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Sabotage
A cruise ship loses power in the North Atlantic. A satellite launches in the South Pacific. Professor Malcolm Clare―celebrated aviator, entrepreneur, and aerospace engineer―disappears from Stanford University and wakes up aboard an unknown jet, minutes before the aircraft plunges into the high seas. An extortionist code-named "Viking" has seized control of a private warfare technology, pitting a U.S. defense corporation against terrorist conspirators in a bidding war. His a threat to destroy the luxury liner and its 3,000 passengers. Stanford doctoral student Austin Hardy, probing the disappearance of his professor, seeks out Malcolm Clare's daughter Victoria, an icy brunette with a secret that sweeps them to Saint Petersburg. Helped by a team of graduates on campus, they must devise Trojan horses, outfox an assassin, escape murder in Bruges, and sidestep treachery in order to unravel Viking's scheme. Failure would ensure economic armageddon in the United States. Both on U.S. soil and thousands of miles away, the story roars into action at supersonic speed. Filled with an enigmatic cast of characters, Sabotage, Matt Cook's debut novel, is a sure thrill ride for those who love the puzzles of technology, cryptology, and people.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published September 9, 2014
4 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Matt Cook
7 books12 followersMATT COOK, Ph.D. is an economist, award-winning composer, Los Angeles Times bestselling author, and executive film producer based in LA. He tells stories through writing, music, magic, and numbers. As an economist, he has worked in entertainment finance and founded a government transparency organization. Drawing from experience in over 185 countries, he enjoys infusing his musical compositions with international intrigue. As a close-up magician trained at the Magic Castle, he has performed in Hollywood and often weaves sleight of hand into his talks and lectures. For his support of the military, he was personally honored by President George W. Bush with the Presidential Call to Service Award. Matt's thrillers include Sabotage (a Los Angeles Times bestseller) and Good Little Marauder (a historical thriller); his nonfiction includes Sleight of Mind (on paradoxes), The Startup Star, and more. Book Authority named Sleight of Mind among the “Top 10 Best Books on Philosophy of Physics of All Time." Matt was educated at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of his creative work, Matt is also a divemaster and pilot of land and sea planes. Learn more at www.visitmatt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 28, 2014
Interesting premise, but completely bogged down by near-purple prose and huge info dumps. The main protagonist is written as an almost-completely perfect person, and that can get old fast.
Some samples of the writing that I found excessive: 'His gestures and animation induced a hypnotic yet enlivening effect on his audience.' 'His eyes were two black opals panning the seascape. An insatiable desire to see, to feel, to experience, could be seen in their crystalline intensity. Bronzed only slightly by the sun, the handsome face held a look of wayward independence under thick waves of dark brown hair. He was twenty-four.'
It just came down to too much telling and not enough showing. I lost interest very quickly, and even now couldn't tell you how the story turned out.
Some samples of the writing that I found excessive: 'His gestures and animation induced a hypnotic yet enlivening effect on his audience.' 'His eyes were two black opals panning the seascape. An insatiable desire to see, to feel, to experience, could be seen in their crystalline intensity. Bronzed only slightly by the sun, the handsome face held a look of wayward independence under thick waves of dark brown hair. He was twenty-four.'
It just came down to too much telling and not enough showing. I lost interest very quickly, and even now couldn't tell you how the story turned out.
October 15, 2014
Where do I start with this review? How about the beginning of the book. Here the authors descriptions of some of the main characters was reading like a dime store erotic romance novel with all of the chiseled features, bulging muscles and steely eyed gazes. So that was a downer. Then the author picks up the pace and things start moving in a positive direction. Along the way I felt a few bumps here and there where I thought I was reading an old Hardy Boys adventure. And the very ending just seemed a bit childish. I do believe the author shows promise but for a novel of this type he needs to grind off some of those soft edges.
September 18, 2014
I really wanted to like this book, but the scientific detail was truly overwhelming. My eyes glazed over so many times during the detailed descriptions of planes, bombs, weapons, etc,. that I thought I may need new glasses.
Nice premise, but not for me.
Nice premise, but not for me.
August 11, 2017
Very good story, but it could have been written better.
August 1, 2020
"Sabotage" is something I picked up on the recommendation of a friend, and which I plunged into without knowing what to expect. What I found was a first-rate technological thriller with some excellent, cinematic action and as a great surprise, a larger-than-life, principles-driven hero/heroine duo.
A professor and inventor disappears without warning, leaving his students searching for answers; that quest pulls them deeper into a plot with geopolitical ramifications; his star student Austin Hardy and the professor's daughter Victoria Clare form an uneasy partnership in digging into the puzzle, with the stakes compounding by orders of magnitude every step of the way.
Austin and Victoria - as well as Professor Clare and veteran Jacob Rove - are excellently-drawn characters who are driven by principles and intellect rather than pure brawn. The greatest strength of this book, aside from its admirable and memorable characters, is that its plot is primarily a battle of wits, though the action throughout is nonetheless cinematic and indeed often brutal.
This is a classic page-turner, a book that would make a great blockbuster film, 'cause it certainly plays that way in the mind's eye. A great read that will have you glued to the page and likely losing sleep.
A professor and inventor disappears without warning, leaving his students searching for answers; that quest pulls them deeper into a plot with geopolitical ramifications; his star student Austin Hardy and the professor's daughter Victoria Clare form an uneasy partnership in digging into the puzzle, with the stakes compounding by orders of magnitude every step of the way.
Austin and Victoria - as well as Professor Clare and veteran Jacob Rove - are excellently-drawn characters who are driven by principles and intellect rather than pure brawn. The greatest strength of this book, aside from its admirable and memorable characters, is that its plot is primarily a battle of wits, though the action throughout is nonetheless cinematic and indeed often brutal.
This is a classic page-turner, a book that would make a great blockbuster film, 'cause it certainly plays that way in the mind's eye. A great read that will have you glued to the page and likely losing sleep.
September 16, 2014
When it comes to a good techno-thriller, I’m looking for a number of key elements. Sabotage by Matt Cook does a pretty good job of ticking almost all the boxes on my extensive checklist. There are a plethora of far-flung locales, some believable tech (nothing ever feels massively outlandish or overblown) and some decent plot twists.
The characters are pretty cool and you get a sense there is room in the writing for them to move and grow. Austin Hardy is the main protagonist, but I have to admit a soft spot for the character Jake Rove. While Austin is clever and often manages to stay one step ahead of the bad guys, Rove is more about actions than words. You get the distinct impression that this is a man who has been around the block more than once and he knows how to handle himself. I’d love to learn more about him. Fingers crossed Rove becomes a fan favourite and returns again in further adventures.
Pace is also a key factor, and here is where Cook nails it. The action rattles along like an out-of-control roller coaster, and there is never a dull moment. Sabotage gets extra points for being the first thriller I’ve ever read that features a chase where one character is wearing only a pair of Speedos. I’ll be honest, that was unexpected to say the least.
My only quibble is that on a couple of occasions I found things got a bit exposition heavy. Rather than events unfolding naturally, a character would spend a handful of pages explaining what had happened. I’m not a huge fan of this approach, I like getting caught up in the centre of events. I’m firmly in favour of ‘show don’t tell’, anything else just feels wrong.
Fans of Matthew Reilly and Clive Cussler are bound to appreciate all that is on offer in this solidly entertaining escapism. Sabotage is a fine introduction to the world of Austin Hardy, and I look forward to more in the future. I’m curious to see how the eclectic bunch of characters are going to evolve and I hope this book does well enough to ensure the author gets the chance to develop this into an ongoing series. There are some nice flourishes in this debut and bucket loads of potential. If you fancy taking a chance on a new writer this could well be the book that you’re looking for.
The characters are pretty cool and you get a sense there is room in the writing for them to move and grow. Austin Hardy is the main protagonist, but I have to admit a soft spot for the character Jake Rove. While Austin is clever and often manages to stay one step ahead of the bad guys, Rove is more about actions than words. You get the distinct impression that this is a man who has been around the block more than once and he knows how to handle himself. I’d love to learn more about him. Fingers crossed Rove becomes a fan favourite and returns again in further adventures.
Pace is also a key factor, and here is where Cook nails it. The action rattles along like an out-of-control roller coaster, and there is never a dull moment. Sabotage gets extra points for being the first thriller I’ve ever read that features a chase where one character is wearing only a pair of Speedos. I’ll be honest, that was unexpected to say the least.
My only quibble is that on a couple of occasions I found things got a bit exposition heavy. Rather than events unfolding naturally, a character would spend a handful of pages explaining what had happened. I’m not a huge fan of this approach, I like getting caught up in the centre of events. I’m firmly in favour of ‘show don’t tell’, anything else just feels wrong.
Fans of Matthew Reilly and Clive Cussler are bound to appreciate all that is on offer in this solidly entertaining escapism. Sabotage is a fine introduction to the world of Austin Hardy, and I look forward to more in the future. I’m curious to see how the eclectic bunch of characters are going to evolve and I hope this book does well enough to ensure the author gets the chance to develop this into an ongoing series. There are some nice flourishes in this debut and bucket loads of potential. If you fancy taking a chance on a new writer this could well be the book that you’re looking for.
October 14, 2014
This is a debut thriller for Matt Cook, and I am definitely looking forward to additional releases. The story moved along at a good pace. Main characters were fairly well developed, including relevant back-story elements. There was an underlying sense of urgency that helped keep things moving. I enjoyed the twists at the end as the different story threads came together.
In terms of the story, there are three converging story lines that crash together in the northern Atlantic off the coast of Iceland. I thought that Rove was the most believable of the "hero" characters, and provided the most value to the story.
The characters of Victoria and Austin have a lot of potential, but perhaps things came a bit too easily for them in this story. They were definitely out of their element and thrust into a world very foreign to their experiences. I thought they coped a little too well and moved around the globe a little too smoothly. Having said that, I like them both, and would welcome additional books featuring them as they develop past doctoral studies at Stanford into the "real world" as employees of Glitmer, a secretive, product developer for the Defense Department.
The overarching threat in the book isn't earth-shattering, but it is believable, and as is often the case, involves a cool, new technology falling into the hands of terrorist organizations, or would-be profiteers/middle men.
If I could give 1/2 stars then this would rate 3 1/2. It is a book I will read again, and as mentioned, I look forward to future installments. Well done for a debut author.
Matt Cook
In terms of the story, there are three converging story lines that crash together in the northern Atlantic off the coast of Iceland. I thought that Rove was the most believable of the "hero" characters, and provided the most value to the story.
The characters of Victoria and Austin have a lot of potential, but perhaps things came a bit too easily for them in this story. They were definitely out of their element and thrust into a world very foreign to their experiences. I thought they coped a little too well and moved around the globe a little too smoothly. Having said that, I like them both, and would welcome additional books featuring them as they develop past doctoral studies at Stanford into the "real world" as employees of Glitmer, a secretive, product developer for the Defense Department.
The overarching threat in the book isn't earth-shattering, but it is believable, and as is often the case, involves a cool, new technology falling into the hands of terrorist organizations, or would-be profiteers/middle men.
If I could give 1/2 stars then this would rate 3 1/2. It is a book I will read again, and as mentioned, I look forward to future installments. Well done for a debut author.
Matt Cook
September 9, 2014
Debut author Matt Cook combines piracy on the high seas, electromagnetic pulse technology, and terrorist ambitions to form a dazzling thriller. Thrown together in a dramatic stew of a book are one kidnapped Stanford professor, his beautiful and brilliant daughter, a dashing doctoral candidate, a Special Forces veteran, a mysterious mastermind, and two Russians—one good, one bad. Despite his youth, this author really knows how to cook, bringing all these ingredients to a rolling boil.
An assured debut, SABOTAGE is a classic thriller in the fullest sense of the word. The terrorist mastermind will sell the stolen EMP technology to the highest bidder, even if it means placing horrible capability into dangerous hands. Worldwide powers are in contention, knowing their dominance is threatened.
An assured debut, SABOTAGE is a classic thriller in the fullest sense of the word. The terrorist mastermind will sell the stolen EMP technology to the highest bidder, even if it means placing horrible capability into dangerous hands. Worldwide powers are in contention, knowing their dominance is threatened.
July 29, 2014
A missing professor, a hijacked cruise ship and a stolen weapon of mass destruction are tied together through betrayal.
If you love international espionage thrillers Sabotage is one to try.
Matt Cook's first novel promises great things to come from this author.
I love how each incident weaves together for a bigger picture of what the real danger is. Each thing has it's own suspense, but when you see them weave into the tapestry that is the overall story arc of Sabotage you realize there's something bigger and more scary out there.
If you love international espionage thrillers Sabotage is one to try.
Matt Cook's first novel promises great things to come from this author.
I love how each incident weaves together for a bigger picture of what the real danger is. Each thing has it's own suspense, but when you see them weave into the tapestry that is the overall story arc of Sabotage you realize there's something bigger and more scary out there.
August 29, 2014
I won this novel in a goodreads drawing.
An excellent adventure novel.
A Stanford student is being recruited for a job when his genius mentor is kidnapped. He finds his mentor's daughter, and the two go in pursuit of the perps, which takes them all over Europe.
Meanwhile, a former military meteorologist finds himself on a cruise ship that is hijacked. He decides to do the Die Hard routine.
The two stories meet in a satisfactory manner, with a pretty good ending that sets up a series.
Quite good. I'm already anxious to read the next book in the series.
An excellent adventure novel.
A Stanford student is being recruited for a job when his genius mentor is kidnapped. He finds his mentor's daughter, and the two go in pursuit of the perps, which takes them all over Europe.
Meanwhile, a former military meteorologist finds himself on a cruise ship that is hijacked. He decides to do the Die Hard routine.
The two stories meet in a satisfactory manner, with a pretty good ending that sets up a series.
Quite good. I'm already anxious to read the next book in the series.
March 2, 2016
This book was...confusing...and yes I know that this is probably for older teenagers...believe..I could tell...but the only reason I read this is because Matt Cook is an old family friend...he's know me since I was a baby.I even got the book signed (thanks Matt!!).Anyways I am gonna read this book in the future to finally understand it.But I gotta say Austin is a very smart guy,so is Ichiro (or itchy).I like how there is a Japanese guy...since i'm into the whole anime stuff.Next time I see Matt,i'm gonna go and ask him about the book.
April 8, 2017
I won this book in a first reads giveaway.
I really enjoy the action/thriller genre, and this book didn't disappoint. For a debut novel written by a 19-year-old, this one is pretty impressive. I was especially impressed with the level of detail surrounding the underwater scenarios, but then I discovered that the author is a hobbyist scuba diver. No wonder.
I wouldn't necessarily say this novel is extraordinary, but it is very well done and I definitely enjoyed reading it.
I really enjoy the action/thriller genre, and this book didn't disappoint. For a debut novel written by a 19-year-old, this one is pretty impressive. I was especially impressed with the level of detail surrounding the underwater scenarios, but then I discovered that the author is a hobbyist scuba diver. No wonder.
I wouldn't necessarily say this novel is extraordinary, but it is very well done and I definitely enjoyed reading it.
November 2, 2014
I really like this book. I loved the characters and the storylines. I would never have guessed how the storylines would all came together. It was a fast, enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this book to my friends. As a new author Matt Cook has a gift, and I am looking forward to reading future works.
November 9, 2015
Was a struggle for me to get pass the first 2-3 chapters, but I persisted. Thereafter the going was smoother but the plot stretches one's imagination.
Hard to accept that students could suddenly be transformed into a James Bond-like operator who doesn't cringe under adversity when confronting seasoned terrorists.
Hard to accept that students could suddenly be transformed into a James Bond-like operator who doesn't cringe under adversity when confronting seasoned terrorists.
July 29, 2014
Even though I'm not usually a fan of thriller novels, this was a game changer. Sabotage is fast and exciting, and written in a way that completely sweeps you into the story. It's a book that feels thoroughly researched, and I could barely put it down.
September 6, 2015
So, read this one for one of my internships. Assignment notwithstanding, it's a poor addition to my thriller list. Too full of jargon and "lessons", an otherwise exciting plot is lost in amateurish prose.
September 5, 2014
Great Thriller about saving the world from an E.M.P Satellite weapon.
November 4, 2014
Has lots of action and well rounded characters. The forming of a special op team to come. Worth the read....
January 2, 2015
this is an action/adventure that holds your interst from beginning to end, but a couple of times the wording slowed me down, hence the 4 stars. I am looking forward to his next book.
January 11, 2015
Great freshman effort in a crowded genre! Interesting characters and story.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews