Antaeus Factor

by Joe Prentis

The Antaeus Factor is a suspense novel. Ron Cable, the son of the owner of Cable Incorporated, a company on the cutting edge of industrial automation, is trying to set up a branch office of the family firm in Rome. He soon finds himself caught up in a situation beyond his control when cyber terrorist compromise the data base in the corporation. He finds himself in a race to discover the person who has planted the virus in the system. This is a story of love, terror, and revenge.

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2011

About the author

I cannot remember a time when I was not reading. Books have always been an important part of my life, and I continue to be fascinated by the many wonderful things I discover each time I sit down in my favorite chair and open a book. When I was growing up, we moved frequently, living in cities, as well as in small towns, and on a working farm in a rural area. The sharp contrast of each of these places caused me to love and appreciate the busy and varied experience cities had to offer, but also the quiet life of being close to nature in the countryside. I was impressed early on by the vast differences between the geographic areas of the country, and the part ethnic background, social differences, and education played in the lives of people. Books about history, science, romance, mystery and suspense, have always presented an irresistible attraction to me. Writing is my way of introducing others to the things I have observed and experienced. I mostly read and write suspense novels, but cannot resist the temptation of Historical Fiction, or anything that deals with nature. I have just finished a suspense novel called ‘Innocent’ which will be out before the end of September, 2009. I am currently working on ‘The Relic,’ the second book in a series about the religious and political problems in the Middle East. I am doing research on a novel about the Colonial era.

Reviews

[Grace Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually rated this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

The Antaeus Factor is a thriller that opens with the brutal murder of Thomas Allard, which sets the pace for this tense and intricately plotted novel of cyber terrorism and physical jeopardy.
One of the things the author excels at is planting a feeling of insecurity - that no character is safe or immune to attack. I also found the details fascinating and added credibility to the plot (such as the bullet dipped in faeces to create a life-threatening infection if the gunshot wasn't immediately fatal.)
Whilst reading The Antaeus Factor I had the pleasant feeling of being in the hands of a skilled writer, fully confident in his ability to keep me enthralled and unable to guess the next plot twist. The author is particularly gifted at creating characters: not always totally likeable people but with real problems who react in a believable manner who you care just enough about to keep reading.
I can honesty say there is a never a dull moment in this book and the short, snappy chapters kept me reading to find out what happened next.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a twisted story of cyber attacks, blackmail, corporate entanglements, murder and mystery. That sounds like a lot because this intriguing novel contains a lot, all well worth the read. Beginning with the murder of Thomas Allard in Memphis and the attempted murder of Ron Cable, who also happens to be in line to take over Cable Incorporated, an industrial automation company, this thriller never stops. Lori Turner is a homicide detective investigating Thomas Allard's murder, she also has a connection with Ron Cable. Readers are going to love the twists, turns and mystery in the pages of this hard to put down book. The author does a great job keeping the long list of characters recognizable and the story line flowing.

[Ian Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I certainly did not regret my decision to purchase Antaeus Factor.
It is a skillfully constructed thriller, and at the same time it is a murder mystery, with an intricate plot and well developed characters. The action takes the reader on a whirlwind ride across the globe.
The scene is set in the first chapter with the unexplained murder of reporter Thomas Allard in Memphis. A mysterious set of events seem to be conspiring to hinder the police investigations. Ron Cable, working in Rome, Italy is approached out of the blue to replace his step father as CEO of the hugely influential company Cable Incorporated. A mysterious series of events sees Ron deported from Italy. This is just one of numerous damaging and unexplained events that seem to be plaguing Cable Incorporated and anyone with any connection to the company.
Lies, deceit, murders, computer hacking and manipulated events designed to shame and embarrass conspire to destroy Cable Corporation. Everyone appears to be working to different agendas.
Antaeus Factor is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot is first rate, scene settings and characters are cleverly constructed with a professional panache. The author has done a skilful job in creating an easy reading novel that ticks all the boxes.