Clive Cussler Ghost Soldier

Oregon Files #18

by Mike Maden

A deadly war game. An adversary as hard to find as he is to kill. Weapons so sophisticated, none have seen the like before. Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon have finally met their match in this pulse-pounding new adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.When African jihadis attack a Nigerian regiment using American weapons, Cabrillo and the Oregon crew are on the case, investigating from Afghanistan to Kuala Lumpur to track a mysterious arms dealer—a genius, or perhaps a devil—known only as the Vendor.    Cabrillo goes undercover to find the Vendor’s base, but his adversary isn’t just an arms smuggler. He’s an arms maker, and Cabrillo just walked into a lethal military game alongside the most dangerous mercenaries in the world, designed to test the Vendor’s cutting-edge AI arsenal.    And yet, surviving an arena full of flame-throwing robots isn’t even his biggest problem. The Vendor has an army of high-speed drones headed for a pivotal military site, and if the Oregon crew can’t stop them from releasing a deadly neurotoxin, the entire globe will erupt in conflict.

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Mystery, Action, Suspense, Military Fiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2024

About the author

I grew up working in the canneries, feed mills and slaughterhouses of California’s San Joaquin Valley. A lifelong fascination with history and warfare ultimately lead to a Ph.D. in political science focused on conflict and technology in international relations. Like millions of others, I first became a Tom Clancy fan after reading The Hunt for Red October, and began my published fiction career in the same techno-thriller genre, starting with DRONE and the sequels, BLUE WARRIOR, DRONE COMMAND and DRONE THREAT. I’m honored to be joining “The Campus” as a writer in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Jr., series.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clive Cussler’s Ghost Soldier is the 18th in the Oregon Files written by Mike Maden after Cussler's death in 2020. Unfortunately, Maden is unable to capture Cussler's magic and precision with his writing, as it's very different to Cussler's own work. Maden's is also much more brutal and bloodthirsty than Cussler's was. It's almost like he's trying too hard to capture what has gone before. The Oregon Files is my favourite series out of all Cussler's different series, and while I've read this one out of order, it means I still have at least one written before the author died. RIP Clive Cussler - a great adventure writer, sadly missed.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Maden is the fourth author to write the Oregon Series since the death of Clive Cussler. I am still adjusting to the different styles of writing even though they attempt to keep Cussler’s style. The Oregon Series was by far my favorite of the various series that Cussler wrote. Cussler had a way of getting the hero out of trouble only to immediately get him into bigger trouble. I found myself exhausted by the end of the book. Maden does not seem to catch that relief I felt when they got out of situations and the sudden anxiety I felt when they suddenly are in bigger trouble. It is a difficult thing to describe but Cussler was a master in building this tension in his story. I will continue to read this series as I feel like I am a crew member of the Oregon.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is thirteen hours and twelve minutes. One of my favorite narrators, Scott Brick, does an excellent job narrating the story.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the worst book in this series so far.

We get the usual pre-story events, and then...

We get a boring tour of the boat, and just as we are hoping things will finally kick in...

We get pages of a boring biogrpahy.

I think someone doesn't understand how these books work

[Patrick Berger · Rating 2 out of 5]

RIP Clive they can never replace you

[Eli - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start to the book, but the action was good.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juan and the crew have been tasked to find out about an adversary that is threatening the lives of many with his insane war games!

The Vendor has included Juan and Linc in a new type of war games, that will possibly take the lives of many?
Can the crew of the Oregon and a new woman who has come up with a deep diving special type submarine.
Will Juan and Linc survive the games on the island?
Will the woman and her sub be able to stop a horrid disaster that could cost the lives of many!

Grab this book and dive in to the latest "Oregon Files" series written under Clive Cusslers name!

I highly recommend this as its fast paces, and filled with some new weaponry from both sides!

[Jeff Guillory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy these books. Just great entertainment.

[Ben Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Oregon. I really do. I know it's schlocky and weird detail orientated. But this was just Star Trek Into Darkness. A near analog drone fleet, to avoid electronic interference? Check. A long forgotten enemy that languishes on the borders of the known and unknown? Check. Infiltrating the organization to test it? Check. Prevailing against all odds? Check.

Again. Love the Oregon. But when Juan Cabrillo gets shot multiple time in what anyone else would be dead dead but " super lightweight Kevlar that they all wear" and " all hope is lost until he had a shotgun in his leg" in the 23 hour, I got annoyed. Yes, I know the Oregon will always survive. But some of the magical reveals felt like just out of reach. Some of the ages also seemed tight. For a Swift Boat Captain / lead Engineer on the Glomar Explorer, and an 85 year old " emeritus" CIA spook still in the field, to the ageless Cabrillo, this series exists in its own time frame.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deadly war game. An adversary as hard to find as he is to kill. Weapons so sophisticated, none have seen the like before. Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon have finally met their match.
Ghost Soldier has a villain worthy of James Bond and a group of protagonists that are worthy of "Mission Impossible". Mike Maden is firmly in control of these characters. In the best tradition of Clive Cussler. You start with an event in the past whose shockwaves are felt right up into the future. There is a strong group of characters, led by Juan Cabrillo, who are determined in their pursuit of this villain and will do anything to prevent his devastating plans.

I was first, years ago, attracted to this series because of "The Oregon", The ship that Juan Cabrillo commands. It is a technological wonder. The stories take the reader around the world both in the air, land, and sea. The fight and combat scenes are thrill rides and there are lots of them. If you like thrillers with high stakes, colorful characters, and loads of action, this entire series is just waiting for you. The books don't necessarily need to be read in order.

[Jessica Nybeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A die-hard fan of the Oregon Files series, I can confidently say this one does not disappoint. From the first page to the last, it’s non-stop action. Clive Cussler does it again with heart-pounding suspense, daring rescues, and larger-than-life stakes.

But it’s not just about the explosions and chases—Ghost Soldier weaves in a fascinating exploration of AI and its limitless possibilities. You’ll find yourself thinking about the future long after you've turned the last page. If you’re looking for a book that combines pulse-racing action with a thought-provoking dive into cutting-edge tech, this one’s for you. Trust me, it's a great read that will keep you turning pages!

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The important thing when taking over a beloved writer's work is continuity with the feel and characters. Maden has done that in spades.

Langston Overholt, the Oregon's most frequent benefactor has hired Cabrillo and the gang to follow up on where all the military items abandoned by our government in Afghanistan when they pulled out wound up. Turns out they've been showing up around the world in the hands of terrorists.

This ends up setting the crew against a brilliant inventor/arms dealer who hates America and all Americans. An excellent thriller where Cabrillo may have met his match.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were 2 star worthy, such as the overuse of metaphors, the inconsistent assumption that new tech is bad except when not (confused? Try reading the book), and the unnecessary gore. I'd give that last one a pass except the author is using Clive Cussler's name and world which have little gore (and I happen to dislike gore in the stories I consume).

Other parts were great. Without spoiling anything, one of the settings Juan and Link found themselves in was really intriguing.

[Russell Thiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book. I am so happy that Mike Maden has been able to continue this series. He makes Clive Cussler proud. I hope he continues this series for a long time....I look forward to the next one!!!

[Missshea86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Definitely top 3 favourite book from the oregon series

[Harvey Tripple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

[JOHN BARLOW · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant , imaginative and thrilling roller coaster of almost continuous action. I believe the Oregan files are the best series conceived by Clive Cussler, excellently continued by Ma
ike Maden.

[Mark Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action never stops.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast read for me, especially considering how many pages the book is (granted, the print seems kind of "big" compared to the books from the 70s and 80s, and the spacing seems to be wider, too, between the lines). The author introduces a new character - we'll see if she sticks around or is just introduced for this book only. The book held my interest from start to finish. I think it was weak in moments, though, because some of the things the author writes took me out of the story. It did not happen a lot, but it happened four times, which is five times too many.

It was an interesting look at the use of drones, AI, and robots in some respects. I felt like the author did a nice job of taking people's concerns and extrapolating how a situation might arise from the extensive use of drones and AI in combat situations. Overall, I thought the author did a solid job describing how certain combat situations might go.

I know Dale Brown has used drones and AI an many of his books for years, but this book seemed like a step up from what Dale Brown has written in the past. Granted, it has been a few years since I've read any of Brown's books, so perhaps he has stepped up his game as well. But the drones and robots in this book were really crazy and almost scary. The AI-controlled cargo planes were crazy, too! I don't know how I feel about that, hahahah! It's one thing to read about it in sci-fi, where it often seems like a good thing. But then you read about an AI-controlled plane or other vehicle being used for nefarious purposes in a book like this and it makes you go, "Hmmm . . . . maybe it's not such a good idea after all".

There were a couple of things that stood out to me: Cabrillo using the pallets dropped by the cargo plane to survive falling from that same airplane without a parachute sounded like it was heavily influenced by the Uncharged movie from a couple of years ago. What happens in the book is not quite what happens in the movie, but I felt the two scenes were very similar. It did not bother me, though, as imitation is said to be one of the sincerest forms of flattery. I felt it was a nice homage to what happened in the movie, and it was fairly well done by the author. Not sure how survivable it truly was, but it was exciting to read about.

Gomez Adams being described as "draped over one of the couches like an abandoned beach towel" (169) was a beautiful word picture. I loved it! I could picture this dude being comfortably sprawled across a couch, not a care in the world. It was great!

The two tech guys (Murph and Eric) are always described as being "immediately smitten" every time they meet or see a new attractive woman. It's kind of hilarious how they are struck down so quickly each time they encounter an attractive female because it has gotten so common as to be expected. "Oh! The two tech guys are smitten again? Yawn Tell me something new, next time." I bet the author could just mention the two dudes seeing an attractive female and leave it at that; the reader will probably automatically fill in "and they were immediately smitten" and not notice it was not included in the actual novel, hahahah.

I also liked that the author talked about the cache of American weapons and vehicles left behind in Afghanistan and captured by the Taliban when we pulled out. I had forgotten about that, and the author created some chilling scenarios where American weapons could be used to cause confusion and delay and death amongst American allies. This oversight has not been mentioned in the news in the last three years, so it was good to be reminded of this potential threat.

I also thought the planned battle between the mixed bag of special forces soldiers and the robots was crazy. Part of me would have liked for it to have lasted a little longer, but I don't know how well it would have worked. In any case, but for Cabrillo's "MacGuffin", I think the humans would have lost. As it was, it made for some pretty tense moments in the book in my opinion.

Using drones to create a lightning conductor to attack the Oregon was crazy! Cool, and crazy. Kind of a joke, too, because the reader knows the odds of the ship actually being sunk are nil (even though it has happened two other times). But it was pretty cool how it happened.

These were the specific moments that took me out of the story:
p. 145 - “some poor slob stuck in the head”? - that took me out of the story because I do not remember that kind of descriptive verbiage being used in prior stories. Maybe if somebody had actually spoken that phrase, but not used as a written description of a high speed turn taking place and the potential aftermath.

p. 164 - “This Vendor cat”? - are we back in the 70’s? When did Cabrillo start talking like that? It was foreign to me and felt out of place in the story.

p. 215 - “shoved the rest of the churro into his piehole”? - did the author forget which series he is writing for? It was rough and abrasive and did not seem to fit the story.

Also, there was a blurb about alarms going off onboard Callie's Spook Fish 5000 submersible as she was taking Cabrillo and Linda down to the wreckage of the cargo plane to find its black box. The blurb takes place on page 127. Then there is essentially another page-and-a-half of "stuff" that takes place, and then another alarm goes off on page 129 (the issue being the submersible's 4,000 foot depth being reached and then passed). I felt the two blurbs about the alarms going off around 4,000 feet should have been together. The way I read it, the trio had already descended below 4,000 feet when the second batch of alarms went off, so it through me to realize they were still above the submersible's potential "crush depth".

And then, on pages 65-67, the Vendor is fighting a robot programmed to kill him, so he has to move exceptionally fast to stay alive. And he does. He survives and defeats (kills) the robot. He moves around after the fight with skill, grace, and strength. And then, on page 137, the Vendor is described as hobbling and struggling to move. Which is it? That was really weird to me, how the Vendor was described as (or came across as) being in top physical shape only to have him hobbling a few pages later. I was wondering if it were two different characters.

I didn't like how the Vendor felt like he was omniscient for as long as he needed to be, for as long as the story needed him to be, and then he was no longer omniscient. It is a common weakness in these books, sadly, and I wish the authors would stop doing that. It takes away from the villain, and it takes away from the story.

The ending was both cool and bogus. Bogus, because now the Americans have control of the Vendor's fleet of automated shipping vessels that are floating factories but nothing will probably come of it. The "best thing" that could happen would be that the Vendor was supposed to send a code to these ships that was never received, and they all self-destructed to avoid falling into "enemy hands." Otherwise, these grand machines will go the way of every other unique and powerful bit of technology introduced in Cussler's books - ultimately forgotten even thought it would be of use in later stories.

I did not believe that Cabrillo could defeat the Vendor. I felt like the Vendor should have killed Cabrillo fairly easily. It was one of the weaker fights, in my opinion, because of how outclassed Cabrillo was. And while I understand the Vendor's desire for revenge against Cabrillo for upsetting his plans like Cabrillo did, I still think the Vendor would have been able to set his emotions and passions aside to, if not outright kill Cabrillo, wound Cabrillo in such a way that he could take out his revenge on Cabrillo without Cabrillo being able to "win the fight".

Also, when Raven and . . . MacD (I think it was MacD; I forgot to make a note of it) go to Central Europe to find some dude in response to an attack that occurred on some Italian peacekeepers/police officers. It was really weird and out in left field. Perhaps the Corporation's private transport is faster than I realized, but it only seems to be as fast as the story needs it to be, but it was "superfast" in this story. I would have expected it to take them longer to reach Croatia (or wherever they were going), perform their search, and then return to the Oregon in the . . . South Pacific-ish. That whole thing felt forced to me; maybe it is because I recently read his Jack Ryan, Jr., novel Line of Sight where the author goes on at length about the history of that region of Europe. I felt like he did that at little bit, too, in this book, but not to the same degree as the Jack Ryan Universe novel.

And then you have the "MacGuffin" that Cabrillo uses to take over the drone network and kill the drone's operator, spoiling the Vendor's weapons demonstration. Part of me expected something like that to happen, and it was just too convenient and coincidental for me to appreciate it. I think I would have appreciated Cabrillo and Link accidentally coming upon the controller and taking him out or something instead of Cabrillo using tech from the Oregon to take over the drone network. I guess it goes back to my annoyance with the "omniscient-thing" that goes on. The Oregon's tech is not good enough to crack the Vendor's tech until it needs to be, and then the Oregon's tech can crack everything. It just gets annoying, especially when it feels like the author may have written himself into a hole but has a "get out of the hole free" card because of these MacGuffins. The device is probably more important than a "MacGuffin", but it still feels cheap and takes away from the story because it takes away from the heroes truly rising to the occasion and winning "honorably". I know it's stupid, but it bugged me when it happened in this story (moreso in this story, for some reason). Maybe because I felt the Vendor was fairly well-written as a villain, overall, and his end was not very satisfying.

The ending involving Callie is kuh-RAY-zee!!!! I figured he was not going to have this female character die, that he would not have the stones to have her die a heroic death. Granted, the author would probably have been accused of "fridging the girlfriend" if he had done that, but the way she was behaving and the cold, hard decision she made to sacrifice her life to save the island of Guam from the viral bomb onboard the Japanese drone submarine was powerfully written. That had to be one of the best moments in the book, and I could not believe the author had her sacrifice her life like she did to save essentially the world. And then it turned out she didn't die after all. Which I expected, and was torn about because it would have been a truly heroic death. But I would not have wanted her death to be a means of generating character development amongst the crew of the Oregon. So I am glad she survived, but had she died, what a way to go!

It's funny to read about these flying airplanes and shipping vessels that are completely automated floating factories. It's like the epitome of what we want technology to be - to perform all of this work for us, perfectly, every time, so that we can focus on other things in life. And yet, life is not like that. We see problems with technology and AI today where it does not function nearly as well as it does in this book - not even close. But it is still fun to read about, about technology working as well as it does in these books like we would prefer it to work in the real world, hahahah!

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I could maybe see myself reading it again in some distant future. I might have rated it 4 stars but for those moments I was pulled out of the story followed by some other issues that cropped up for me by the end of the book. I might rate it 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 stars, but I did feel the author was a bit prescient in some of the material and scenes he presented, how he used technology in some of those moments. I am glad that I read this book.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good read and very thought provoking. Im not a technical person but do understand the basics of AI and this story really shows what could happen when AI is let loose.
All in all great read some new characters introduced. Lots of action on land sea and under the sea.

[Craig Carignan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy it much.

[Papa · Rating 2 out of 5]

After being disappointed a third of the way through,I looked back and the other Clive Cussler book I rated low was also by Mike Maden.

His books totally lack the Clive Cussler type of warmth and movement. The plot flows in a similar way but there were some sections that were work to get through.

I've read very many Cussler books often with other authors. Jack DuBral has some really good ones as have others

With Clive being gone, there will obviously have to be other authors but, for sure, I will skip any by Maden.

[Cynthia Lathrop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very action packed! I almost thought it was too long, but it all worked out well.

[Brian Monson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC courtesy of the publisher. This is Maden’s best Oregon thriller yet. The terrifying possibilities of AI join forces with the insatiable desire for revenge. This creates a fast paced, action packed, and informative ride with Juan and the Oregon crew. Looking forward to more adventures on the high seas!

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 Review 001. Oregon Files #18 Ghost Soldier by Mike Maden

Page Count : 403 total, 83 pages finished in January 2025

Started : December 26th 2024
Finished : January 1st 2025


This is a fantastic story.

I have read every single book in the Oregon Files series since Clive Cussler created the characters and concept in one of the novels in another of his series, the Dirk Pitt Adventures.

This book involved lots of interesting technology including AI controlled drones and aircraft.

Introducing a new character to work alongside the Oregon's normal crew, the author has done a fantastic job as I really grew to like the new member of the crew.

I will definitely be reading more of the books in this series if Mike Maden continues to write them and I will be looking forward to other books that I have in my TBR stash by this author.

I intend to reread the whole series in the future as soon as I have reduced my TBR significantly.

5*
*****

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The crew of the Oregon tracks a ruthless arms dealer intent on wreaking havoc for profit and revenge. His plot to pit the world strongest powers against each other by destroying a strategic American stronghold and avenging his ancestor's death will lure the United States into World War III. Great action with super intelligent tech wizards, former combat trained patriots and of course, beautiful kick ass women. Great story. A page turner for sure.

[Tad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American flyer is captured and sent to a notorious Japanese biological research facility. Decades later, a notorious gun merchant known only as "The Vendor" is busy facilitating arms sales from the Taliban using abandoned American weapons to wreak havoc around the world. The Vendor is not only a weapons dealer, but he is also a brilliant weapons designer. Using AI, he has created some of the deadliest weapons ever to exist.
An old friend from the CIA contacts Juan Cabrillo and asks him to find out who The Vendor is and how he is moving these weapons undetected. Cabrillo and the ship he commands, The Oregon, agree to take on the mission. The chase leads him from Afghanistan to Kuala Lumpur, and beyond. Along the way, the matter becomes highly personal. Cabrillo is determined to find and stop The Vendor, who is equally determined to put an end to Cabrillo. The Oregon and all her crew will be tested to their limits. Thousands of lives and a shift in the balance of power in East Asia hang in the balance.

Ghost Soldier has a villain worthy of James Bond and a group of protagonists worthy of Mission Impossible. Mike Maden is firmly in control of these characters. In the best Clive Cussler tradition, you start with an event in the past whose shockwaves are felt in the future. You have a strong group of characters, led by Juan Cabrillo, who are dogged in their pursuit of the villain and will do anything to prevent his devastating plans. The ship Cabrillo commands is a technological marvel. The action soars around the world in the air, on land, and at sea. The fight and combat scenes are edge-of-the-seat thrill rides and there are plenty of them. If you like thrillers with high stakes, colorful characters, and lots of action, this book is just what you want. One of my favorite reads of the year.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review – Clive Cussler Ghost Soldier – Mike Maden
Dr. Mike Maden is the fourth author to write the Oregon Series – a state-of-the-art spy ship – since the death of well-known thriller author Clive Cussler and has done a fantastic job continuing the now 18 book series. “Ghost Soldier” – the third book that Maden has written for the series – is my favorite so far. I’m committed to the series now if Mike Maden is writing the stories.

Main character Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon meet their match in this pulse-pounding new adventure. When African jihadis attack a Nigerian regiment using American weapons, Cabrillo and the Oregon crew investigate the attack, traveling from Afghanistan to Kuala Lumpur to track down a mysterious arms dealer, known as “the Vendor.”

The Oregon goes undercover to find the Vendor’s hideout, but the villain isn’t just an arms smuggler, he’s an arms maker, and the Oregon team finds themselves in a lethal military situation against dangerous mercenaries and a new cutting-edge AI arsenal.

I enjoyed Maden’s penning of the diversity of the characters, their interactions, the sophisticated high-tech weaponry so adequately detailed and Maden’s well-written and amply researched storyline. Maden is known for his techno-thriller style, and he proved his engaging skills again in this suspenseful action-adventure military thriller.

Big fan of the Oregon series now and hope that author Mike Maden will continue the series.

[Cynde · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Corporation is active again! Juan Cabrillo and his multi-talented crew are asked to check into arms that were abandoned in Afghanistan but seem to be showing up in militant and revolutionary groups all around the globe. Cabrillo goes undercover to try and locate where these stores of goods are being hidden and how they are being transported. He is beat up, kidnapped, and put on a pilotless automated plane filled with Humvees guns and ammunition. He manages to escape and dump the contents of the plane in the ocean and barely get out himself when the plane self-destructs. The Oregon crew locate and rescue him. They have a name for the arms dealer, the Vendor, Their search leads them on a perilous journey in their efforts to shut down and capture the Vendors operation. Nail-biting action, personal dangers, undermining plots and a vicious adversary all make this an exciting read. Mike Madden has a more extensive Knowledge of military weapons which adds more realistic action to many of the sequences. This is a very enjoyable read!!!

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally a decent read as it follows the usual set up characteristic of books the Oregon series. If you live and breathe the swashbuckling bond-esque vibes of this series, it'll give you your fix but won't be an exceptional read. Cons: I didn't like how some critical events happened "off screen" and were relegated to recounts after the fact when there was such opportunity for rich detailing. As a reader, the whole point is immersion and the first person perspective of critical scenes. A lot of this was glossed over, particularly towards the end, which made it feel like a rushed closure. This and Fire Strike felt rather heavy handed. I much prefer the earlier books with Cussler at the Helm with Jack Du Brul or Boyd Morrison. Appreciated how AI was central to the plot though & Maden seems invested in trying to keep up with the times.

[Ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoy the Oregon series with Juan and crew. The technological advances for warfare are either good imagination or very frightening if real.

Juan is currently testing a new mini sub with maker Callie when Overholt tasks the Corporation with finding an arms dealer trading in US arms left in Afghanistan and now flooding war zones around the world. The Vendor is more than just a dealer but also an advanced tech genius in new military weapons that Juan and crew have never encountered. He has an axe to grind with the US and is planning an attack decades in the making.

There is of course the ubiquitous mole feeding the Vendor information -can Juan determine where and how the attack will happen and stop it before it does? Very detailed, high tech warfare and suspenseful.