Encrypted

Robin Hood Hacker #1

by Carolyn McCray

They call her the Robin Hood Hacker, the elusive computer genius notorious for raiding corporate coffers and diverting millions to charitable organizations. No one can catch her—not the police, not the CIA, not even the FBI taskforce led by Special Agent Zachary Hunt, a man who has made it his life’s mission to hunt her down. Their cat-and-mouse game has become an obsession, a race for supremacy in the cyberbattle between chaos and order.

But the hunted suddenly becomes the hunter when the Hacker learns that an ancient secret society is plotting to unleash a weaponized strain of the Black Plague upon the world. She knows she must stop them—but she can’t do it alone. So she turns to the only man who has the resources and strength to face off against a power-mad cult: Zachary Hunt. Together they race to halt the spread of a plague that could decimate mankind. They cannot fail. Because if they do…the dead will be the lucky ones.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Adventure, Science Fiction, Mystery Thriller

Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2012

About the author

This is a pen name of Goodreads author Cristyn West.

Reviews

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was it far fetched? Definitely. Completely crazy? Without doubt.
But the most important question to me when it comes to books is: "Was it entertaining?". And in this case the answer to that would be: "Hell, yeah".
This book is far from being perfect, but it doesn't aim to be. It doesn't want to be the book that makes you reflect on the purpose or deep meanings of life, it wants to bring you along in an adventure with unlikely scenarios, semi-impossible (if not downright so) tech-gadgets and a refreshing cast of characters who are very good company. And that it does to perfection.
When the description of events shifts among the different characters, many authors usually end up just giving the readers a headache, but here Carolyn McCray actually manage to pull it through. It's easy after just a couple of chapter to guess the various characters voices and distinguish them...that's not an easy feat.
What I've kind of missed, after having read the prequel story, was the presence of Warp. I really liked the double personality FBI tech-expert and I was a bit disappointed when he didn't have much of an impact in the first book of the serie and I hope he'll come back stronger in later episodes.
To conclude, if you're looking for a fun romp in the techno-thriller genre with no-stop adventure, lighthearted humorism and a tiny speck of romance give this book a try. It will most likely not disappoint you.

[Mimi Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say bout this book to do it justice except for WOW! How about - an action-packed, techno thriller with larger than life characters and great dialogue. I read late into the night and then woke up early this morning to finish this story and I don't do that very often. It's just that kind of book.
About the characters - loved them. Wanted to be Ronnie, fell in love with Zach and Quirk? Well every girl should have a Quirk.
Talk about being entertained? There was never a dull moment. Between outrageously high-end electronic devices to world domination and a scourge of the plague, it was explosive. And I mean that in more ways than one. Ms. McCray's books should be made into motion pictures and shown on the big screen. She writes a BIG book.

[Dennis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to bash on a book, but this one took the strength right out of me. To me the book had ADD, was all over the place, tough to catch onto and even get my hooks into it. It took me a lot longer to finish then it should have.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspend belief all ye who enter here. If you can do that, you will be entertained. It's one of those you pick up when your day has been to hard to read something you need or want to focus on and you just want to get on the train to sleepy town.

[Bryan Cacciatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an old school hacker, the premise of this book stood out to me -- and didn't disappoint. It started off in the heat of action and the hunt of the Robin Hood Hacker while she stole over 3 billion dollars, and the action barely died down throughout the rest of the book. The descriptions of the scenes and toys used were excellent and I was really able to visualize everything that was going on; even the more fantastical toys and hacks were detailed in such a way that it all could be real. It was really hard to put this book down and made my reading sessions much longer than usual with "just one more chapter" being said to myself quite a bit. I am not one for love stories, but the way that it played into this book really helped push the story and action along and definitely didn't hamper the experience.

The only reason I didn't give the book a perfect score was what I believe to be just a brief amount of research that went into the book. On the tech side, it was not bad at pulling theories and putting them into action. On the disease control side it was less believable. Even with all the seemingly impossible hacks and situations that were survived, it was still the medical aspects that were more fantastical.

That being said, overall it is a stellar book! With non-stop action and adventure and enough plot twists to keep you guessing, Encrypted comes highly recommended by me to anyone that likes anything fast paced. You don't need to be geeky to understand any of the tech stuff which is an added bonus for most people as well.

[Nancy Steinle gummel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encrypted by Carolyn McCray is a fascinating story. This thriller keeps you turning pages as quickly as you can. I kept wanting to jump ahead so I could see what happens. This story involves Ronnie, the Robin Hood Hacker. She robs from the rich and makes donations to charities, keeping a certain percentage for herself and her partner Quirk. Zach is the FBI agent trying to capture her. Zach has a near miss in El Paso, Texas. Zach has been secretly communicating with Ronnie on a special ipod phone. After the near miss, she calls him as he's exercising and they agree to meet in Mexico. Meanwhile, in the story there is the Secret Hand spreading the black plague. It's a man made disaster. Lino, the Hand we know in this story is the spreader. he's spread it thru Europe. Lino keeps his hands moist wth the active disease spreading on the railings and escalators on baggage handler's and as he boards the plane to NYC, he spreads it on the overhead baggage compartments. Researchers on Plum Island are looking into it but they are effected with the plague as well. There is a hand within their midst. How do these different story lines fall together? Read on for yourself for a delicious story.

[Randall · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author apparently once saw a Radio Shack ad and decided to use all of the technical expertise she gleaned from it to write a techno-thriller. Luckily, she has taken the time to occasionally glance at the pictures in USA Today to lay a realistic foundation upon which to paint every variant of every stereotype she can muster. The medical story could have been interesting, but the promiscuous inclusivity of all inanity great and small is self-destructive. If one examined a list of best selling genres, wrote a tired novella in each style, and then randomly laced them up in one book, this would be the result. The extreme care put into this work is nicely demonstrated at location 3604 when the FBI protagonist finds out that following his peculiar moral compass has hurt his career: "They've declared you rouge, Zack. They have shoot-on-sight permission." Bravo!

[Douglas Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

First paragraph, "The archaic symbol glowed red, and then flared gold across Ronnie’s ultra-high-resolution LCD screen. “Damn it, people,” she muttered. “I’m a little busy here. Could you spam me later?” Each stroke of the brilliant script was crafted in a masterful flourish. Calligraphy. While the illuminated writing might possibly have been the most beautiful art Ronnie had ever seen, the symbols blocked her from making the third largest unauthorized-funds transfer in history. Others might call her task thievery. Ronnie liked to think of it as “wealth redistribution in action.”"

McCray, Carolyn (2012-02-26). Encrypted: An Action-Packed Techno-Thriller (Kindle Locations 171-176). Off Our Meds MultiMedia. Kindle Edition.

[J.F. Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant read. Fast-paced, well plotted thriller that keeps you turning the page. The bubonic plague is back in a weaponized version that is spreading fast, killing millions worldwide as a secret organization, the Hidden Hand, try to rewrite the history of the world. Fantastic hackers Ronnie and Quirk stumble upon a code in an angelic language that could help save the world, but they are also wanted criminals pursued by the FBI led by agent, Zachary Hunt. The relationship between Ronnie and Zach is an added excitement in the book as the escalating disaster has the strange team pursuing art works across America in an attempt to find a cure.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story kept my attention for about 90% of the book (off and on, throughout). If you want a realistic fiction, forget this book - the author takes too many liberties with things just falling into place (a big climax where there seems no way out, and then suddenly WOW, there's a chopper ready for them to make their escape with). The technology described is like MacGyver meets Men in Black's armament. Overall I really liked this book. 4 out of 5 stars, the 5th being taken away for poor grammar every now and again, and for the cheesy (if not miraculous) solutions to the climaxes in the hero's story-line.

[Rosario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impossible plot, too-good-to-be-true characters and feats, far fetched and with too many ups and downs in the story .... and, yet, I couldn't put it down. As it is, I read it for work reasons, i.e. didn't expect to like it, but for all its 'faults', I did. I particularly found Quirk (who truly stands up to his name) interesting ---as is also the case with Amanda's assistant, Jennifer. Quirk is quirky indeed plus funny, witty, and smart even if somewhat cliched in his gayness. I will definitely read the sequel, and I do hope it doesn't disappoint!

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.

It was like a train-wreck; but I couldn't stop and look away.

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is hard to review, I mean, the story was entertaining and the pace of the book was very good, but only if you forget facts and reason, which is not that hard, usually, you just have to go with the flow. I mean, the "medical info" is passable, it's not really accurate, as far as I can see, and I know people in that field wouldn't like it, but it's not that bad, overall. The hacker part, it has a few things that made me think "seriously?!", but again, it's better than others I have seen/read. The sci-fi kind of weapons, some at least are based in good theories, even if they are not exactly possible as they are shown in the book. But the part that bothered me the most, was the depiction of Mexico, I mean, while they are traveling through Ciudad Juarez they are delayed by a goat cart, REALLY!?? Does the author really think that all civilization ends as soon as they cross the border? That's so ignorant and offensive that I don't even know what to say, not to mention that one of the first scenes fell apart COMPLETELY because of the lack of understanding of Mexico, I mean you have Zach, the FBI agent following the hacker on May 5, and they are saying how the people are celebrating and about the fireworks and stuff, and I almost believed it, since they were supposed to be in USA, but then they reveal that the hacker was actually in Mexico city, and that's when it fell apart, because 5 de Mayo IS NOT CELEBRATED IN MEXICO, at least not like in the USA, there is definetely no fireworks nor street parties. So, when one of the first scenes proves to be completely inaccurate, it tends to sour the rest of the book. Couldn't she had done a quick google search? That would have helped so much, basic research is not that difficult.

I liked the previous short story, and if you ignore all the inaccuracies and stereotypes, it's quite entertaining, so I kept reading it, and I almost, almost enjoyed it (I was still mad at the fact that she thinks Mexicans are still driving carts... pulled by goats).

It turns out that after their first almost meeting, during Hacked, the main characters, Ronnie and Zach started a secret and clandestine relationship, with Zach trying to convince her to turn herself in, and she trying to convince him that she was really doing a good thing, taking from the bad to give to the poor. So, after another successful job for the Robin Hood Hacker, and another failed attempt to catch her from the FBI agent, they finally decided to cross to Mexico, to neutral ground, so they could meet in person. They are both very excited for the meeting, but by the time Ronnie arrives, Zach is no longer there, she thinks he didn't show up, but in reality the FBI and CIA discovered he had a secret relationship with Ronnie and intend to use him as bait to get her, since they need her help with some encrypted scripts they need to stop the plague.

Ronnie is first heartbroken, but when she finds out Zach was kidnapped, she goes to rescue him, and after that they start running away, not only from the government, but from the Hidden Hand, a secret society that is trying to kill most of the population, using the plague, so they can rebuild the world as they like. So with the help of a rogue agent from The Hidden Hand they start burning famous paints that hide secret clues that Ronnie can use to decode the encryption, and with that they find where they are hiding the vaccine, and then, they go to a CDC place, where Quirk, Ronnie's partner, has a friend. So they give the cure to them so they can mass produce it and save the world. But since they need to go after the rest of the people from the secret society, they make it look like Zach tried to arrest Ronnie so he can go back to work with the government.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

⎯» Rating: 4 Stars
⎯» Genre: Action and Adventure, Sci-Fi, Romance
⎯» POV: Third-Person Omnipresent

❥

“When it came down to it, they were bringing a boomerang and a didgeridoo to a gunfight.”

❥

Despite the grim subject matter, this story was an extremely enjoyable read. McCray created a diverse cast of characters that just leapt off the page. I loved each and every single one of this story's protagonists—and there were quite a few. The antagonist inspired my loathing—which is a complement—and we’ve barely even scratched the surface in terms of their power.

This story could definitely stand on its own, so the fact that it’s only the first in a trilogy...well, let’s just say I’m anxious to find out how McCray manages to one up the apocalypse.

❥

“In Buffy’s immortal words, ‘Love, man, it makes you do the wacky.’”

❥

⎯» Labels:

•HFN
•Humor
•Disaster-Thriller
•Techno-Thriller
•Romantic-Thriller
•Hard Sci-Fi

Tropes:

•Apocalyptic-Cult/Secret-Society Acting On Behalf of “God”
•Biological Warfare (Black Death)
•Protagonist(s) Must Prevent Apocalypse
•Protagonist(s) Search for Vaccine
•Futuristic Technology
•“Laws Won’t Save the Day” (H and h must work outside the law to complete mission)
•“Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” (enemy infiltrated the government)
•“National Treasure” Hunt
•Ancient-Uncrackable Code
•Battle Couple
•Long Distance Relationship
•Secret Relationship
•Love Across Battlines (Criminal Heroine & FBI Agent Hero)
•Hero’s Job to Arrest Heroine

Character Archetypes:

•Man in Uniform—Hero is FBI (Zach)
•Robin Hood—Heroine steals from the wealthy and gives to the poor using her skills as a hacker (Ronnie)
•Good-Guy Outlaws—Do the “wrong thing” for the “right reason” (Ronnie, Quirk)
•Reluctant Leader—They’re the only one with the knowledge/experience to save the day, but they hate the spotlight/pressure (Amanda)
•MVP Assistant/Sidekick—If it weren’t for the assistant, the boss wouldn’t have been able to save the day (Quirk, Jennifer)

⎯» Triggers:
•Mass Death
•Torture
•Biowarfare

[Cynthia Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I was not sure I would. It moves pretty fast from the start. My only real complaint was that in some places the relationship between the two main characters got a bit over the top silly but it's fiction and I did like them so I won't take a star for it.

The plot is an interesting one and a bit scary in its plausibility. In the world we live in this is a scenario that is too possible for comfort. So that gave it a weight that required a lot of humor to lighten up. That too is delivered deftly. The main characters were all likable and quirky and made me laugh more than once.

There is a lot of fantastical tech and I love tech so it appealed to me. I don't know if any of it is real but it made for a good read. I found myself waiting to see what would explode next. It was always worth it.

Just as a side note, I truly expected a gratuitous sex scene, you know the kind with all those detailed instructions on how it is done. I was thrilled when that didn't happen. The romance was just enough to keep me interested in the relationship without making me sick to my stomach and not detracting from the excitement of the story.

I'm going to look for the second in the series just to see if the interest can be maintained.

[Pink Pigeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly diverse writer!

I was bored, came across 13 pieces of silver and that was it. I became a big fan. I finished that first book in less than 2 days , I think. I immediately looked for another McCray book. i was in a different zone until that series released me. I went on to read McCray’s romances, horrors, sci-fis and high tech adventures with all the fantastic gismos that blow up, breakneck car races along foreign streets, and of course, race against religious fanatics. I am ever so respectful of McCray’s talents as a writer. She is so versatile; her stories are fast-paced, her characters quirky and brilliant and what never-ending twists and turns in the story lines, all somehow logically come together at the end to reveal a cleverly woven story. There is not a single McCray story that I would not recommend.

[Hemant Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine Lara Croft and give her computer hacking skills. And also give her a FBI agent lover with whom, unfortunately, she can only play a game of cat and mouse since they are both on different sides of the law.

The book is essentially an action thriller with a lot of interesting electronic gadgetry supporting james Bond like escapades and hacks.

The background story is that of a vicious group trying to spread the black plague once again to wipe out majority of the human population.

While there are lots of things in the story/plot that dont make sense, it is a nice action thriller read.

[Is · Rating 1 out of 5]

Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van Damme can't wait for it to be made into a movie.
Meet Djingis Khan, a modern day hacker, an FBI agent, a gay sidekick, throw in a bunch of religious priest ninjas ( sadly that's a quote ), some angels, the CDC, templar secret symbols a couple of immortals and what else might have been hidden in the second part of the book the author might have read or heard about, mix, stir or shake it and pay special attention to make sure none of it makes sense or is anywhere near plausible et voilà, Encrypted is made.
DNF half way trough and wish I'd stopped sooner.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts out well and goes down hill quickly. The premise that someone wants to spread disease over the world is plausible. The method of stopping is absurd. Destroying paintings, constant escape and running from place to place gets boring quickly. Macgyver solutions for everything. Nothing more from this Author for me.

[David Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action -packed

Was a fun and exciting book to read. Had a decent store line. Just enough action and thrills. The characters were well written and fairly believable. Over all worth the price.

[Lee Thames · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's been a while since I gave something 2-stars.

Frankly, this is a formula series that I will not complete. Potentially a good beach read

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so . Shelley MA

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, Easy Read

As title says. Wasn't a full on page turner but was still very good. Some grammet blips ut nothing major. Will likely continue series.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encrypted

Encrypted: An Action-Pacted Techno-Thriller by Carolyn McCray is just that! Keeps you turning the pages for more. Full of 'quirk'y going-ons and gadgetry.

[Richard R., Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining but too far-fetched to be a good techno-thriller.

[Carolyn Okum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! It was hard to put this book down. The characters jump off the pages and the gadgets were crazy! I am ready to read the next book in the series.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

gripping, non-stop action

There's hardly a breath between one life-or-death situation and the next. Hold on to your butts--you have no idea what's just around the corner!

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

This book was action packed from the beginning. You never know what's coming next and you won't want to put it down! I would definitely recommend this book for that action/suspense readers

[Rae Sontheyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Hackers, Espionage and Freakin Bubonic Plague!

This book freakin rocked from beginning to end! To say this book was a page turner or should I say ebook swiping story filled with, "OMG how are they going to survive this mess now?!" kind of a events somehow feels like an understatement. Seriously, had I known what awaited me within this book, I'd have read this story waaaay sooner. Because wow, the story was gripping with suspense and mystery, yet funny but serious too with a hint of romance woven through. The story literally had it all and that made it one of the best books I've read in while.

The Robin Hood Hacker, listed as one of the top ten in the FBI's most wanted. None have seen her as she continues to evade the Feds, taking money from large corporations, leaving behind only her famous tag line 'Better Luck Next Time!' However, there is one weakness the great Robin Hood hacker named Ronnie has, his name is Special FBI Agent Zach Hunt, who is tasked with finding her and bringing her in, if he can find her that is. Meanwhile, the world is about to be shaken by a sinister plot that was started centuries prior, by a secret society called the Hidden Hand. The plague is unleashed as a means of cleansing the earth on behalf of God's will and all of mankind is at risk. The Hacker world and the real world collide when Ronnie is sent the angelic code which the Hidden Hand uses to communicate. Ronnie goes from most wanted to most needed as humanities time dwindles down to relying on Ronnie and her crews skills being able to find a cure.

Overall, amazing book! Carolyn McCray definitely has a new fan right here. The story was a continuous swipe after swipe of my ebook, because I just HAD to know if Ronnie was going to pull it off with the help of Quirk, his pilot, Zach and the other notable characters. Seriously this book felt like World War Z meets Mission Impossible with a little RomCom here and there added to lighten the dire mood. Though the book is long don't be deterred by it's length, because the story is worth the time and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

------Read more of my reviews at: http://heyitwasfree.blogspot.com/------

[Keith Gelderloos]

Encrypted
Review by: Keith Gelderloos
Imagine a cross between James Bond, a 90’s hacker show, and a third graders grammar. That would be Carolyn McCray’s, Encrypted, a techno-thriller that somehow jammed cults, the plague, an overly gooey romance, and the FBI into a mildly entertaining novel.
On a trip to Tijuana to visit his cousin's bachelor party and to see his hacker girlfriend, Agent Zachary Hunt is kidnapped by his own government. When his girlfriend, Ronnie, the world famous robin hood hacker, hears of this, she immediately launches an insane rescue attempt. After a harrowing escape, the two, along with Ronnie's flamboyant assistant, Quirk, and the pilot that they hired for the rescue, discover an ancient cult bent on bringing back the dark ages with a devastating strain of the bubonic plague.
This discovery launches them into a gripping adventure through Elvis’s house, The Met, and other interesting locations across the U.S.. The novel is told in first person from a number of different characters. Their adventure is a gripping tale with romance, sorrow, and some well written humor.
Although it was far fetched and completely crazy, it did do what books are meant to do. And that’s being entertaining as hell. Although the book is far from perfect, having countless spelling errors and incorrect grammar, it was gripping from cover to cover and well worth my time.
Carolyn McCray did a fantastic job of portraying the characters in a way that could make you think it was real. Each one had it’s own specific personality and voice that was well established within the first few chapters of the book. It felt like they were all in the same room with you.
All in all, though the book had it’s problems, I did enjoy it and think that it’s perfect for a rainy day. I encourage you to give this page turner a try, cause it might just be a little fun.