SUBMERGED: A hacker thriller

by John Wilander

Grief goes deep.

More than a year after his girlfriend’s death, legendary hacker West Wilder receives a cryptic She’s alive. Who is trying to tear open his wounds? For what cruel reason?

Teaming up with his tinker friend Jitterbug, West embarks on a desperate hunt for answers. Meanwhile, the digital world plunges into chaos as all transatlantic internet cables go dark. Governments execute contingency plans but stay mum, corporations panic, and the media struggles to inform the public what’s going on.

The deeper West goes—into the sea, into the conspiracy, and into the world of internet sovereignty—the more dangerous the game gets. Caught between manipulative super powers and the truth he’s desperate to uncover, he must decide if he’s willing to pay the ultimate price.

With high-stakes action, cutting-edge technology, and an emotional quest at its core, Submerged is a gripping thriller that dives to the depths of the digital age, and the human heart.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2025

About the author

John Wilander writes about struggles against powerful adversaries where hackers are the heroes. He has a PhD in computer science and over ten years of industry experience in security and privacy engineering, currently in Silicon Valley, California.

Reviews

[Heather D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a thrilling ride that felt reminiscent of authors such as James Patterson and Tom Clancy. In this sequel, West is dealing with his grief when he gets a cryptic message so he goes off on a frantic search of answers. This digital age thriller was tense and very well written, probably more so than the first book because I could connect a little more to West and his fight. I felt more anxious with this book due to the deep sea theme but that also made it more fun for me as a reader!

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love Tom Clancy, submarines and Russian espionage? How about Artificial Intelligence, undersea cables and foreign attacks on the global internet?

This is a compelling and compulsive read, with realistic hacks and technology that seems just around the corner (for better or worse!). A great second novel by Wilander, and a good addition to your bookshelf.