Surveillance

Ghost Targets #1

by Aaron Pogue

Janeane Linson is dead, and every detail of her murder has been erased.

We abandoned privacy and turned databases into something like gods. They listened to our prayers. They met our needs and blessed us with new riches. They watched over us, protected us, and punished the wicked among us. We almost made a paradise.
But there were those who tried to hide from the databases’ all-seeing eye. They used their wealth or power or intellect to turn themselves into ghosts within the endless archive. For years these ghosts have used their anonymity to perpetrate atrocious crimes and slip away unscathed. And now someone among them may go further still. Someone wants to bring the system down.
The only thing that stands in his way is the FBI's understaffed and overwhelmed Ghost Targets section. The agent on the case is their newest rookie, Special Agent Katie Pratt, and she's in over her head. The first day on the job gives her an unsolvable murder that ultimately leads her to the greatest threat these gods have ever seen. Can one desperate woman prevent the downfall of her entire society?
Previously published as Gods Tomorrow. Surveillance is the first book in the Ghost Targets series. Approximately 70,000 words.

Genres: Science Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Dystopia, Ebooks, Suspense

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2010

About the author

Aaron Pogue is a husband and a father of two who lives in Oklahoma City, OK. Aaron started writing at the age of ten. His first novels were high fantasy set in the rich world of the FirstKing, but he's explored mainstream thrillers, urban fantasy, and several kinds of science fiction. Author of the Dragonprince's Legacy, the Godlanders War, and the Ghost Targets series, Aaron Pogue has sold a quarter of a million books since his debut in 2010.

Aaron has been a Technical Writer with the Federal Aviation Administration and a writing professor at the university level. He holds a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Oklahoma. He also serves as the President of Draft2Digital, an ebook formatting, conversion, and distribution service that he helped found in 2012.

For more news, information, and updates, visit AaronPogue.com.

Reviews

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning is a bit slow and the only reason I understand most of the technical jargon because my husband is in software development. However, the characters drive the plot forward, and by at least a quarter of a way through the book, I was devouring every page to find out what happened next. It is really well written, and his setting is definitely plausible. I can see his future becoming our future very soon. All in all, great read!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The universe that Pogue has created is an intriguing one, and, like the show BLACK MIRROR, forces us to question how much we might be giving up on one side (privacy) in order to have gains on another (convenience, security). I enjoyed the intrigue, the mystery, the twists, and the technology and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Carlos Velez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm partway through this book on my second read. I'll write a full review afterwards, but right now I just want to say a bit about how the author handled blending a rich and fascinating sci-fi world with the easy read of a fast-paced thriller. Don't worry, no spoilers here.

Aaron Pogue's unique, near-future sci-fi world inspires you to want to know more about it. Usually, fantasy and sci-fi authors with this sort of fascinating setting spend a lot of time telling about it to get their readers fully drawn in. That's why trilogies are the standard format for these authors of other-worldly fiction.

What's unique and impressive about Gods Tomorrow is that the author tells a fast-paced, easy-read mystery/thriller in an efficient 200 pages and drops enough tantalizing bits of information about this exciting (and thought-provokingly realistic) near-future world of ours to make you hungry for more but always making sure you've got enough to understand the context of the story and the impact that the setting has on the characters. He does it subtly, and uses the movement of the plot to tell you what you need to know through dialog and character's actions.

It's a masterfully-written novel from a first-time published author, and it's the first in a promising series to come. You can read the first few chapters right here on Goodreads for free by clicking this link.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a free book from BookBub, but it really needed a clearer intro to explain how everyone's lives were being recorded, and it seemed to skirt the file storage and ethical issues of recording everyone. Helps if you know something about computer tech but also helps if you don't think too deeply along the lines of how only the writers of this code are the ones able to hack it!!

[Scribblegirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a smart woman, the main character is amazingly stupid, naive and idiotic. The technobabble frequently made no sense and was badly described/explained. Figured out the bad guy about halfway through. Not a terrible read, but could have been a lot better.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, fast paced crime technothriller. Looking forward to reading the other books inthe series.

[Gary Sedivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly well done novel of the future. The concept is ‘nothing can be hidden from...’ A large corporation (sort of like Google, Amazon, or Facebook) gathers information on EVERYONE. This is done by ubiquitous cameras, listening devices, etc. All transactions, conversations, purchases, readings, videos, are recorded. Everything you say or do is kept in a massive database. The police are using this data to convict criminals (witnesses and juries aren’t really necessary).
The problem is: someone has figured out how to effectively erase their presence on the data base. Crimes are being committed without the FBI being able to see or hear who is doing it - in essence ghosts are doing the deeds. The FBI has a special division solving the ghost crimes. A new wrinkle pops up that must be solved or the whole jurisprudence system collapses because the data can no longer be trusted.
The story is pretty well done, with just couple of discontinuities that make statements made earlier odd. These are not off-putting enough to ruin the tale.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In our real world, people and companies large and small are preparing to implement and profit from 5G wireless and the internet of things. The author's future is a short reach beyond that coming day of ubiquitous sensors and the currently existing repositories of individuals' data and online tracking information. The concept of digital ghosts in that environment is novel and all too plausible. Well done! I must get the remaining books in this series.

[Paul Reichman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm all out of superlatives

I was so impressed by this book every bit of it is is not only possible but probable in today's age of surveillance and big data.

I can't wait to read more and I do have to make one comparison this guy's grasp of technology is right up there with another one of my favorite technology and sci-fi authors, Cory Doctorow. And I think that is a big compliment. Pay attention to this author he is going to go far

[Mike McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very decent look at where we might end up

I like smart writing and this book is a very decent example of it.

In addition to a world that's recognised as a potential reality by most people who understand the field and a likeable main character, we have a plotline which stands up to scrutiny well and which moves along at a decent clip, always moving the scenes along at a pace that feels about right.

I'll definitely be checking the others in the series.

[Garrett Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little to technical for me to appreciate

I had a hard time with the story line Because of the technical aspects of the story and I just couldn't truly enjoyed it

[Cynthia Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weak ending. Interesting concept.

[James Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting tale

Aaron has developed a unique and powerful plot to go with a group of interesting and intriguing characters to produce a story hard to put down.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

FBI surve

A thriller on the surveillance system, a team that creating a surveillance system to help FBI. But here the team was divided and being hunted.

[David Pospisil · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent tech thriller.
Good characters with a satisfying ending.
I will continue the series.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!

[Brian Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie Pratt is new into this game of preventing crime or tracing crimes through a big brother surveillance system which monitors everything, both visually and vocally. She has been enlisted in the ghost Squad. But all is not as it seems and she is given the murder of Jeanne to solve and finds that there are problems in the system.She does go on to solve the murder but the way and means she does it makes for an entertaining story albeit a bit technical at times. Worth reading

[Josh Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This holds the distinction of being the first book I ever read on my Kindle. But enough about me.

Basic plot (spoiler free!): Katie Pratt is a recently hired FBI Agent, and newest members of a unit called Ghost Targets. In the futuristic world the author creates, a super-advanced surveillance system called Hathor watches the entire world. Originally designed to just function as something not so different from our favorite apps on our smartphones today, within years it became so good at watching everyone on the planet, that it could basically stop all crime, or at least make it impossible to get away with. As a result, traditional police work becomes an anachronism. The only exception, of course, is Ghost Targets. They seek out people that have found a way to avoid being tracked by Hathor, who are called ghosts.

A random secretary in Little Rock, Arkansas, is murdered, and Katie is assigned the case as a rookie, while the rest of her her squad is working frantically to prevent a possible assassination attempt on the president. But something is wrong with Hathor. In fact, something is wrong about the entire case...

This book is a very interesting and well-written blend of realistic sci-fi, and murder mystery. The characters are believable, and act like real people. The plotting is tight, and it's a brisk read.

But it's not perfect. In fact, it does have one failing not uncommon to sci-fi: the specifics of the workings of the Hathor system dominate a good chunk of the novel's dialogue and plot. It's a very, very cool concept for a system that could actually happen in the future, but to properly convey the specifics of it and to help readers understand it, the story itself (which is quite good, don't get me wrong) is forced to take a back seat at times.

The mystery part of the book is top notch, and the sci-fi is also good. It's just that the specifics of the technology forced parts of the book to sound like a lecture on how the stuff actually works. I expect in the future installments that this will become less of an issue, as the readers understand it coming in, and the author will have the luxury of cutting straight to the good stuff.

But there is no questioning the author's skill, and I look forward to checking out more of his work.

[Jackie O'sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling! I knew there were good reasons not to connect myself completely to the internet every moment of every day as so many others do.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads Description- We abandoned privacy and turned databases into something like gods. They listened to our prayers. They met our needs and blessed us with new riches. They watched over us, protected us, and punished the wicked among us. We almost made a paradise.

But there were those who tried to hide from the databases’ all-seeing eye. They used their wealth or power or intellect to turn themselves into ghosts within the endless archive. For years these ghosts have used their anonymity to perpetrate atrocious crimes and slip away unscathed. And now someone among them may go further still. Someone wants to bring the system down.

The only thing that stands in his way is the FBI's understaffed and overwhelmed Ghost Targets section. The agent on the case is their newest rookie, Special Agent Katie Pratt, and she's in over her head. The first day on the job gives her an unsolvable murder that ultimately leads her to the greatest threat these gods have ever seen. Can one desperate woman prevent the downfall of her entire society?

This book jumps righ into characters and events without much introduction. The plot was ok but I have to say that I am biased because this is not a book that I would normally read. Once I figured out what was going on I got more into the story. I will probably at least check out the next in the series since I spend the time learning about the world, the characters, and the problems to see if it looks interesting. 3 stars.

[Lyle Nicholson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the author is good, however, there were so many plot lines that didn't seem to work, and lulls in action, that I could only put this down to a first attempt.

There is so much telling in this book. The author is trying to get across this major element called "Hathor," that watches everything. After awhile, you kind of get tired of it, and want the story to move along.

There is also this major plot element of the protagonist leaving these messages for her father. Then, in the latter part of the book, this entire dialogue disappears. We are left hanging, is her father still alive? What was the conflict here.

I think this book could have been read by more beta readers before it was produced. I see this author has numerous other books out, and I can only presume all the problems with this book were ironed out in the subsequent writings.

[Rex Libris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every so often I feel compelled to dip my toe into the detective genre. More often than not I find myself disappointed. This time was no different.

This story takes place in the not too distant future (or present for some places, such as London) where every place is under surveillance and the government can track everyone's moves. The government, of course, loves this. However, some people can "ghost" themselves, or make themselves invisible to the tracking system. The protagonist works for the division of the FBI responsible for tracking down these criminals.

The people responsible for setting up the system in the first place have come to the realization that 24 hour surveillance may not be so keen. Who would have ever thought that? So they try to destroy the system by not so peaceful means. Hence the involvement of the FBI.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. It turns out it's a pretty decent police procedural/mystery, with just enough advanced technology built in to warrant being called science fiction. I liked the protagonist Katie Pratt and one or two of the other characters, but most of the characters weren't very well fleshed-out. What kept me interested was the story itself and the underlying questions it raised. Some of the same questions have been raised in the TV series "Person of Interest," but I have yet to hear any compelling answers: how much is the ideal amount of information for the government to have about the everyday lives of ordinary citizens, and what can be done to insure that that knowledge is used for good rather than bad purposes?

[Charlie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read very little fiction, but I’m glad I read this book. The author sets the story in a high-tech, near-future world. The FBI-drama story-line is engaging. I found myself constantly eager to see what happens next.

At the same time, the book prompted me to think about some real issues related to the use and development of technology in our world. What is the proper role of technology? How intrusive should it be? Are the conveniences worth the loss of privacy? What spiritual implications might there be in such a technology-dominated world?

Even if the book does not cause you to ponder these larger issues, the book is a fun read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Charlie Powell

[Aaron Dubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book taking place in the not so distant future as Hathor and Hippocrates see and hear everything we do. Need a new apartment, Hathor will find one and put it on your tab. Doors will open automatically as it senses you are approaching. Need to make a call. Hathor call Dad. How about in distress, Hippocrates will know you need help and send it to you. This is the world of Gods Tomorrow and our heroine Katie Pratt. It's an intriguing and somewhat terrifying future world. The writing is well done, although the story seems to stall a few times. The characters are engaging, even though we only get to know four really. Overall, a book I would recommend and will most definitely pick up Ghost Targets #2.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free ebook on Kindle but was not titled Gods Tomorrow but Surveillance.
Not a type of story I would usually read. I like mystery and thriller and scifi which this is all three rolled into one. I'm giving two stars because I'm just not sure of the main character, Katie.
It is an interesting premise and not set in the far off future but in the not so distant future. It is kinda scarey. The characters just left a bit to be desired but were still interesting to a point. Might give the second book a try but not sure yet.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at this story. It begun with a struggle and I almost gave it up for being too technical. But for some reason I kept on going, wanting to read something different and this book really shocked me at how much I actually liked it.

The story moves forwards quite nicely especially after you get yourself accustomed to the future technology. The main character was very humane and I liked her.

It was a fun read and would recommend it to others too.

[Susan Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievably realistic and scary

We live in a technical age where internet is so readily available with all the data's collected and stored on hard drive, flash drives, are the cloud....I know that the book storyline is here now. Terrifies me what the author's writes is possible. Couldn't put the book down. Will have to get over my fright first before continuing with the series.
S. Otto

[Elly Braunsroth- smisek · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what I call a "painful read". It is based in the future following this rookie investigator as she tries to solve a murder. Sounds interesting right? But my problem is she works with all this high tech, futuristic programs. The author writes like we know what these things do and never explains things. I was lost throughout the book. I would find my mind wandering as I read. I just couldn't finish the book

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good concept, but I guess it would have seemed more original had I read it when first published. Unfortunately the subject of heavy surveillance in society (and the avoidance of), has become mainstream and negated a lot of what would have been unique story lines. Still a good read, and I'll probably pick up others in the series to see what other story lines have to offer.