Internal Threat

by Ben Sussman

You have one night to save millions of lives. But your success could take the life of your only child. What would you do?

That is the agonizing dilemma faced by Matt Weatherly, Black Ops veteran turned top cyber security expert. A ruthless killer is using his son as a pawn to destroy the state-of-the-art web of security Matt's company has spent the last seven years creating.

Racing against the clock, Matt is forced to navigate the deadly, night-cloaked streets of Los Angeles, staying one step ahead of the killer and the dogged pursuit of the police, before the deadline passes and consumes everything he loves.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2011

About the author

A Los Angeles native, Ben Sussman departed the left coast on a writing scholarship to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts, he returned to Hollywood where he held positions at Creative Artists Agency, Paramount Pictures and Disney.

Returning to his first love of writing, Ben sold the screenplay FINISHING SCHOOL to Twentieth Century Fox/New Regency and wrote on assignment for Walt Disney Pictures & Touchstone Television.

He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has me hooked. I see my progress and while I can't put it down, at the same time don't want it to end. One of the best books I have read this year.

[Heather Blackwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fast-paced and exciting book. Sussman writes beautifully and the story keeps you turning the pages.

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fast-paced exciting thriller with a plot that makes it hard to suspend disbelief but keeps you reading anyway.

[Richard Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a decent thriller and actually has some character development. I liked the main protagonists. There were also a few well done surprises in the plot-line. I did, however, think what happened to the boy was pretty unbelievable, along with the temporary and final antidote being carried around casually in some guy’s pocket. A better way to leverage the actions of the father would have helped the book be more believable. Of course, the knowledge of specific locations of all the servers by so many people was also pretty ridiculous. And, the need for such a tight time-line on the destruction of the servers doesn’t make sense. But, thrillers are inherently unbelievable so some forgiveness can be offered to the author, but only for some of the contrived bits. I appreciated the lack of gratuitous sex and the relative low amounts of cursing in the book.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not "chick lit" - but an entertaining read. Action packed from the get go. Couple of typos but nothing terribly distracting.

[Grw · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a great, fast paced cat and mouse style chase inside this book, with some great character's interacting with each other in a realistic way, with a nice premise at the bottom of it all.

So why not five stars? Simple. The author spends too long, on paragraphs if not pages, telling the back story of most of the main characters, the moment they are introduced. Okay, so this works with the preface, telling the military background of the lead, and if that were that then fine. BUt there's more, a lot more of mostly needless detail about him, and the others, that spoils the flow of the book. Most of it won't even be referenced again, and even if it is, only in such a passing way, that it didn't even need further explanation. This being especially true of the female lead's background.

However, like I said, once that is passed, the story moves along with some great twists and turns, even if there are a few points that stretch reality a touch, but never mind that as it works, and works rather well.

[girl writing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quite good thriller with the action roping you in from the beginning and keeping you turning pages through to the surprise ending. You care about what's happening to the good guys and really dislike the bad guys. I've also read Four Horsemen by the author and recommend both books to readers who like action, suspense, thrillers, mysteries.

I'm thinking this book could have used a bit more editing. In the initial description of a main character, she attended Harvard and attended a job fair on the Harvard square; towards the end of the book she's described as having attended Stanford and the job fair happened at the Standford Square (not sure there is one). There were several unfamiliar words (at least to me) that took me away from the story to the dictionary (sussed and jounced for example). Also, many sentences ended in prepositions (a lifetime of being corrected by my grade-school teacher mom has made me sensitive to that).

[Simon Jenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt is trying to get his life back on track after his wife's death but a ruthless killer has other plans. Matt's business holds the key to ensuring the plan comes together so the killer ensures Matt's son's health is in danger until the plan is carried out. Luckily Matt is a Black Ops veteran but still finds himself with very little choice other than to be a pawn in the chilling plot. He is a likeable hero, staying calm, not being afraid to do what it takes while looking out for innocent bystanders. There are a number of other key characters - Ashley, Matt's fun & flirty competitor who unwittingly finds herself in the middle of the mayhem, Detective Larsen, an old fashioned cop whose instincts serve him well and Emma, the unlikely computer geek turned heroine. The book is action packed and you have to keep reading to find out what Matt can do to save thousands of lives. There are a few crazy slightly unbelievable parts but it is a thoroughly enjoyable edge of your seat ride.

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though interesting, I did find this stretching credulity a little often. It was a little stereotypical in places, but still quite fun for all this. The prospect of a sequel was very intriguing though and I look forward to seeing where things go next, as the end sort of hits you hard.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging book.

[Beverly Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intresting

The book was so good that I could not put it down. I only wish it would have ended different.

[Judy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most enjoyable book with never ending action and good character development. I will read more of Ben Sussman's books!