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Breach
How secure are your secrets in the virtual world? Weeks before pharma-giant Acel is ready to file a global patent application for cancer wonder-drug Colare, its offshore data centre in Mumbai is hacked. The charismatic, young leader of its Indian business, Dr Udai Vir Dhingra, finds himself being blamed for negligence and breach of security. Battling market pressures, media scrutiny, livid American bosses and crumbling relationships, Vir must find the perpetrators, or see his career – and his life – spiral downwards. But the deeper he gets dragged into the shadowy world of masked online identities and muddied digital footprints, the more Vir discovers that nothing is easy or obvious, and everything has a price. Set across Mumbai, Washington and Guangzhou, Breach is a compelling and edgy cyber thriller that explores the dark and dangerous underbelly of our increasingly virtual existence.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2014
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March 2, 2015
From my blog: http://www.ushanarayanan.com/?p=1612
Colare. A miracle drug to cure late stage metastatic pancreatic cancer. The result of three years of research. An investment of one hundred million dollars. Slated to garner billions in revenue for pharma-giant Acel. Now was not the time for data to go awry…
With this laconic framework, Breach, by Amrita Chowdhury, takes off at the speed of light, or rather, the speed of a hacker’s cyber footprint. The action takes place across continents. In the USA, China, and Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in India. The protagonist is the charismatic Dr Udai Vir Dhingra, who has staked his future on making the new offshore research centre in India work. He is feted by market and media, has degrees in bioengineering and business from Ivy League universities and is the Man on the Move. But it is under his watch that the data gets strangely morphed, bringing to the fore deep-rooted prejudices in the western nations against the reliability of Indian operatives. So where does the glitch originate from? Can they keep the aberrations under wrap till they can trace and fix the problem? Egos are ruffled, tempers flare, violence builds up and nothing seems safe anymore.
To make matters worse, Vir is troubled by his uneasy relationship with his American girlfriend Tracey, which is complicated further by his unexpected meeting with his first love, Diti. Diti is an idealist, an activist, a champion for the rights of the poor. Vir’s unease about his own choices and priorities are increased as she accuses him of selling his soul to a heartless corporate, and of exploiting the desperation of dying millions.
The plot races along, with just two to three pages per chapter, switching between laboratories and smelly lanes, fashion shows and college corridors. The characters jump off the page, even minor ones, with pithy descriptions of their appearances and their motivations.
The ticking clock grows louder. Action picks up as cyber security experts converge on Acel to trace the source of the trouble. They struggle to track down the perpetrators who coast undetected through the anonymity of open servers, with online names like Mystic Mir, Manic16 and Malingomer. These shadow players with multiple aliases seem many levels ahead of the white hats who have fanned out to disable them. Vir’s American bosses are ready to shoot him down. The media hounds them. Acel’s stock nosedives.
How does everything get resolved? Who wins the virtual fight? Get your copy of this edgy thriller to find out how skilfully the author carries you along to the racy finish.
Breach is a smooth, sophisticated tale of espionage and mystery, laying bare the murky underbelly of a cyber world that is so dazzling on the surface. No one is safe anymore…
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Colare. A miracle drug to cure late stage metastatic pancreatic cancer. The result of three years of research. An investment of one hundred million dollars. Slated to garner billions in revenue for pharma-giant Acel. Now was not the time for data to go awry…
With this laconic framework, Breach, by Amrita Chowdhury, takes off at the speed of light, or rather, the speed of a hacker’s cyber footprint. The action takes place across continents. In the USA, China, and Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in India. The protagonist is the charismatic Dr Udai Vir Dhingra, who has staked his future on making the new offshore research centre in India work. He is feted by market and media, has degrees in bioengineering and business from Ivy League universities and is the Man on the Move. But it is under his watch that the data gets strangely morphed, bringing to the fore deep-rooted prejudices in the western nations against the reliability of Indian operatives. So where does the glitch originate from? Can they keep the aberrations under wrap till they can trace and fix the problem? Egos are ruffled, tempers flare, violence builds up and nothing seems safe anymore.
To make matters worse, Vir is troubled by his uneasy relationship with his American girlfriend Tracey, which is complicated further by his unexpected meeting with his first love, Diti. Diti is an idealist, an activist, a champion for the rights of the poor. Vir’s unease about his own choices and priorities are increased as she accuses him of selling his soul to a heartless corporate, and of exploiting the desperation of dying millions.
The plot races along, with just two to three pages per chapter, switching between laboratories and smelly lanes, fashion shows and college corridors. The characters jump off the page, even minor ones, with pithy descriptions of their appearances and their motivations.
The ticking clock grows louder. Action picks up as cyber security experts converge on Acel to trace the source of the trouble. They struggle to track down the perpetrators who coast undetected through the anonymity of open servers, with online names like Mystic Mir, Manic16 and Malingomer. These shadow players with multiple aliases seem many levels ahead of the white hats who have fanned out to disable them. Vir’s American bosses are ready to shoot him down. The media hounds them. Acel’s stock nosedives.
How does everything get resolved? Who wins the virtual fight? Get your copy of this edgy thriller to find out how skilfully the author carries you along to the racy finish.
Breach is a smooth, sophisticated tale of espionage and mystery, laying bare the murky underbelly of a cyber world that is so dazzling on the surface. No one is safe anymore…
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February 10, 2015
I had read some good reviews about this book and it truly deserves it. Breach is a well researched, page turning slick cyber thriller that keeps you glued till the very end.
Short chapters, each running into not more than two to three pages spread across various locations bring in multiple characters and take the story ahead at a fast pace. I have seen this style of writing in Ravi Subramanian’s books. It took me a few chapters to grasp what was happening, but soon it was easier to get into the flow of the story.
The information on hacking into a safe server, counter surveillance, crisis management and incident reconstruction to uncover the modus operandi and business motives of the cyber-criminals and shady activities done esoterically and covertly in the pharma industry, cancer research, global corporate affairs, patent laws, is pretty interesting and informative. All this tech knowledge is shared in a language that a layman can understand is a plus in Breach. Also these tech details are woven in the plot in such a way that they don't overshadow the story.
Breach is an intelligent and flawlessly executed crime thriller which excites and agitates till the last page. A must read.
http://shilpaagarg.com/2015/02/breach...
Short chapters, each running into not more than two to three pages spread across various locations bring in multiple characters and take the story ahead at a fast pace. I have seen this style of writing in Ravi Subramanian’s books. It took me a few chapters to grasp what was happening, but soon it was easier to get into the flow of the story.
The information on hacking into a safe server, counter surveillance, crisis management and incident reconstruction to uncover the modus operandi and business motives of the cyber-criminals and shady activities done esoterically and covertly in the pharma industry, cancer research, global corporate affairs, patent laws, is pretty interesting and informative. All this tech knowledge is shared in a language that a layman can understand is a plus in Breach. Also these tech details are woven in the plot in such a way that they don't overshadow the story.
Breach is an intelligent and flawlessly executed crime thriller which excites and agitates till the last page. A must read.
http://shilpaagarg.com/2015/02/breach...
March 18, 2015
This is the first cyber thriller that I have read and I must say that it’s been extremely well researched. I respect women authors absolutely. But that didn’t stop me from being surprised that it’s a woman who has written this book. My bad! Amrita Chowdhury has written one fabulous book that kept me biting my nails throughout. More than that, I skipped work one whole day, not going near my computer, as I wanted to finish reading this book. That hasn’t happened in years.
To begin with, the first fifty pages of the book kind of went above my head with a lot of “technical mumbo jumbo” in the words of protagonist Dr. Udai Vir Dhingra. It did make me wonder how I had committed myself to reviewing this book. But after that, the story began to unravel and I understood way better. From then on, I couldn’t do much else than to finish reading Breach.
The story swings between Mumbai and the USA with a couple of sequences from China as well. While a part of me rejoiced that youngsters of today, even slum-dwellers, could understand and work on the internet, it’s quite shocking how one could so easily get drawn into the murky world of cyber crime, get in too deeply to be safe.
Amrita Chowdhury’s language is crisp while the narration flows comfortably. I like brief chapters as the scenes keep changing constantly while the story is on the move. And this one sure does have the perfect ingredients to make it a Bollywood thriller.
All the characters – Vir, Rads, Peevs, Karthik, Tracey, Diti, Adam, Andy, Dr. Sandler, Raghu, Madhu, Anki, Suv, Sandman, Lee – have been fleshed out strongly. I could see the scenes unfolding in front of me while reading the book.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read thrillers. It’s a very good story, well narrated.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Breach by Amrita Chowdhury through The Book Club in return for my honest review.
To begin with, the first fifty pages of the book kind of went above my head with a lot of “technical mumbo jumbo” in the words of protagonist Dr. Udai Vir Dhingra. It did make me wonder how I had committed myself to reviewing this book. But after that, the story began to unravel and I understood way better. From then on, I couldn’t do much else than to finish reading Breach.
The story swings between Mumbai and the USA with a couple of sequences from China as well. While a part of me rejoiced that youngsters of today, even slum-dwellers, could understand and work on the internet, it’s quite shocking how one could so easily get drawn into the murky world of cyber crime, get in too deeply to be safe.
Amrita Chowdhury’s language is crisp while the narration flows comfortably. I like brief chapters as the scenes keep changing constantly while the story is on the move. And this one sure does have the perfect ingredients to make it a Bollywood thriller.
All the characters – Vir, Rads, Peevs, Karthik, Tracey, Diti, Adam, Andy, Dr. Sandler, Raghu, Madhu, Anki, Suv, Sandman, Lee – have been fleshed out strongly. I could see the scenes unfolding in front of me while reading the book.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read thrillers. It’s a very good story, well narrated.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Breach by Amrita Chowdhury through The Book Club in return for my honest review.
February 28, 2015
Breach is a fast paced, cyber thriller which takes on the digital data-theft rampage over virtual world, an insecure medium, its risks not understood by most.
The pharmaceutical company Acel, is getting ready to file a Global Patent for a medicine ‘Colare’, which could be answer for a deadly pancreatic cancer, but they discover that the offshore data centre in Mumbai has been hacked. Critical data is stolen and replaced by corrupted one. The young, charismatic leader, in-charge of its India Operations, Dr Udai Vir Dhingra, is blamed for negligence and breach of security.
Story, spanning India, USA and China, is a thrilling account of behind-the-scenes politics in the pharma companies and dangerous, albeit flourishing cyber-piracy business. I loved the way new-generation, over-confident hackers, Raghu, his friends and Vir’s personal problems, have been woven in the plot. The two threads humanize the story, which otherwise might have become dry and drab.
The story also touches on commercialization of pharma industry, where the companies want to make money, from the investment on the research, and do not allow the critical cures to be made available to common man, for profit.
Virtual existence, online threats, hacking, cyber security risks which companies struggle to deal with, bio-technology, Trojans etc; all this specialized knowledge is explained in simple language that it doesn’t take away from the pace of the story.
I was a little disappointed with Vir’s characterization, who I initially perceived was smart to be heading India Operations, but seemed clueless in the face of data-security breach in his organization throughout the story. His personal concerns were better articulated than the professional mess, he was in.
In nutshell, Breach is a well-researched, intelligent, edgy thriller that keeps one glued till the end. A recommended read.
The pharmaceutical company Acel, is getting ready to file a Global Patent for a medicine ‘Colare’, which could be answer for a deadly pancreatic cancer, but they discover that the offshore data centre in Mumbai has been hacked. Critical data is stolen and replaced by corrupted one. The young, charismatic leader, in-charge of its India Operations, Dr Udai Vir Dhingra, is blamed for negligence and breach of security.
Story, spanning India, USA and China, is a thrilling account of behind-the-scenes politics in the pharma companies and dangerous, albeit flourishing cyber-piracy business. I loved the way new-generation, over-confident hackers, Raghu, his friends and Vir’s personal problems, have been woven in the plot. The two threads humanize the story, which otherwise might have become dry and drab.
The story also touches on commercialization of pharma industry, where the companies want to make money, from the investment on the research, and do not allow the critical cures to be made available to common man, for profit.
Virtual existence, online threats, hacking, cyber security risks which companies struggle to deal with, bio-technology, Trojans etc; all this specialized knowledge is explained in simple language that it doesn’t take away from the pace of the story.
I was a little disappointed with Vir’s characterization, who I initially perceived was smart to be heading India Operations, but seemed clueless in the face of data-security breach in his organization throughout the story. His personal concerns were better articulated than the professional mess, he was in.
In nutshell, Breach is a well-researched, intelligent, edgy thriller that keeps one glued till the end. A recommended read.
September 15, 2015
There are just few weeks left for the filing of a global patent application for Colare, a cancer wonder drug by Acel when things start going awry. The data seems to have gone wrong from the Indian division. Upon closer inspection, an open port is found in the security system. The hacker is not only accessing data but also modifying it after copying out. Gives more reason for Andy to dislike the Indian centre of Acel, who has opposed creating one from the beginning. But who is doing it?
The Indian centre is blamed for the breach and Vir finds himself held responsible for everything that is going wrong. His personal life isn't going well either and the crisis at work just adds more to the mess that his life has become! Accusations flow freely and experts are hired in India by the American centre for solving the mystery of hacking.
Unsuspecting commoners are becoming prey of hackers and blame is placed on four teenagers. Will they be able to convince their innocence? Especially when Raghu is involved in hacking some sites.
When the investigation starts, there are so many people involved and the mystery just get deeper and deeper. Every turn they take seems like a dead end and every step they take seems to aggravate the American centre. And to add more to the misery, media gets a whiff of the security breach and it is all over the news. In this situation, will the team be able to find the hacker? Can they successfully file the patent application before it is too late?
Read the full review here: http://stareyedreviewer.blogspot.in/2...
The Indian centre is blamed for the breach and Vir finds himself held responsible for everything that is going wrong. His personal life isn't going well either and the crisis at work just adds more to the mess that his life has become! Accusations flow freely and experts are hired in India by the American centre for solving the mystery of hacking.
Unsuspecting commoners are becoming prey of hackers and blame is placed on four teenagers. Will they be able to convince their innocence? Especially when Raghu is involved in hacking some sites.
When the investigation starts, there are so many people involved and the mystery just get deeper and deeper. Every turn they take seems like a dead end and every step they take seems to aggravate the American centre. And to add more to the misery, media gets a whiff of the security breach and it is all over the news. In this situation, will the team be able to find the hacker? Can they successfully file the patent application before it is too late?
Read the full review here: http://stareyedreviewer.blogspot.in/2...
December 24, 2014
Just finished reading the eminently readable ‘Breach’ authored by Amrita Chowdhury. Loved it! Though in retrospect I feel that a little tighter proof reading would have made the book perfect.
It is a tale about how with increasing reliance on machines for developing, manufacturing and marketing lifesaving drugs, and the general trend towards outsourcing dehumanises the whole process of ‘life-saving’. How the noble thought of making drugs to rid the common man of diseases has become mercenary.
It is a tale beautifully woven across India, USA and China. It is very topical and the tight timeline that it has been knitted in, is thrilling, giving the reader an insight into the murky activity behind the scenes in the pharma industry and the thriving cyber piracy in existence.
It is about the Breach of trust, Breach of security leading to a Breach of faith.
And the bright part of this 335 page novel is the space for the protagonist’s love affairs that lightens the mood at times and adds tension at times.
Overall a must read novel for all. It explains the existence of generic and branded medicines and clears most of the doubts one would have had. It would also make one think twice before making that purchase or bank transaction online.
To know more about the book visit www.BREACH.co.in
To know more about the author visit www.amritachowdhury.com
The best thing would be to just go get the book and enjoy the unputdownable thriller!!
It is a tale about how with increasing reliance on machines for developing, manufacturing and marketing lifesaving drugs, and the general trend towards outsourcing dehumanises the whole process of ‘life-saving’. How the noble thought of making drugs to rid the common man of diseases has become mercenary.
It is a tale beautifully woven across India, USA and China. It is very topical and the tight timeline that it has been knitted in, is thrilling, giving the reader an insight into the murky activity behind the scenes in the pharma industry and the thriving cyber piracy in existence.
It is about the Breach of trust, Breach of security leading to a Breach of faith.
And the bright part of this 335 page novel is the space for the protagonist’s love affairs that lightens the mood at times and adds tension at times.
Overall a must read novel for all. It explains the existence of generic and branded medicines and clears most of the doubts one would have had. It would also make one think twice before making that purchase or bank transaction online.
To know more about the book visit www.BREACH.co.in
To know more about the author visit www.amritachowdhury.com
The best thing would be to just go get the book and enjoy the unputdownable thriller!!
March 19, 2015
Oooh! Amrita Chowdhury has taking it several notches above great - certainly this one is exponentially more gripping than her first book - Faking it.
Breach is fabulous. I enjoyed every little twist in the plot - not a boring moment! The language is impeccable, something I have come to expect from Amrita. The storytelling is so real, it frightened the wits out of me - every time I log on to the laptop, or visit a website using my smartphone, I quiver and quaver!
The characters - even the villains - are very neatly done. Even those glimpsed briefly leave an impression. Amrita makes you feel their angst - separation, break-ups, or the pain of losing a loved one, uncertainty, anxiety, frustration .... and love! There are nail-biting moments, but also several tender ones - I particularly loved the messages exchanged in the end between - - - I won't let the cat out of the bag. And I also loved the one and only kiss in the book.
I am saying it again - - - Breach is fabulous.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy in return for an unbiased review - and a huge thanks to The Book Club for making it possible!
Breach is fabulous. I enjoyed every little twist in the plot - not a boring moment! The language is impeccable, something I have come to expect from Amrita. The storytelling is so real, it frightened the wits out of me - every time I log on to the laptop, or visit a website using my smartphone, I quiver and quaver!
The characters - even the villains - are very neatly done. Even those glimpsed briefly leave an impression. Amrita makes you feel their angst - separation, break-ups, or the pain of losing a loved one, uncertainty, anxiety, frustration .... and love! There are nail-biting moments, but also several tender ones - I particularly loved the messages exchanged in the end between - - - I won't let the cat out of the bag. And I also loved the one and only kiss in the book.
I am saying it again - - - Breach is fabulous.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy in return for an unbiased review - and a huge thanks to The Book Club for making it possible!
March 4, 2015
I did read that blurb before starting to read the book but I imagined it would just have a hint of technical stuff. Now, having read the book , am surprised at how much research and understanding should have gone behind it. Its a well-researched and well-executed cyber thriller with a refreshing plot. With a long-forgotten software engineer background, I kept wondering how much of this will a 'layman' reader understand but from the other reviews on goodreads, I believe the Author has passed with flying colours on that aspect.
The story starts with unrelated threads that merge together later. It made me struggle a bit in the beginning but soon I caught up with the style. Few reviewers(on goodreads) are describing it as Ravi Subramanian's style but since am yet to read Ravi's books I would say its filmy style!
My complaints - it dragged a bit longer than necessary and the end never seemed to come even after I guessed who was behind it. I also felt there were few characters and situations left without proper closure. At the end, I felt the exact words described by the Author herself in the Acknowledgements, 'Phew, It's done!'.
The story starts with unrelated threads that merge together later. It made me struggle a bit in the beginning but soon I caught up with the style. Few reviewers(on goodreads) are describing it as Ravi Subramanian's style but since am yet to read Ravi's books I would say its filmy style!
My complaints - it dragged a bit longer than necessary and the end never seemed to come even after I guessed who was behind it. I also felt there were few characters and situations left without proper closure. At the end, I felt the exact words described by the Author herself in the Acknowledgements, 'Phew, It's done!'.
March 3, 2015
When the publishing head of Harlequin writes a novel, you have to read it. When the publishing head of Harlequin writes a cyber mystery novel, you definitely have to read it.
The novel gets full marks for being well I written and well-structured. The story spans across the Indian and American time zones. It is also set across different points in time, with chapters organized in a chronological order-according to the date and time.
The story revolves around several primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. However, although it sounds like it, the story is not a labyrinth. The writer manages to keep a clear a distinction between her characters and the episodes; she successfully managed to keep you from being confused.
The revealing of the mystery is more eventual than thunderous; something that I found was different from most other books of the same genre. It is also interesting to see how the author connects all characters in the end, without making it too obvious.
This one is a likeable book that will appeal to most mystery lovers.
The novel gets full marks for being well I written and well-structured. The story spans across the Indian and American time zones. It is also set across different points in time, with chapters organized in a chronological order-according to the date and time.
The story revolves around several primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. However, although it sounds like it, the story is not a labyrinth. The writer manages to keep a clear a distinction between her characters and the episodes; she successfully managed to keep you from being confused.
The revealing of the mystery is more eventual than thunderous; something that I found was different from most other books of the same genre. It is also interesting to see how the author connects all characters in the end, without making it too obvious.
This one is a likeable book that will appeal to most mystery lovers.
December 31, 2014
Amrita Chowdhury's "Breach" explores the dark and dangerous underbelly of cyber crime in an increasingly virtual world which depends on the Internet for its existence. Spanning across continents, it is a detail driven fascinating thriller that blends together elements of real world data theft, counter surveillance, crisis managements and incident reconstruction to uncover the modus operandi and motives of criminals. Written in a fluid yet literary tone, Breach eerily reflects real world online threats. At 335 pages, it is a fast paced and sophisticated thriller about hacking and cyber security risks which individuals, companies and countries struggle to deal with. Cybercrime is on the rise in India and this book with its wonderful combination of cyber security, bio-technology and mystery makes for a heady mixture to remind us on how to safe in an increasingly digital world. Lastly, "Breach" is an eye-opener for anyone who surfs the Internet without understanding its risks.
March 29, 2015
Breach is the second book by Amrita Chowdhury.
This is definitely a book worth reading – for its intensive look into how hacking can operate in diverse regions of the world ranging from the hi-tech US firm to the savvy young gen in India to kids in the metro slums.
That said, I’d describe this book as a collage. You get the theme but otherwise you get snapshots of characters, scenes and events, some of which are hidden from view and some in such a way that you can’t decipher them at all.
The content was brilliant, the research extremely meticulous. When it comes to readability however, it scores low.
Read the rest of the review at
http://summeritarhayne.com/?p=472
This is definitely a book worth reading – for its intensive look into how hacking can operate in diverse regions of the world ranging from the hi-tech US firm to the savvy young gen in India to kids in the metro slums.
That said, I’d describe this book as a collage. You get the theme but otherwise you get snapshots of characters, scenes and events, some of which are hidden from view and some in such a way that you can’t decipher them at all.
The content was brilliant, the research extremely meticulous. When it comes to readability however, it scores low.
Read the rest of the review at
http://summeritarhayne.com/?p=472
January 20, 2015
A fast paced book written in the style of Ravi Subramanian with small chapters keeping multiple threads of action moving at the same time. Although the book has more than its fair share of characters and the plot itself is reasonably complicated, full credit to the author for having made it simple for 'layperson' readers like myself who have only a superficial knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and the entire 'industry' of hacking itself.
September 13, 2018
Quite interesting. Regretfully my copy is missing the last chapter and some. So I can't tell what I think of the full plot (gifted by someone so can't get it exchanged). But the writing is decent.
January 21, 2015
Amrita Chowdhury
“Especially in a country with five hundred million below poverty line. That change in price meant life and death for many of them.” (13) Breach, Amrita Chowdhury.
Anu LalAnu Lal
Breach is a cyber thriller set in the heart of the growing IT industry in India. The novel unfolds life and times on the narrow edges of technology and hope. In her second attempt at fiction, author Amrita Chowdhury has a remarkable contribution to Indian fiction in English. A few years back another book came out, which I remember, was about India’s new industrial growth and its aftermath on people. The book was The White Tiger; released in 2008.
India, as a nation, is relatively new to the world of technology. However, this same nation is now called the new champion of cyber world. India has overtaken not just the USA or many other European counterparts; she has overthrown many despotic success makers across the world in the rate of her growth in cyber industry. Thanks to the dedicated IT professionals and engineers, a group that comprises of many of my friends and relatives. In Breach, we will see the dark side of this new moon. It is surprising how a number of books written by different authors mirror the social, economic, and cultural realities of a nation. I also feel that the realities portrayed by Aravind Adiga in The White Tiger, and the one in Breach are representative more of ethical dilemma than a mere mirroring of social realities. Thankfully, these Indian authors do not adhere entirely to the Soviet practice of churning out social realism. One might find a subtle connection between The White Tiger and Breach in this regard.
Going through author Amrita Verma Chowdhury’s writing journey, I am surprised to find that she has done a great job with her first novel, Faking It, which in some way reminds us of Ken Follet’s art thriller Modigliani Scandel. Amrita Chowdhury’s debut novel, Faking It is an art crime thriller about fake modern and contemporary art. Educated in Kanpur and Berkeley, she currently works in publishing. Breach analyzes the terrifying question of how safe our privacy is, in the Internet era. In the virtual world, where anyone or any information could remain a secret only at the mercy of a careless hacker, the drama of human life is taken to another level.
Action in Breach takes place in Mumbai, Washington DC and Suzhou. In an intriguing attempt, the author has combined the elements of the medical thrillers with that of cyber thrillers. In Breach, pharma-giant Acel is about to file a global patent application for Colare, a wonder drug for pancreatic cancer. However, their India office that works in Mumbai is hacked. Dr. Udai Vir Dhingra, the charismatic, Ivy-educated young leader of its Indian business, receives the blames for the devastating turn of events.
The protagonist, Vir has to go through a long line of bureaucratic maze, and relationship turmoil to come out of the long tunnel of darkness he finds himself in. Can technology be saved from reaching the hands of ethically devolved individuals who are too keen to gain riches rather than serve a just purpose? Acel’s India office is Vir’s ambition. Can a man save his dreams from being demolished by an unseen enemy?
Hachette India and Amrita Chowdhury has answers to these questions in Breach.
About The Author:
Anu Lal is the author of Wall of Colours and Other Stories, Book-1 in the Hope, Vengeance, and History Trilogy. He resides in India. His upcoming book is Clenched Hands, Bloody Nails. His second book You Should Know How I Feel has been a bestseller in Amazon India.
Blog: http://anu-lal.blogspot.in/
Author Page: Here
Twitter: @Anulalindia
“Especially in a country with five hundred million below poverty line. That change in price meant life and death for many of them.” (13) Breach, Amrita Chowdhury.
Anu LalAnu Lal
Breach is a cyber thriller set in the heart of the growing IT industry in India. The novel unfolds life and times on the narrow edges of technology and hope. In her second attempt at fiction, author Amrita Chowdhury has a remarkable contribution to Indian fiction in English. A few years back another book came out, which I remember, was about India’s new industrial growth and its aftermath on people. The book was The White Tiger; released in 2008.
India, as a nation, is relatively new to the world of technology. However, this same nation is now called the new champion of cyber world. India has overtaken not just the USA or many other European counterparts; she has overthrown many despotic success makers across the world in the rate of her growth in cyber industry. Thanks to the dedicated IT professionals and engineers, a group that comprises of many of my friends and relatives. In Breach, we will see the dark side of this new moon. It is surprising how a number of books written by different authors mirror the social, economic, and cultural realities of a nation. I also feel that the realities portrayed by Aravind Adiga in The White Tiger, and the one in Breach are representative more of ethical dilemma than a mere mirroring of social realities. Thankfully, these Indian authors do not adhere entirely to the Soviet practice of churning out social realism. One might find a subtle connection between The White Tiger and Breach in this regard.
Going through author Amrita Verma Chowdhury’s writing journey, I am surprised to find that she has done a great job with her first novel, Faking It, which in some way reminds us of Ken Follet’s art thriller Modigliani Scandel. Amrita Chowdhury’s debut novel, Faking It is an art crime thriller about fake modern and contemporary art. Educated in Kanpur and Berkeley, she currently works in publishing. Breach analyzes the terrifying question of how safe our privacy is, in the Internet era. In the virtual world, where anyone or any information could remain a secret only at the mercy of a careless hacker, the drama of human life is taken to another level.
Action in Breach takes place in Mumbai, Washington DC and Suzhou. In an intriguing attempt, the author has combined the elements of the medical thrillers with that of cyber thrillers. In Breach, pharma-giant Acel is about to file a global patent application for Colare, a wonder drug for pancreatic cancer. However, their India office that works in Mumbai is hacked. Dr. Udai Vir Dhingra, the charismatic, Ivy-educated young leader of its Indian business, receives the blames for the devastating turn of events.
The protagonist, Vir has to go through a long line of bureaucratic maze, and relationship turmoil to come out of the long tunnel of darkness he finds himself in. Can technology be saved from reaching the hands of ethically devolved individuals who are too keen to gain riches rather than serve a just purpose? Acel’s India office is Vir’s ambition. Can a man save his dreams from being demolished by an unseen enemy?
Hachette India and Amrita Chowdhury has answers to these questions in Breach.
About The Author:
Anu Lal is the author of Wall of Colours and Other Stories, Book-1 in the Hope, Vengeance, and History Trilogy. He resides in India. His upcoming book is Clenched Hands, Bloody Nails. His second book You Should Know How I Feel has been a bestseller in Amazon India.
Blog: http://anu-lal.blogspot.in/
Author Page: Here
Twitter: @Anulalindia
August 12, 2016
At any point in time, there are these whodunit themed books that are unleashed by authors by the dozen. This has been a recurrent theme in books, and the plot is usually woven with the assistance a piece of technology from that particular era. The internet has surely undergone as transformation from the mid 90s till now and so have the books that used it as a plot tool. Breach by Amrita Chowdhury is a clever book that takes the internet, the security (or lack of it) of the servers over the internet, and biotechnology and weaves around a story that spans over two continents and at least three countries.
The premise is pretty simple and straightforward for the theme. The clinical data for a potential super-drug is ‘breach’-ed weeks before a patent could be filed, and it is important that the company in the US recovers before it is too late. Throw in an outsourced unit in India, fierce competition from two other countries who are track to ‘develop’ a similar drug, over-enthusiastic teenagers and some jealousy, you have the plot for Breach.
At less than 350 pages, Breach sails through really quickly and this in lot can be attributed to the short chapters which are 3 to 5 pages long, on an average. Each of these chapters shows the events that take place in different parts of the globe and you see that there is a lot that is happening through the book. The sheer number of characters used to move the plot (I’d say at least 20) is a testimony to the amount of detailing that Amrita has worked on, for the book and its flow. It mostly flows naturally, but as in many a book of this genre, you are able to guess what happens next in quite a few places. This includes the identity of the person named Sandman, and the actual culprit in this case. This sure could have been avoided with some open-ended writing perhaps, allowing the reader to get fooled or leave him confused.
Given that a lot of similar books including the first bit-coin thriller ‘God Is A Gamer’ are in the market around the same time as ‘Breach,’ it is definitely worth mentioning that Breach definitely has an edge over the others, thanks to its writing style. In addition, after the first 80 to 100 pages, it becomes clear who the major players in the story are and Amrita decides to focus on them largely. There is also a discussion on the patent laws in the book, which I feel is a refreshing addition to the premise that largely deals with intellectual property and the like. I would have loved to see the author dwell a little more into this and perhaps use this more effectively as a plot element in lieu of the current reason for the culprit to resort to what he does.
Overall, Breach is a quick Saturday afternoon read which is has its moments!
The premise is pretty simple and straightforward for the theme. The clinical data for a potential super-drug is ‘breach’-ed weeks before a patent could be filed, and it is important that the company in the US recovers before it is too late. Throw in an outsourced unit in India, fierce competition from two other countries who are track to ‘develop’ a similar drug, over-enthusiastic teenagers and some jealousy, you have the plot for Breach.
At less than 350 pages, Breach sails through really quickly and this in lot can be attributed to the short chapters which are 3 to 5 pages long, on an average. Each of these chapters shows the events that take place in different parts of the globe and you see that there is a lot that is happening through the book. The sheer number of characters used to move the plot (I’d say at least 20) is a testimony to the amount of detailing that Amrita has worked on, for the book and its flow. It mostly flows naturally, but as in many a book of this genre, you are able to guess what happens next in quite a few places. This includes the identity of the person named Sandman, and the actual culprit in this case. This sure could have been avoided with some open-ended writing perhaps, allowing the reader to get fooled or leave him confused.
Given that a lot of similar books including the first bit-coin thriller ‘God Is A Gamer’ are in the market around the same time as ‘Breach,’ it is definitely worth mentioning that Breach definitely has an edge over the others, thanks to its writing style. In addition, after the first 80 to 100 pages, it becomes clear who the major players in the story are and Amrita decides to focus on them largely. There is also a discussion on the patent laws in the book, which I feel is a refreshing addition to the premise that largely deals with intellectual property and the like. I would have loved to see the author dwell a little more into this and perhaps use this more effectively as a plot element in lieu of the current reason for the culprit to resort to what he does.
Overall, Breach is a quick Saturday afternoon read which is has its moments!
March 13, 2015
Breach is a thriller that actually managed to thrill the day lights out of me! It made me check my computer again and all my innocuous, decent friends look like nefarious hackers. Anyone with a decent grasp of computers made me wary and on my guard; suddenly I understood the need for many people to not share pictures and anecdotes about themselves.
Yes, I had been reading Breach and my complacency about the cyber world had been breached. I thanked my stars that I had always installed the latest and best antivirus on my laptop! Phew!!
I got this book via The Book Club and when I saw many of my friends getting signed copies by Amita I realized the hype and publicity about the book had some fresh story line, solid writing and deep insightful research behind it.
When I had started reading the book, I had thought it just another case of espionage and hacking but as the book progresses the story line has a lot of trails and slim insights into the actual world of cracking a code and breaching a firewall. Initially I took time to get into the story line as I was a bit unsure about many of the characters being introduced but soon I could see their importance and how it is everyday regular individuals who become a menace.
The tiny tantalizing morsels of information the author shares with us bit by bit or byte by byte left me breathless and hungry for more. The angle of students being involved is not new but where all these students lay was another surprise. This cyber network only sees and seeks knowledge, no riches or color or country matters; expertise is your only currency apart from Bitcoins that is!
The novel had a lot of things going for it including a topic that is most relevant and recent. Intellectual property thefts and misuse of data occurs so frequently that sometimes I feel we all are just sitting duck for cyber crimes. I found the book engaging and the writer ensured that the technical gibberish was cut out and presented in a way everyone could understand and relate to it. The world as the crime scene and so many smoke screens made me realize that how easy it would be for some to actually lose their life, money, secrets and sanity in the cyber world.
The author manages to keep not one but two parallel love stories going in the book and the love is so well meshed with the story that it takes on equal importance as the cyber crime to find the fate of lovers. Well written and well executed!
I found the book a mirror to our lives today and a must read for all of us so addicted to our smart phones & laptops.
Yes, I had been reading Breach and my complacency about the cyber world had been breached. I thanked my stars that I had always installed the latest and best antivirus on my laptop! Phew!!
I got this book via The Book Club and when I saw many of my friends getting signed copies by Amita I realized the hype and publicity about the book had some fresh story line, solid writing and deep insightful research behind it.
When I had started reading the book, I had thought it just another case of espionage and hacking but as the book progresses the story line has a lot of trails and slim insights into the actual world of cracking a code and breaching a firewall. Initially I took time to get into the story line as I was a bit unsure about many of the characters being introduced but soon I could see their importance and how it is everyday regular individuals who become a menace.
The tiny tantalizing morsels of information the author shares with us bit by bit or byte by byte left me breathless and hungry for more. The angle of students being involved is not new but where all these students lay was another surprise. This cyber network only sees and seeks knowledge, no riches or color or country matters; expertise is your only currency apart from Bitcoins that is!
The novel had a lot of things going for it including a topic that is most relevant and recent. Intellectual property thefts and misuse of data occurs so frequently that sometimes I feel we all are just sitting duck for cyber crimes. I found the book engaging and the writer ensured that the technical gibberish was cut out and presented in a way everyone could understand and relate to it. The world as the crime scene and so many smoke screens made me realize that how easy it would be for some to actually lose their life, money, secrets and sanity in the cyber world.
The author manages to keep not one but two parallel love stories going in the book and the love is so well meshed with the story that it takes on equal importance as the cyber crime to find the fate of lovers. Well written and well executed!
I found the book a mirror to our lives today and a must read for all of us so addicted to our smart phones & laptops.
March 14, 2015
Breach is a thriller that actually managed to thrill the day lights out of me! It made me check my computer again and all my innocuous, decent friends look like nefarious hackers. Anyone with a decent grasp of computers made me wary and on my guard; suddenly I understood the need for many people to not share pictures and anecdotes about themselves.
Yes, I had been reading Breach and my complacency about the cyber world had been breached. I thanked my stars that I had always installed the latest and best antivirus on my laptop! Phew!!
I got this book via The Book Club and when I saw many of my friends getting signed copies by Amita I realized the hype and publicity about the book had some fresh story line, solid writing and deep insightful research behind it.
When I had started reading the book, I had thought it just another case of espionage and hacking but as the book progresses the story line has a lot of trails and slim insights into the actual world of cracking a code and breaching a firewall. Initially I took time to get into the story line as I was a bit unsure about many of the characters being introduced but soon I could see their importance and how it is everyday regular individuals who become a menace.
The tiny tantalizing morsels of information the author shares with us bit by bit or byte by byte left me breathless and hungry for more. The angle of students being involved is not new but where all these students lay was another surprise. This cyber network only sees and seeks knowledge, no riches or color or country matters; expertise is your only currency apart from Bitcoins that is!
The novel had a lot of things going for it including a topic that is most relevant and recent. Intellectual property thefts and misuse of data occurs so frequently that sometimes I feel we all are just sitting duck for cyber crimes. I found the book engaging and the writer ensured that the technical gibberish was cut out and presented in a way everyone could understand and relate to it. The world as the crime scene and so many smoke screens made me realize that how easy it would be for some to actually lose their life, money, secrets and sanity in the cyber world.
The author manages to keep not one but two parallel love stories going in the book and the love is so well meshed with the story that it takes on equal importance as the cyber crime to find the fate of lovers. Well written and well executed!
I found the book a mirror to our lives today and a must read for all of us so addicted to our smart phones & laptops.
Yes, I had been reading Breach and my complacency about the cyber world had been breached. I thanked my stars that I had always installed the latest and best antivirus on my laptop! Phew!!
I got this book via The Book Club and when I saw many of my friends getting signed copies by Amita I realized the hype and publicity about the book had some fresh story line, solid writing and deep insightful research behind it.
When I had started reading the book, I had thought it just another case of espionage and hacking but as the book progresses the story line has a lot of trails and slim insights into the actual world of cracking a code and breaching a firewall. Initially I took time to get into the story line as I was a bit unsure about many of the characters being introduced but soon I could see their importance and how it is everyday regular individuals who become a menace.
The tiny tantalizing morsels of information the author shares with us bit by bit or byte by byte left me breathless and hungry for more. The angle of students being involved is not new but where all these students lay was another surprise. This cyber network only sees and seeks knowledge, no riches or color or country matters; expertise is your only currency apart from Bitcoins that is!
The novel had a lot of things going for it including a topic that is most relevant and recent. Intellectual property thefts and misuse of data occurs so frequently that sometimes I feel we all are just sitting duck for cyber crimes. I found the book engaging and the writer ensured that the technical gibberish was cut out and presented in a way everyone could understand and relate to it. The world as the crime scene and so many smoke screens made me realize that how easy it would be for some to actually lose their life, money, secrets and sanity in the cyber world.
The author manages to keep not one but two parallel love stories going in the book and the love is so well meshed with the story that it takes on equal importance as the cyber crime to find the fate of lovers. Well written and well executed!
I found the book a mirror to our lives today and a must read for all of us so addicted to our smart phones & laptops.
April 4, 2015
WHAT I FELT ABOUT THE BOOK
Highs
The Cover : What caught my eye as soon as I received the book was the way the title was displayed. Moving away from convention, the same is written vertically. I wondered? But then on going through the book I found an explanation which I wonder is what the author/ publishers/ cover designer had in mind. To me it signified a breach right from the lowest level to the highest level. Interesting isn’t it?
Storyline: Interesting, intriguing, realistic and enaging.
Acel the multinational giant in the pharma industry is on the verge of patenting a new drug ‘Colare’ that can combat cancer. But, just when everything seems to b going fine the project runs into rough weather with the team realizing that there has been a breach. Billions are at stake and with that the career and life of the main protagonist Vir and his team. Just as one would expect, the blame game starts, the disgruntled find an outlet to vent their frustration, sleep deprived staff work round the clock trying to figure out what went wrong, who are the perpetrators of the crime and how to control the damage done.
The story spans over two continents and three countries. The author takes us on a virtual tour of the cyber world. The nitty- gritty of cyber crime and cyber security is discussed effectively making even the layman, the non-techie enjoy each new twist and turn without getting confused. This speaks volumes for the research that has gone into the making of the book.
The story also introduces us to the potential risk we the common people as well as Corporates face from the virtual world. The book is an eye-opener. It is sure to make one jittery about the safety of his/ her personal as well as virtual identity and systems. The question that one will be forced to ask oneself at the end of the book is, “How safe am I?”
And yes, the book does have a touch of romance too though subtle.
Characterization : The characters are well etched with all their imperfections. One can easily relate to them, their feelings, ambitions and frustrations.
Language and pace: Language is crisp and lucid. No hard nuts to crack no pebbles to take away the taste thus making the pace and flow just right and smooth. A fast paced thriller, ‘Breach’ is sure to make one sit up and devour each word that makes up the book.
The end: Interesting. Loved it.
Lows
Editing: Not a big issue but yes there are a few places here and there that need to be looked into for typos.
Highs
The Cover : What caught my eye as soon as I received the book was the way the title was displayed. Moving away from convention, the same is written vertically. I wondered? But then on going through the book I found an explanation which I wonder is what the author/ publishers/ cover designer had in mind. To me it signified a breach right from the lowest level to the highest level. Interesting isn’t it?
Storyline: Interesting, intriguing, realistic and enaging.
Acel the multinational giant in the pharma industry is on the verge of patenting a new drug ‘Colare’ that can combat cancer. But, just when everything seems to b going fine the project runs into rough weather with the team realizing that there has been a breach. Billions are at stake and with that the career and life of the main protagonist Vir and his team. Just as one would expect, the blame game starts, the disgruntled find an outlet to vent their frustration, sleep deprived staff work round the clock trying to figure out what went wrong, who are the perpetrators of the crime and how to control the damage done.
The story spans over two continents and three countries. The author takes us on a virtual tour of the cyber world. The nitty- gritty of cyber crime and cyber security is discussed effectively making even the layman, the non-techie enjoy each new twist and turn without getting confused. This speaks volumes for the research that has gone into the making of the book.
The story also introduces us to the potential risk we the common people as well as Corporates face from the virtual world. The book is an eye-opener. It is sure to make one jittery about the safety of his/ her personal as well as virtual identity and systems. The question that one will be forced to ask oneself at the end of the book is, “How safe am I?”
And yes, the book does have a touch of romance too though subtle.
Characterization : The characters are well etched with all their imperfections. One can easily relate to them, their feelings, ambitions and frustrations.
Language and pace: Language is crisp and lucid. No hard nuts to crack no pebbles to take away the taste thus making the pace and flow just right and smooth. A fast paced thriller, ‘Breach’ is sure to make one sit up and devour each word that makes up the book.
The end: Interesting. Loved it.
Lows
Editing: Not a big issue but yes there are a few places here and there that need to be looked into for typos.
June 25, 2015
My Blog-https://debrajdpaideia.wordpress.com/...
Amrita Chowdhury’s Breach studies the dark side of Cyberworld.The world which is very much part of our daily routine.It is through this world wide web,the world is being managed.But what happens when the security of this world is challanged and compromised, leading to cat-mouse chase across the both sides of GMT. Chowdhury have done extensive research on the plot, which speaks about DATA loss from ACEL( a pharmaceutical Giant), only a week before it was going to file an international patent for a drug.A revolutionary drug aimed at curing answer.But, security breach had been reported from its office in Mumbai.Dr Vir(terrific characterization) an Indian American who wanted to reap the benefits of India’s bumbling economic sector proposed the establishment of an offshore counterpart in India met with mixed reaction.The theft in Mumbai made the matter worse and added to that we have problematic life of Dr Vir.He seemed to be struggling hard for his relationshipn with American Tracey,but what to do with the highly inflammanle passion towards Ditti.Really Amrita Chowdhury does wonder to the word ‘Ex- Flame’.So beneath a cyber thriller,this is a story of crumbling personal relationships.Believe me,the world is not equal…neocolonialism exist in this sphere,so is racism and awkward tension between the first world people and the third world people. Now,you are going to find out more of the storyline…if you buy the book.In recent times,there has been very few cyber thriller from India which can easily challenge the American fictions.A gripping storyline,fast paced movements across continents,adrenaline pumping climax..and a fear …yes you will feel it…Internet is not safe.Lastly..I would like to say,the narrative technique could have been less laced with so much detailing.But ..never mind.. i am using the word ‘been’.Also Chowdhury could have skipped few portions ,as they do not contribute to the plot in an organic way.Do look out for the probable culprits…and be ready to face the real hacker…who not only copy the datum…but also modifies them…Breach is going to be a bestseller. Enjoy the international chase.Let the chase begin…..
Amrita Chowdhury’s Breach studies the dark side of Cyberworld.The world which is very much part of our daily routine.It is through this world wide web,the world is being managed.But what happens when the security of this world is challanged and compromised, leading to cat-mouse chase across the both sides of GMT. Chowdhury have done extensive research on the plot, which speaks about DATA loss from ACEL( a pharmaceutical Giant), only a week before it was going to file an international patent for a drug.A revolutionary drug aimed at curing answer.But, security breach had been reported from its office in Mumbai.Dr Vir(terrific characterization) an Indian American who wanted to reap the benefits of India’s bumbling economic sector proposed the establishment of an offshore counterpart in India met with mixed reaction.The theft in Mumbai made the matter worse and added to that we have problematic life of Dr Vir.He seemed to be struggling hard for his relationshipn with American Tracey,but what to do with the highly inflammanle passion towards Ditti.Really Amrita Chowdhury does wonder to the word ‘Ex- Flame’.So beneath a cyber thriller,this is a story of crumbling personal relationships.Believe me,the world is not equal…neocolonialism exist in this sphere,so is racism and awkward tension between the first world people and the third world people. Now,you are going to find out more of the storyline…if you buy the book.In recent times,there has been very few cyber thriller from India which can easily challenge the American fictions.A gripping storyline,fast paced movements across continents,adrenaline pumping climax..and a fear …yes you will feel it…Internet is not safe.Lastly..I would like to say,the narrative technique could have been less laced with so much detailing.But ..never mind.. i am using the word ‘been’.Also Chowdhury could have skipped few portions ,as they do not contribute to the plot in an organic way.Do look out for the probable culprits…and be ready to face the real hacker…who not only copy the datum…but also modifies them…Breach is going to be a bestseller. Enjoy the international chase.Let the chase begin…..
August 4, 2015
In my day job, I see my clients, mostly global pharmaceutical majors, call out data security as one of the key drivers for their enterprise information management programs. The topic is more relevant now than ever with clinical trials being conducted across the globe, with varying degrees of data security controls. Trials need to be fast in the face of competition, and blockbuster drugs are short-lived in the face of challenges posed by generics.
The premise of Breach is something I could instantly relate to. And then what I loved about the book was the way Chowdhury weaves a brilliantly executed conspiracy around what could have easily degenerated into a dry discourse on cyber crime and pharmaceutical procedures. The narrative is fast paced, the language lucid, the characters human.
In the garb of a cyber thriller, Breach is also an emotional story. I lived those few days with the protagonist of the story as he battled the crisis at work with his relationships bearing the brunt. Chowdhury beautifully portrays how relationships are put to test under difficult circumstances, and we get to know ourselves best when we are out there - all alone, with storms brewing all around us.
I did not see the twist at the end coming. And when the 'villain' of the piece and the emotionally charged motive were revealed, it all made so much sense to me.
Last but not the least, it was interesting to note the transformation of Madhu from a tentative small town girl to the confident, 'almost tech-savvy' metro girl. Well, maybe, we will see the complete transformation in a sequel?
Give this one a read!
The premise of Breach is something I could instantly relate to. And then what I loved about the book was the way Chowdhury weaves a brilliantly executed conspiracy around what could have easily degenerated into a dry discourse on cyber crime and pharmaceutical procedures. The narrative is fast paced, the language lucid, the characters human.
In the garb of a cyber thriller, Breach is also an emotional story. I lived those few days with the protagonist of the story as he battled the crisis at work with his relationships bearing the brunt. Chowdhury beautifully portrays how relationships are put to test under difficult circumstances, and we get to know ourselves best when we are out there - all alone, with storms brewing all around us.
I did not see the twist at the end coming. And when the 'villain' of the piece and the emotionally charged motive were revealed, it all made so much sense to me.
Last but not the least, it was interesting to note the transformation of Madhu from a tentative small town girl to the confident, 'almost tech-savvy' metro girl. Well, maybe, we will see the complete transformation in a sequel?
Give this one a read!
February 26, 2015
Breach is a superb book written by a very Talented Author Amrita Chowdhury .This book is written in Ravi Subramanian's style .Actually this book is fusion of Pharma and I.T. This book also explores dark and deadly side of virtual existences and how over use virtual media can create problems in people's life .Like it created in Vir's life .
The author has narrated this story in a fantastic way .The story stretches from Washington, Mumbai to Guangzhou .This story emphasis on cyber crime .How things gets exposed and information get hacked and how many people are involved in this .Those people who are involved in this can easily lose their directions in their lives .So we should use Virtual existence to minimum possible extent .So that we can avert troubles that might occur .
Breach is awesome book. A very well written book by Amrita Chowdhury .It is totally a new genre written in a very eloquent way .All the characters and their emotion are described very carefully by the Author. Plot/story line is superb. Love the way she has narrated the story. Though it was new challenging task for me as Iam not that familiar with this type of genre I enjoyed reading this book. Apart from all the characters in the book I like Sandman's character the most .
Highly recommended book to all readers , who love to read thriller novels the most and to those who love taking up new challenge /take plunge in reading other genres apart from whatever genre he or she likes.
This is my unbiased review of the book Breach by Amrita Chowdhury .
The author has narrated this story in a fantastic way .The story stretches from Washington, Mumbai to Guangzhou .This story emphasis on cyber crime .How things gets exposed and information get hacked and how many people are involved in this .Those people who are involved in this can easily lose their directions in their lives .So we should use Virtual existence to minimum possible extent .So that we can avert troubles that might occur .
Breach is awesome book. A very well written book by Amrita Chowdhury .It is totally a new genre written in a very eloquent way .All the characters and their emotion are described very carefully by the Author. Plot/story line is superb. Love the way she has narrated the story. Though it was new challenging task for me as Iam not that familiar with this type of genre I enjoyed reading this book. Apart from all the characters in the book I like Sandman's character the most .
Highly recommended book to all readers , who love to read thriller novels the most and to those who love taking up new challenge /take plunge in reading other genres apart from whatever genre he or she likes.
This is my unbiased review of the book Breach by Amrita Chowdhury .
July 17, 2019
Acel, a pharmaceutical company, has come out with a new wonder drug, Colare, that would cure last stage metastatic pancreatic cancer. Here Amrita Chowdhury has introduced a glimpse of outsourcing and how much the Indian companies have to be on their toes to meet up with the prejudices and angst of their American counterparts. Andrew Rudd, the Head of Research at Acel Biosciences, had a major peeve against Uday Vir Dhingra - the young leader in the Indian division. So it was on Vir's shoulder not only to prove them wrong but also to shoulder the pressure of introducing the new drug into the Indian market.
And just as things were gaining momentum, a few weeks before the The US patents application was being filed, a hacker had infiltrated their system in the Indian branch.The story takes us in a journey along with Vir as he struggles to balance his professional and personal life.
Weaving Information Into The Story
Crime Thrillers are a difficult genre to write in. Especially cyber crimes. Not only should you be well researched, but you also have to weave the research material into the story. A very difficult thing to do. Few writers like Robin Cook have done a fabulous job by weaving medical terminologies into a story.
Read the full review at :
http://www.rubinaramesh.com/2015/03/b...
And just as things were gaining momentum, a few weeks before the The US patents application was being filed, a hacker had infiltrated their system in the Indian branch.The story takes us in a journey along with Vir as he struggles to balance his professional and personal life.
Weaving Information Into The Story
Crime Thrillers are a difficult genre to write in. Especially cyber crimes. Not only should you be well researched, but you also have to weave the research material into the story. A very difficult thing to do. Few writers like Robin Cook have done a fabulous job by weaving medical terminologies into a story.
Read the full review at :
http://www.rubinaramesh.com/2015/03/b...
April 14, 2015
Excellent book, superb pacing and style. These are my thoughts, very briefly:
Pros:
- Thrilling. Sounds a bit obvious, but many so-called thrillers these days lack thrill.
- Pace doesn't let you stop for a minute.
Cons:
- Too much jargon. I reckon that many readers will have trouble understanding bits without specific domain knowledge.
- Too colloquial. This book has serious potential, but people who do not speak Hindi aren't going to understand chunks of the dialogue.
- There is a mismatch between a character and their tone. Most Indian techies would now exclaim "By Jove!" in moments of discovery. Something similar occurs for the American characters as well.
- The climax left some loose ends. I would have liked to know what happened to the perpetrators in more detail. However the author resolved Vir Dhingra's storyline and left it at that. In fact, the book ended rather abruptly for my taste. Sad, because I had gotten really invested in the story by that point.
The cons list looks larger, but the book triumphs in all honesty. The pros far outweigh the cons, and these are minor problems that perhaps should have been caught by editors.
Highly recommended, especially to break stereotypes about authors, their nationalities, gender or expertise.
Pros:
- Thrilling. Sounds a bit obvious, but many so-called thrillers these days lack thrill.
- Pace doesn't let you stop for a minute.
Cons:
- Too much jargon. I reckon that many readers will have trouble understanding bits without specific domain knowledge.
- Too colloquial. This book has serious potential, but people who do not speak Hindi aren't going to understand chunks of the dialogue.
- There is a mismatch between a character and their tone. Most Indian techies would now exclaim "By Jove!" in moments of discovery. Something similar occurs for the American characters as well.
- The climax left some loose ends. I would have liked to know what happened to the perpetrators in more detail. However the author resolved Vir Dhingra's storyline and left it at that. In fact, the book ended rather abruptly for my taste. Sad, because I had gotten really invested in the story by that point.
The cons list looks larger, but the book triumphs in all honesty. The pros far outweigh the cons, and these are minor problems that perhaps should have been caught by editors.
Highly recommended, especially to break stereotypes about authors, their nationalities, gender or expertise.
September 1, 2016
I bought Amrita Chowdhury's Breach thinking it to be a regular thriller with little bit of cyber issues involved, but it turned out to be a hard core cyber crime story. Being not a tech savvy at all, I found it boring and too technical to digest in the beginning but slowly the thrill started to build and I actually found myself getting involved in it.
So the story sums up like this. Just few weeks before filing a global patent for a cancer drug 'Colare', team Acel finds something terribly wrong with their data. Which turns out to be a big hacking scam. Where was the gap? Who was the culprit? Was someone from inside involved? Would they be able to resolve everything? Would Colare ever hit the markets post breach? Read to unfold all this and much more.
Breach is an intelligent, well researched, fast paced cyber crime thriller. It will take you through the nitty-gritty of virtual world and the dark side of it. People, specifically techies, would love to read it. A good thriller, a good time pass.
So the story sums up like this. Just few weeks before filing a global patent for a cancer drug 'Colare', team Acel finds something terribly wrong with their data. Which turns out to be a big hacking scam. Where was the gap? Who was the culprit? Was someone from inside involved? Would they be able to resolve everything? Would Colare ever hit the markets post breach? Read to unfold all this and much more.
Breach is an intelligent, well researched, fast paced cyber crime thriller. It will take you through the nitty-gritty of virtual world and the dark side of it. People, specifically techies, would love to read it. A good thriller, a good time pass.
March 17, 2015
This is one book that measures up to the International standards of story telling in terms research, plot and detailing.
This is the first cyber crime thriller that I have read which is written by an Indian Author and was completely drawn into the world of computers, codes, data and the ugly underworld of hacking and of course its repercussions.
As the Title suggests, there is a Breach in the computer data collecting system that holds the data for the new wonder-drug Colare, which was supposed to cure pancreatic cancer. This Breach could cost millions of dollars and a loss of patenting the drug for the pharma giant Acel which would push them back in the race and competition...http://janakinagaraj.blogspot.in/2015...
This is the first cyber crime thriller that I have read which is written by an Indian Author and was completely drawn into the world of computers, codes, data and the ugly underworld of hacking and of course its repercussions.
As the Title suggests, there is a Breach in the computer data collecting system that holds the data for the new wonder-drug Colare, which was supposed to cure pancreatic cancer. This Breach could cost millions of dollars and a loss of patenting the drug for the pharma giant Acel which would push them back in the race and competition...http://janakinagaraj.blogspot.in/2015...
March 18, 2015
Breach is a fast paced cyber thriller, written in short chapters, with multiple twists and turns in the plot, yet simple enough to be understood by the average reader.
The chapters in this story are many, yet each chapter is of three or four pages max. The style is akin to that of Ravi Subramanian’s. If you can trust the author and swim on for the first few chapters, you will soon grasp the whole scenario and will be able to keep pace with the speed of Amrita’s storytelling.
The story is a well researched one, throwing enough light on the pharmaceutical as well as hacking world to make the reader understand the gravity of the situation the plethora of characters go through in the twists and turns of the plot.
The chapters in this story are many, yet each chapter is of three or four pages max. The style is akin to that of Ravi Subramanian’s. If you can trust the author and swim on for the first few chapters, you will soon grasp the whole scenario and will be able to keep pace with the speed of Amrita’s storytelling.
The story is a well researched one, throwing enough light on the pharmaceutical as well as hacking world to make the reader understand the gravity of the situation the plethora of characters go through in the twists and turns of the plot.
March 23, 2015
Review on A Bookworm’s Musing: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2Mf
What I liked:
+ Cover design; felt very much interesting and simple
+ Short, crisp chapters
+ Fast paced and well written
+ Interesting, sometimes scary characters
What I didn’t like:
- The start is quite slow, takes time for the pace to pick up
- Lot of technical terms, went a bit over my head
A thriller that does manage to engage me as a reader once it picks up. A read that’s worth it, I feel.
What I liked:
+ Cover design; felt very much interesting and simple
+ Short, crisp chapters
+ Fast paced and well written
+ Interesting, sometimes scary characters
What I didn’t like:
- The start is quite slow, takes time for the pace to pick up
- Lot of technical terms, went a bit over my head
A thriller that does manage to engage me as a reader once it picks up. A read that’s worth it, I feel.
March 29, 2015
best part of the book was the writing standard which I felt was far better than several Indian authors. Though the plot is good I think its potential is under utilized. Story doesn't progress in the second third of the book and things are revealed too abruptly in the end. overall the plot is predictable and book is definetly not a 'pure' cyber thriller. You will like it if it is your first novel in the cyber genre.
August 22, 2025
This is the first cybercrime fiction I have ever read, though there could be many loose ends from an expert opinion, I found it absolutely enjoyable. It started off a bit like a chaos with several stories running in parallel, but as the chapters grew all the dots started connecting. Even the minute hints in the early chapters were well explored by the end. Narration was quite easy, language was crisp making it an easy read. The story is fast paced, keeping you hooked.
October 12, 2015
Link to the Book Review at ALOP
In the words of Nimue, "All in all , it is a well written and well researched book that will surely entertain every thriller lover."
RATING: 4 Stars
In the words of Nimue, "All in all , it is a well written and well researched book that will surely entertain every thriller lover."
RATING: 4 Stars
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