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Jed Walker #3
Kill Switch
A roller-coaster terrorist thriller from Australia's answer to a post-Osama Tom Clancy.
Jed Walker has 48 hours to save the world.
'Phelan writes in swift, gritty prose . . . vivid and suspenseful, drawing you right in' – The Age
The countdown has begun ...
The world is under cyber attack. The secretive terror outfit of linked lone-wolf operatives, known as Zodiac, has activated another terrorist cell. Chaos will be unleashed at six-hour intervals, with each event more catastrophic than the last, culminating in a devastating global catastrophe within 48 hours.
The options for the hackers are endless: bring down California's telecom system; remote detonate explosives at an army base in Virginia; cause Amtrak's signals to fail; collapse air traffic control in US airspace. Consequences are unthinkable.
The US President has the power to enact the Internet Freedom Act - the 'Kill Switch'. Turning off the Net will stop the attacks, and give the CIA and the Pentagon time to track down those responsible. But it's not that simple. Fourteen people with the key to restart the Internet are missing. The US will plummet into pandemonium if electronic communications cease. The rest of the world will follow.
Jed Walker, ex CIA-operative, has thwarted Zodiac twice before. But, this time, nothing will prepare him for what he uncovers.
Walker has 48 hours, and the countdown has begun ...
PRAISE FOR JAMES PHELAN'S JED WALKER NOVELS:
'Jed Walker is right there in Reacher's rear-view mirror' - Lee Child
'vivid and suspenseful ... If you like espionage novels with plenty of grunt you can't go past it' - SMH
'Melbournian Phelan gives British thriller writer Lee Child a run for his money' - Weekend West
Jed Walker has 48 hours to save the world.
'Phelan writes in swift, gritty prose . . . vivid and suspenseful, drawing you right in' – The Age
The countdown has begun ...
The world is under cyber attack. The secretive terror outfit of linked lone-wolf operatives, known as Zodiac, has activated another terrorist cell. Chaos will be unleashed at six-hour intervals, with each event more catastrophic than the last, culminating in a devastating global catastrophe within 48 hours.
The options for the hackers are endless: bring down California's telecom system; remote detonate explosives at an army base in Virginia; cause Amtrak's signals to fail; collapse air traffic control in US airspace. Consequences are unthinkable.
The US President has the power to enact the Internet Freedom Act - the 'Kill Switch'. Turning off the Net will stop the attacks, and give the CIA and the Pentagon time to track down those responsible. But it's not that simple. Fourteen people with the key to restart the Internet are missing. The US will plummet into pandemonium if electronic communications cease. The rest of the world will follow.
Jed Walker, ex CIA-operative, has thwarted Zodiac twice before. But, this time, nothing will prepare him for what he uncovers.
Walker has 48 hours, and the countdown has begun ...
PRAISE FOR JAMES PHELAN'S JED WALKER NOVELS:
'Jed Walker is right there in Reacher's rear-view mirror' - Lee Child
'vivid and suspenseful ... If you like espionage novels with plenty of grunt you can't go past it' - SMH
'Melbournian Phelan gives British thriller writer Lee Child a run for his money' - Weekend West
432 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2015
27 people are currently reading
2627 people want to read
About the author
James Phelan
36 books257 followersJames Phelan is the award-winning author of twenty-four novels and one work of non-fiction. He first studied and worked in architecture before turning to English/Lit, working five years at The Age newspaper, obtaining an MA (Writing) and PhD (Young Adult Literature).
Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million copies in 18 months.
THE SPY (Hachette, 2013), was the first instalment in a new series of suspense thrillers with the protagonist Jed Walker, and is followed by THE HUNTED (2015), and KILL SWITCH (2015).
James is currently working on a follow-up trilogy to THE LAST THIRTEEN, more thrillers, and an illustrated middle-grade series titled GRANDPA SPIES.
James has taught writing at post-graduate level and regularly talks at schools, libraries and universities around the world. Since 2006 he has sold over 4 million copies of his books.
Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million copies in 18 months.
THE SPY (Hachette, 2013), was the first instalment in a new series of suspense thrillers with the protagonist Jed Walker, and is followed by THE HUNTED (2015), and KILL SWITCH (2015).
James is currently working on a follow-up trilogy to THE LAST THIRTEEN, more thrillers, and an illustrated middle-grade series titled GRANDPA SPIES.
James has taught writing at post-graduate level and regularly talks at schools, libraries and universities around the world. Since 2006 he has sold over 4 million copies of his books.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 21, 2016
This is the third book in the excellent Jed Walker series. On the cover Lee Child is quoted as saying "Jed Walker is right there in Reacher's rear view mirror" and for once I agree with one of these statements! Jed has a lot in common with Reacher and the book is very much in the same style.
Jed is rather a solo player and although he is working for the American Government he is a bit of a secret weapon. Of course many of the events and the politics contained in the story are outrageous but it all contributes to the excitement and the continuous action. It is also a very much 'edge of your seat' type book with the constant expectation that everything is about to go horribly, horribly wrong!
The ending left it quite clear that there is another book to follow and I look forward to reading it:)
Jed is rather a solo player and although he is working for the American Government he is a bit of a secret weapon. Of course many of the events and the politics contained in the story are outrageous but it all contributes to the excitement and the continuous action. It is also a very much 'edge of your seat' type book with the constant expectation that everything is about to go horribly, horribly wrong!
The ending left it quite clear that there is another book to follow and I look forward to reading it:)
January 6, 2016
4.5★s
Twenty minutes before his flight boarded, ex-CIA operative Jed Walker spotted the agents heading towards him – his thoughts immediately went into overdrive as he tried to work out a plan to outsmart them. But when he woke up several hours later, he realised he hadn’t succeeded. The shock at the first face he saw once the drugs wore off was immense…
Zodiac’s deadly intent was on the clock once again, and this time Jed had only thirty six hours to stop the terrorist’s attack. As he prepared to go under deep cover, unable to contact anyone especially CIA, FBI or the like, he suddenly remembered someone from his past; at least twenty years had gone by since Jed last saw this person, but he knew she could help him. But would she be prepared to listen?
Would the US President hit the Kill Switch before it was too late? Or would he deem it too catastrophic to do so? In the race against time, Jed knew people would die. The repercussions were immense – he must stop the attack before it was too late…
Once again Aussie author James Phelan has a winner with Kill Switch; third in the Jed Walker series. Intense and gripping, fast paced and chilling - I loved it. A deep psychological thriller that will make you cringe and keep you awake at night, it has everything that is great in a book. I can’t wait for the next instalment in the series. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette Australia for my copy to read and review.
Twenty minutes before his flight boarded, ex-CIA operative Jed Walker spotted the agents heading towards him – his thoughts immediately went into overdrive as he tried to work out a plan to outsmart them. But when he woke up several hours later, he realised he hadn’t succeeded. The shock at the first face he saw once the drugs wore off was immense…
Zodiac’s deadly intent was on the clock once again, and this time Jed had only thirty six hours to stop the terrorist’s attack. As he prepared to go under deep cover, unable to contact anyone especially CIA, FBI or the like, he suddenly remembered someone from his past; at least twenty years had gone by since Jed last saw this person, but he knew she could help him. But would she be prepared to listen?
Would the US President hit the Kill Switch before it was too late? Or would he deem it too catastrophic to do so? In the race against time, Jed knew people would die. The repercussions were immense – he must stop the attack before it was too late…
Once again Aussie author James Phelan has a winner with Kill Switch; third in the Jed Walker series. Intense and gripping, fast paced and chilling - I loved it. A deep psychological thriller that will make you cringe and keep you awake at night, it has everything that is great in a book. I can’t wait for the next instalment in the series. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette Australia for my copy to read and review.
October 1, 2020
This book could have been so much better even with the central proposition being that the president of the US could order the internet to be shut down, like that could happen! The main problem I found with this book is the characters were just wooden puppets to me. The author failed to bring the characters alive for me the reader. There was little or no back ground on the main characters, and as for character development during the story I think the author must have had a week off writer school the week that subject was taught. It wouldn't have taken that much more to bring this book to at least 4 stars. It had all the right ingredients, an action hero, the world in peril with only 36 hours to stop this meltdown. The hero having to go off grid to stop this happening whilst evading not only the forces of law and order but the bad guys as well. With this sort of combination the central proposition can be forgiven as the reader would be page turning as fast as the car chases. Pity someone forgot to tell the author that the people in stories have to be believable and credible. I only finished it to give an honest opinion and to see if it redeem itself by the end, it did not. Interestingly on the front cover of the book there is a quote "Jed Walker is right there in Reacher's rear-view mirror, Lee Child". If Lee Child said that he must of been reading a very different book to me.
December 3, 2015
Another Jed Walker thriller, this one follows on from "The Hunted", but can easily be read as a standalone. A fast paced, action packed spy thriller, this has a well conceived plot with Jed in a race against time to circumvent the next threat in the Zodiac crimes. This one deals with cyber-terrorism, with the perpetrators wanting the US President to switch the internet off, in order to throw the world into chaos.
June 22, 2018
I've never read the other 'Jed Walker' books as I picked this up in the sale, but I know for sure that after reading that I'll be ordering the others! An excellent read, easily comparable to Jack Reacher or Will Robie.
April 27, 2020
This time around the attack is a cyber attack and Jed Walker is put on the trail by his father. Of course the trail is a different one to what everyone else is taking and at times one wonders how this could lead to anything. It just makes for a bit of a drawn out story line with a lot of disconnected events. It only leads anywhere because people do stupid things, when normal channels could have got to the point much quicker.
This starts where the previous book in the series ended and the next book will start where this one ended. The series in essence is just one large book.
Entertaining but only to a point.
This starts where the previous book in the series ended and the next book will start where this one ended. The series in essence is just one large book.
Entertaining but only to a point.
October 21, 2025
This series just keeps getting better with each book after each brilliant book.
Jed Walker goes from being the hunter to the hunted as he comes up against black ops teams in this outstanding action thriller which has twists and turns and the best ending to a story I've read yet. James Phelan is a master in the espionage genre, actually he is a master storyteller full stop. And easily equal to any of the top 10 selling authors today or any of these authors who are amongst my favourites. Archer, Banner, Blade, Bruins & Olson, Child, Cussler, Deaver, Dempsey, Eisler, Flynn, Holden, Kasper, King, Koontz, Mars, La Plante, Thor and Vogel.
Jed Walker goes from being the hunter to the hunted as he comes up against black ops teams in this outstanding action thriller which has twists and turns and the best ending to a story I've read yet. James Phelan is a master in the espionage genre, actually he is a master storyteller full stop. And easily equal to any of the top 10 selling authors today or any of these authors who are amongst my favourites. Archer, Banner, Blade, Bruins & Olson, Child, Cussler, Deaver, Dempsey, Eisler, Flynn, Holden, Kasper, King, Koontz, Mars, La Plante, Thor and Vogel.
June 22, 2023
Not so much action
A very interesting book, lots of complexity to it, the whole threat this time being of a less violent nature
Jed basically gets it all wrong, but still manages to work it out in the end.
Little action compared to the previous 2 books, although there is still small amounts through the book and the big finale
Be interesting to see how the whole thing finishes in 2 more books, given there are still 9 more attacks pending
A very interesting book, lots of complexity to it, the whole threat this time being of a less violent nature
Jed basically gets it all wrong, but still manages to work it out in the end.
Little action compared to the previous 2 books, although there is still small amounts through the book and the big finale
Be interesting to see how the whole thing finishes in 2 more books, given there are still 9 more attacks pending
March 10, 2019
I tried hard. Really hard. In fact 94% but just couldn’t make it to the end. Tightly written and the style is good. There are long passages of inertia but the action moves well when the plot demands. I didn’t really warm to Jed and in the end, sadly, I didn’t really care if he saved the world or not. Jasper shutting off the internet? Really? Nah! I left it hanging...
October 1, 2018
Good adventure yarn with couple of twist which you could sort of see coming but not quite sure. Story was a little muddled at times but overall one I enjoyed to the end. Again listened to the audiobook and I think that made it more enjoyable.
August 20, 2020
There is a quote on the front of this book from Lee Child saying 'Jed Walker is right there in Reacher's rear view mirror'
Well while this book is fairly enjoyable i think Meatloaf explains that quote the best with his song 'Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are'
Well while this book is fairly enjoyable i think Meatloaf explains that quote the best with his song 'Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are'
April 26, 2024
‘By the way, I'm not some gluten-free-organic flavoured-air-eating hipster.' What are you even saying. This was pretty bad not gonna lie, clearly trying to be Jack Reacher but just not landing right at all, cringe as hell.
March 4, 2019
A very good read, really liking this series, highly recommend
April 17, 2019
This was an audible book. Not the greatest.
May 5, 2019
A man fights cyber terrorists.
The basic idea for this book was a bit silly and the characters all came across as stereotypes.
Reading time six hours.
The basic idea for this book was a bit silly and the characters all came across as stereotypes.
Reading time six hours.
November 15, 2019
One man can do all that? ... Just think what could be achieved if there were two like him.
August 8, 2016
Jed Walker is quickly joining the ranks of tough guys I want to read about. Excellent story and great characters
February 12, 2017
Another outstanding thriller from James Phelan! I love the Jed Walker books and I can't wait to read the next one.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews