.

[Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Action Pack!! Excellent Read!!"

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

good entertainment ..

[Glenda Bixler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great thriller!

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