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John Decker
404
Planes crash into one another midair. Nuclear power plants go berserk. Railroad crossing gates rise, letting cars pass just as trains whistle by. Thousands are injured or killed. The only connection between these seemingly unrelated events is that the systems controlling them are all Internet-driven.
FBI cryptanalyst forensic examiner John Decker, working at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Northern Virginia, uncovers a deadly plot to sabotage a key US defense contractor. When the plot leads to an old Islamist adversary, long thought dead, Special Agent Decker has no idea he is about to be thrust into a diabolical conspiracy that winds to the heart of our national defense.
In the course of a week, America is paralyzed by a series of devastating cyber-attacks that cripple the nation’s security, financial markets and transportation systems. Assisted by beautiful and brilliant computer expert Xin Liu (Lulu), Decker must unravel the mystery behind whoever – or whatever – is taking over the Net.
Who’s responsible for these deadly cyber-attacks? Is it Jihadists of the Crimson Scimitar cell, led by Decker’s old nemesis, El Aqrab? Is it North Koreans, working out of Dandong, China, instead? Or, is it somebody else altogether?
In this new chilling techno-thriller, international #1 best-selling novelist J.G. Sandom grabs the reader by the nape of the neck and never lets go. An exciting, fast-paced, well-spun yarn of a patriot betrayed by his wife, his friends, his senses and, ultimately, even himself, 404 explores our nation's vulnerability to cyber-attack and how the United States is coping with the twenty-first century struggle to balance the right to privacy with our cyber security.
Former Special Agent Ron Jaco (FBI) said, "Team up with FBI code-breaker John Decker as he tries to stop a mysterious hacker, recently discovered penetrating government defense systems. Now, the cyber villain has set his sights on Decker and his family. As a former Special Agent, I found this novel not only plausible, but riveting and truly alarming. If you care about our nation's cyber-security, you MUST read this book."
FBI cryptanalyst forensic examiner John Decker, working at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Northern Virginia, uncovers a deadly plot to sabotage a key US defense contractor. When the plot leads to an old Islamist adversary, long thought dead, Special Agent Decker has no idea he is about to be thrust into a diabolical conspiracy that winds to the heart of our national defense.
In the course of a week, America is paralyzed by a series of devastating cyber-attacks that cripple the nation’s security, financial markets and transportation systems. Assisted by beautiful and brilliant computer expert Xin Liu (Lulu), Decker must unravel the mystery behind whoever – or whatever – is taking over the Net.
Who’s responsible for these deadly cyber-attacks? Is it Jihadists of the Crimson Scimitar cell, led by Decker’s old nemesis, El Aqrab? Is it North Koreans, working out of Dandong, China, instead? Or, is it somebody else altogether?
In this new chilling techno-thriller, international #1 best-selling novelist J.G. Sandom grabs the reader by the nape of the neck and never lets go. An exciting, fast-paced, well-spun yarn of a patriot betrayed by his wife, his friends, his senses and, ultimately, even himself, 404 explores our nation's vulnerability to cyber-attack and how the United States is coping with the twenty-first century struggle to balance the right to privacy with our cyber security.
Former Special Agent Ron Jaco (FBI) said, "Team up with FBI code-breaker John Decker as he tries to stop a mysterious hacker, recently discovered penetrating government defense systems. Now, the cyber villain has set his sights on Decker and his family. As a former Special Agent, I found this novel not only plausible, but riveting and truly alarming. If you care about our nation's cyber-security, you MUST read this book."
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2014
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
J.G. Sandom
14 books22 followersJ. G. Sandom, often referred to as the "Father of Interactive (Internet) Advertising," co-founded the world's first interactive advertising agency, Einstein and Sandom Interactive (EASI), in 1984, before launching an award-winning writing career. He is the author of nine works of fiction, including THE GOD MACHINE; GOSPEL TRUTHS; THE WALL STREET MURDER CLUB; THE WAVE - A JOHN DECKER THRILLER; KISS ME, I'M DEAD; and CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BODY SNATCHER.
Booklist called GOSPEL TRUTHS, "a splendid, tautly woven thriller...(and) an intelligent mystery of tremendous spiritual and literary depth." Library Journal said, "A masterful first novel, based on a true incident, which spins a complicated web of corruption, greed and deception." And Mostly Murder characterized it, "A fascinating mystery...captivating and engrossing."
Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent, called THE WALL STREET MURDER CLUB, "A gripping story, well-told...not only a tale of murder and betrayal, but an intelligent exploration of issues of male identity." Kirkus termed it, "A Big Apple Deliverance, endowing New York culture with all the corrosively dehumanizing power of Dickey's wild nature." And Booklist said, "(Sandom) writes with stunning elegance and nearly poetic beauty...A sure hit with any suspense reader."
While known mostly as a writer of thrillers and mysteries, Sandom is also the author of several award-winning Young Adult (YA) novels.
Publishers Weekly called CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BODY SNATCHER, "A haunting tour of London's underclass during the 1830s...Teens will likely be both captivated by Victor's harrowing story as well as his ability to prevail in the face of harsh injustices." KLIATT said, "Like M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, this look at sinister events in history makes the era come alive and lingers in the memory." And School Library Journal said, "Part historical fiction and part adventure story, the novel brings excitement to Victorian England...Readers will be on the edge of their seats."
Ranked one of the Top Ten Children's Books of the year by the Washington Post, KISS ME, I'M DEAD was named a Notable Book for Teens by the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, a Young Adult Library Services Association Teen's Top Ten, and nominated for a Cybils literary award, a Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and recently added to Horn Book’s list of Recommended American Historical Fiction.
The Washington Post said, "(Sandom) writes with a precision and delicacy unusual for YA fiction," and called the novel, "a subtle gem." School Library Journal said, "KISS ME, I'M DEAD tells a remarkable story in a remarkable way." And Horn Book called the work, "A decidedly unconventional ghost story...(and) a tightly wound novel."
THE GOD MACHINE was released in May, 2009. Caroline Thompson (author of Edward Scissorhands) called THE GOD MACHINE, "a thrilling and breathless, rapturously-written and mind-blowing read. It'll keep you up all night, turning pages as fast as your little fingers can manage." Bookpage.com called the novel "a simmering stew of conspiracy, intrigue and danger that keeps the plot pot boiling until the very end." And the Historical Novels Review said, "THE GOD MACHINE is a very impressive historical thriller!"
Sandom’s most recent novel, THE WAVE - A JOHN DECKER THRILLER, was reissued in June 2010. Kirkus said, "Sandom’s strength lies in the verve of his story, with writing that has both muscle...(and) brains...Races from improbable to crazywild, all in good fun, with Sandom always one step ahead...A story with enough manic energy to be worthy of a nuclear explosion."
Booklist called GOSPEL TRUTHS, "a splendid, tautly woven thriller...(and) an intelligent mystery of tremendous spiritual and literary depth." Library Journal said, "A masterful first novel, based on a true incident, which spins a complicated web of corruption, greed and deception." And Mostly Murder characterized it, "A fascinating mystery...captivating and engrossing."
Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent, called THE WALL STREET MURDER CLUB, "A gripping story, well-told...not only a tale of murder and betrayal, but an intelligent exploration of issues of male identity." Kirkus termed it, "A Big Apple Deliverance, endowing New York culture with all the corrosively dehumanizing power of Dickey's wild nature." And Booklist said, "(Sandom) writes with stunning elegance and nearly poetic beauty...A sure hit with any suspense reader."
While known mostly as a writer of thrillers and mysteries, Sandom is also the author of several award-winning Young Adult (YA) novels.
Publishers Weekly called CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BODY SNATCHER, "A haunting tour of London's underclass during the 1830s...Teens will likely be both captivated by Victor's harrowing story as well as his ability to prevail in the face of harsh injustices." KLIATT said, "Like M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, this look at sinister events in history makes the era come alive and lingers in the memory." And School Library Journal said, "Part historical fiction and part adventure story, the novel brings excitement to Victorian England...Readers will be on the edge of their seats."
Ranked one of the Top Ten Children's Books of the year by the Washington Post, KISS ME, I'M DEAD was named a Notable Book for Teens by the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, a Young Adult Library Services Association Teen's Top Ten, and nominated for a Cybils literary award, a Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and recently added to Horn Book’s list of Recommended American Historical Fiction.
The Washington Post said, "(Sandom) writes with a precision and delicacy unusual for YA fiction," and called the novel, "a subtle gem." School Library Journal said, "KISS ME, I'M DEAD tells a remarkable story in a remarkable way." And Horn Book called the work, "A decidedly unconventional ghost story...(and) a tightly wound novel."
THE GOD MACHINE was released in May, 2009. Caroline Thompson (author of Edward Scissorhands) called THE GOD MACHINE, "a thrilling and breathless, rapturously-written and mind-blowing read. It'll keep you up all night, turning pages as fast as your little fingers can manage." Bookpage.com called the novel "a simmering stew of conspiracy, intrigue and danger that keeps the plot pot boiling until the very end." And the Historical Novels Review said, "THE GOD MACHINE is a very impressive historical thriller!"
Sandom’s most recent novel, THE WAVE - A JOHN DECKER THRILLER, was reissued in June 2010. Kirkus said, "Sandom’s strength lies in the verve of his story, with writing that has both muscle...(and) brains...Races from improbable to crazywild, all in good fun, with Sandom always one step ahead...A story with enough manic energy to be worthy of a nuclear explosion."
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 20, 2016
Definitely overkill. At times I felt like James Bond was on a Mission Impossible :-) I do not practice martial arts and I found the detailed descriptions (whipping-hand block, snap kick, round-house and so on) during fights completely unnecessary. And while I like Lulu she (and her abilities) were unplausible to me. And the story? While I love techno-thrillers the "villain" was totally unbelievable as was the "end fight". Good idea all in all but in my opinion the auther went a bit overboard with everything.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review