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Tanner Zane #2
Quantum Deception
The FBI Suburban was already waiting for Tanner in the parking lot. He ran up to it just as the rear passenger door opened from the inside. Tanner jumped in and closed the door before realizing the woman sitting next to him wasn’t Agent Heywood. It was Reina, dressed in a blonde wig and wearing Sara’s clothes.
It took Tanner a moment to realize that he was being kidnapped.
Reformed cyber hacker Tanner Stone has been living a peaceful life in Utah. But all that changes when a plane mysteriously crashes into the mountains and Tanner links the “accident” to an ingenious Chinese computer virus.
Now it’s up to him to prevent that same virus from destroying the financial data of everyone in America! But with stakes so high, he’s not the only one searching for answers. And some will stop at nothing to find out what Tanner knows.
This thrilling action story is packed with explosive twists that will keep you guessing. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it’ll change everything you know about Internet security.
It took Tanner a moment to realize that he was being kidnapped.
Reformed cyber hacker Tanner Stone has been living a peaceful life in Utah. But all that changes when a plane mysteriously crashes into the mountains and Tanner links the “accident” to an ingenious Chinese computer virus.
Now it’s up to him to prevent that same virus from destroying the financial data of everyone in America! But with stakes so high, he’s not the only one searching for answers. And some will stop at nothing to find out what Tanner knows.
This thrilling action story is packed with explosive twists that will keep you guessing. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it’ll change everything you know about Internet security.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2015
27 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
Denver Acey
4 books16 followersFew people understand the terrifying, yet realistic threat of computer hacking like Denver Acey. Denver has spent his entire professional career in the information technology industry where he has witnessed and even thwarted actual cyber-crime. From his top-secret job working for the US government to securing computer networks at Fortune 500 companies, Denver is personally familiar with hackers and their unscrupulous activities.
Because of his unique background, Denver decided to pen a book to dispel hacking myths while highlighting the tenacity of cyber-criminals. Utilizing actual hacking concepts and scenarios he experienced firsthand, Denver illustrates -- in a simple way for even the non-techie to understand -- how vulnerable we all are to cyber-crime.
Denver can be followed on Facebook and Twitter, or emailed at aceyauthor(at)gmail(dot)com. He'd love to hear your comments or questions on his books.
Because of his unique background, Denver decided to pen a book to dispel hacking myths while highlighting the tenacity of cyber-criminals. Utilizing actual hacking concepts and scenarios he experienced firsthand, Denver illustrates -- in a simple way for even the non-techie to understand -- how vulnerable we all are to cyber-crime.
Denver can be followed on Facebook and Twitter, or emailed at aceyauthor(at)gmail(dot)com. He'd love to hear your comments or questions on his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 24, 2015
Tanner's services are called upon when his co-worker is killed in a plane accident. Tanner was scheduled to be on the flight, but cancelled at the last moment. It turns out to be a terrorist attack and Tanner was the target.
This book is action packed from page one. It kept me turning pages to see what could possibly happen next. Missiles, kidnapping, computer viruses, terrorism, a nations financial status at stake... I'm not forgetting that Tanner is a reformed computer hacker who is able to crack many a computer and virus.
This is a clean suspense book that may make you paranoid about the state of internet security. Definitely a book to pick up when you want a book with action.
This book is action packed from page one. It kept me turning pages to see what could possibly happen next. Missiles, kidnapping, computer viruses, terrorism, a nations financial status at stake... I'm not forgetting that Tanner is a reformed computer hacker who is able to crack many a computer and virus.
This is a clean suspense book that may make you paranoid about the state of internet security. Definitely a book to pick up when you want a book with action.
April 4, 2015
This is a great thriller because it's very realistic. In fact, that idea alone made it very eerie. I live in the same area where this took place and to see a plane crash not too far from me and see the market crash the way it did would be really scary.
Tanner is back, in the second installment, with a new name, a new job, a new wife, and a new baby on the way. He's working at the NSA and is still as smart as ever, since he's the one who linked the plane crash that killed his co-worker and friend to a very creative computer virus. He was supposed to be on that plane and it becomes a race against time to uncover this plot and stop the virus.
The author does a fantastic job of going back and forth between different parts of the story, bringing them together in a very imaginative way. I was glued to my seat and didn't want to put the book down. Like I said, it's very realistic, but is done is a very original way. I really liked the characters, even the bad guys, and found myself cheering on Tanner and his team to hurry and fix the problem. There are a lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but that really added to the suspense.
From what I understand, there should be at least one more in this series and I'm very excited about that! This can be read as a stand alone, but it makes more sense to have that back story by reading the first book. You can see my review of The Quantum Breach here.
Content: no romance; no language; moderate violence (murders and attempted murders, intense plot situations, kidnappings, etc--nothing is graphic); mild religious elements (it's mentioned the character is LDS, but nothing is preachy). Clean for an older reader.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
Tanner is back, in the second installment, with a new name, a new job, a new wife, and a new baby on the way. He's working at the NSA and is still as smart as ever, since he's the one who linked the plane crash that killed his co-worker and friend to a very creative computer virus. He was supposed to be on that plane and it becomes a race against time to uncover this plot and stop the virus.
The author does a fantastic job of going back and forth between different parts of the story, bringing them together in a very imaginative way. I was glued to my seat and didn't want to put the book down. Like I said, it's very realistic, but is done is a very original way. I really liked the characters, even the bad guys, and found myself cheering on Tanner and his team to hurry and fix the problem. There are a lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but that really added to the suspense.
From what I understand, there should be at least one more in this series and I'm very excited about that! This can be read as a stand alone, but it makes more sense to have that back story by reading the first book. You can see my review of The Quantum Breach here.
Content: no romance; no language; moderate violence (murders and attempted murders, intense plot situations, kidnappings, etc--nothing is graphic); mild religious elements (it's mentioned the character is LDS, but nothing is preachy). Clean for an older reader.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
April 6, 2015
I loved the first book in this series and this book was just as good! It takes place two years after the first book. Tanner has changed his name, gotten married, is preparing for the birth of his first child, relocated to Utah and works at the NSA facility. Right away, a passenger plane gets shot down and, once they realize the significance of that particular plane going down, the race is on to stop a sinister plot from becoming reality.
I was hooked from the first page. Mr. Acey does a great job breaking down the complex world of cyber attacks to make an interesting and suspenseful read. There are lots of characters that work together to figure out what's going on. It makes me wonder how often similar scenarios happen that we are blissfully unaware of as we go about our lives from day to day. I am grateful there are people with the know-how and willingness to protect the masses.
You don't need to read the first book to understand what's happening in this one, but there are some things that will be clarified if you do. The reason Tanner was kidnapped in the first book plays a huge role in this book and I was able to understand the significance of it better. There were also some loose ends tied up from the first book. If you like a fast-paced read featuring suspense and cyber crime, this is a series you will definitely enjoy!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Check out my interview with the author here:
Mel's Shelves
I was hooked from the first page. Mr. Acey does a great job breaking down the complex world of cyber attacks to make an interesting and suspenseful read. There are lots of characters that work together to figure out what's going on. It makes me wonder how often similar scenarios happen that we are blissfully unaware of as we go about our lives from day to day. I am grateful there are people with the know-how and willingness to protect the masses.
You don't need to read the first book to understand what's happening in this one, but there are some things that will be clarified if you do. The reason Tanner was kidnapped in the first book plays a huge role in this book and I was able to understand the significance of it better. There were also some loose ends tied up from the first book. If you like a fast-paced read featuring suspense and cyber crime, this is a series you will definitely enjoy!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Check out my interview with the author here:
Mel's Shelves
April 2, 2015
This is the second book in this Tanner Zane series. The first book is "The Quantum Breach" and you really should read that book before diving into this book. It will make so much more sense.
This book starts out right in the thick of things. I was immediately pulled in- right from the very first paragraph. The pacing was fabulous and full on. It's exactly what you would expect from a cyber thriller. I love when I am drawn in from the very beginning and kept there, captive, the whole book.
Internet security is a scary thing. Cyber terrorism is real and terrifying to think about. I know things like this really happen and I am grateful to the men and women who's jobs I have no idea about that are protecting and helping our country in this area today. Most of us don't even have a clue, I think. At least I don't.
I loved this book. It was full on and fabulous. As far as content, there is some violence but no swearing or sexual content. There is a couple references to the main character being a Mormon but nothing preachy or religious.
My thanks to Cedar Fort for providing a copy of this book for review.
This book starts out right in the thick of things. I was immediately pulled in- right from the very first paragraph. The pacing was fabulous and full on. It's exactly what you would expect from a cyber thriller. I love when I am drawn in from the very beginning and kept there, captive, the whole book.
Internet security is a scary thing. Cyber terrorism is real and terrifying to think about. I know things like this really happen and I am grateful to the men and women who's jobs I have no idea about that are protecting and helping our country in this area today. Most of us don't even have a clue, I think. At least I don't.
I loved this book. It was full on and fabulous. As far as content, there is some violence but no swearing or sexual content. There is a couple references to the main character being a Mormon but nothing preachy or religious.
My thanks to Cedar Fort for providing a copy of this book for review.
December 2, 2021
Acey, Denver. The Quantum Deception. Tanner Zane No. 2. Cedar Fort, 2015.
First published under the title The Utah Code Breaker, Denver Acey’s The Quantum Deception is a tech thriller that hopes to compete with stories like those written by Tom Clancy. Its protagonist, Tanner Zane, is a reformed computer hacker, who seems to be the only guy in the government who understands the government’s quantum computer and can use it effectively to combat viruses introduced into American computers by hostile foreign agents. He is a practicing Mormon who must balance his obligation to a pregnant wife with solving crimes and catching spies. When a computer virus brings down a commercial airliner with one of his colleagues onboard, Tanner is on the case. Acey's takes us through his thriller plot in an acceptable way, but his villains are not nuanced or very smart. The story has none of the political subtlety of a typical Clancy novel, nor does it give us much information about how the quantum computer does its work. A routine spy caper. 3 stars.
First published under the title The Utah Code Breaker, Denver Acey’s The Quantum Deception is a tech thriller that hopes to compete with stories like those written by Tom Clancy. Its protagonist, Tanner Zane, is a reformed computer hacker, who seems to be the only guy in the government who understands the government’s quantum computer and can use it effectively to combat viruses introduced into American computers by hostile foreign agents. He is a practicing Mormon who must balance his obligation to a pregnant wife with solving crimes and catching spies. When a computer virus brings down a commercial airliner with one of his colleagues onboard, Tanner is on the case. Acey's takes us through his thriller plot in an acceptable way, but his villains are not nuanced or very smart. The story has none of the political subtlety of a typical Clancy novel, nor does it give us much information about how the quantum computer does its work. A routine spy caper. 3 stars.
November 26, 2021
An unsurpassed brilliant book!
This book held me glued to it while commenting on the events, cursing the inhuman evil villains to my dog, and trying to speed to find out what ultimately happens!!
The best book I have read in the recent times! Hats off to the brainy, cerebral and scholarly author!!!
This book held me glued to it while commenting on the events, cursing the inhuman evil villains to my dog, and trying to speed to find out what ultimately happens!!
The best book I have read in the recent times! Hats off to the brainy, cerebral and scholarly author!!!
January 6, 2019
Excellent writing, superb plot, and intriguing thriller. And even though so much of it hinged on computers, malware, and other high-tech stuff, the writer made it understandable even for me! Super read with no bad language and no sex.
July 27, 2017
After slogging my way through 3/4 of the book, I finally gave up and skimmed (barely) to the end. I was bored with the execution of the plot.
August 26, 2017
A good suspenseful read
The story has high tech and heroics. There are typos, though the story rises above them. I enjoyed reading this novel.
The story has high tech and heroics. There are typos, though the story rises above them. I enjoyed reading this novel.
December 31, 2017
Enjoyed the read. Good suspense and not any cuss words or sex. Thank you.
August 23, 2019
Good paced read. If you would like an international government hacking novel this is it.
Read
January 26, 2021Really liked!
November 15, 2022
Book. About cyber crimes and over taking our computer systems. Good book
August 22, 2014
5 STARS
This is the second book I have read this summer by Denver Acey. I did not want to put it down till I was through. It takes place two years about after The Quantum Breach ends. It is exciting, modern story with a real understanding about computers and what is going on around in the world. It has lots of agencies working together as Tanner figures out what is going on.
Tanner Stone has had his name changed by FBI. He now works for NSA and lives in Utah. He has married Megan and she is eight months pregnant. He is very smart and works in top secret building.
Tanner was supposed to be with his co-worker flying to Washington D.C. to meet Secret Service about top secret information they have discovered but because of medical issues did not make the flight. It was shot down right after take off. (It will make flying out of SLC now scary for me)
Tanner now has to meet the two secret Service Agents at work. Show them what he has found and why they are concerned about it. He can't show them how he found out information.
FBI Agents he reaches out to his friends that gave him different name to local agents handling the crash.
This is fast paced action that you feel their tension and the race to figure out why and who and be able to stop things from getting worse for the US. How did they find out so fast about what they are discovering. Is their a mole in one of the agencies?
I have enjoyed reading both books by Denver Acey and I would buy more books from him in the future but I have already checked and have to wait for more.
I bought this book on Amazon the day after I read The Quantum Breach by Denver Acey.
March 23, 2015
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. this series!
In The Quantum Breach we watched Tanner get kidnapped and forced to hack into the newly developed quantum computer.
Now he is fully sanctioned to use the quantum computer to thwart cyber attacks.
This book opens up with a scene of a woman taking down the plane that Tanner was suppose to be on.
His partner was on that plane...
Why would someone want to take out these two computer specialists?
Because they are THE VERY BEST at what they do!
Using all of his computer skills Tanner uncovers "an ingenious Chinese computer virus" that is soon to be put into play "destroying the financial data of everyone in America."
He has mere days to stop the attack.
But someone is determined to stop him before he puts all the pieces together.
Excerpt
"The FBI Suburban was already waiting for Tanner in the parking lot. He ran up to it just as the rear passenger door opened from the inside. Tanner jumped in and closed the door before realizing the woman sitting next to him wasn’t Agent Heywood. It was Reina, dressed in a blonde wig and wearing Sara’s clothes.
It took Tanner a moment to realize that he was [once again] being kidnapped."
FUN TWISTS AND TURNS IN THE PLOT!
A FANTASTIC THRILLER!
Makes you really think about what someone could really do with a computer program!
In The Quantum Breach we watched Tanner get kidnapped and forced to hack into the newly developed quantum computer.
Now he is fully sanctioned to use the quantum computer to thwart cyber attacks.
This book opens up with a scene of a woman taking down the plane that Tanner was suppose to be on.
His partner was on that plane...
Why would someone want to take out these two computer specialists?
Because they are THE VERY BEST at what they do!
Using all of his computer skills Tanner uncovers "an ingenious Chinese computer virus" that is soon to be put into play "destroying the financial data of everyone in America."
He has mere days to stop the attack.
But someone is determined to stop him before he puts all the pieces together.
Excerpt
"The FBI Suburban was already waiting for Tanner in the parking lot. He ran up to it just as the rear passenger door opened from the inside. Tanner jumped in and closed the door before realizing the woman sitting next to him wasn’t Agent Heywood. It was Reina, dressed in a blonde wig and wearing Sara’s clothes.
It took Tanner a moment to realize that he was [once again] being kidnapped."
FUN TWISTS AND TURNS IN THE PLOT!
A FANTASTIC THRILLER!
Makes you really think about what someone could really do with a computer program!
March 5, 2015
Tanner Zane is back, now Tanner Stone living in a new location with a new identity. Tanner has started a new life working for the NSA and is looking forward to being a father. When a commercial air-liner leaving Salt Lake City is shot down, Tanner and his team soon learn that this attack was personal. In a race against time, Tanner and his team must unravel who caused the attack and who is trying to kill Tanner.
This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. This book could be read as a stand alone book, but to get a little more back history you will want to read the books in order. I love how the book has enough technical aspects (super computers, viruses, etc) and layers and levels to make it feel truly believable and like an attack that could happen on the United States. I finished this book in less than a day as I wanted to find out what happens next and how things would be solved.
This book would make an incredible movie and is fun to read. The characters are likable and it all feels very real.
This book is also free of language, sexual content and graphic imagery or what I classify as a clean-book.
This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. This book could be read as a stand alone book, but to get a little more back history you will want to read the books in order. I love how the book has enough technical aspects (super computers, viruses, etc) and layers and levels to make it feel truly believable and like an attack that could happen on the United States. I finished this book in less than a day as I wanted to find out what happens next and how things would be solved.
This book would make an incredible movie and is fun to read. The characters are likable and it all feels very real.
This book is also free of language, sexual content and graphic imagery or what I classify as a clean-book.
April 28, 2015
I thought that this book was awesome! The author did a good job of explaining how the operations of how they find people. I think it is scary though that some of the ways the NSA spies on us are real. It had a good pace to it. It was just the right amount of suspense mixed with action. For instance, the part when the assassin rigs the house. The fact that you knew what was happening and the character did not made it even more suspenseful. My favorite character was probably Tanner, the main one. Also this book had a good twist ending. The fact that the villain came from the secret service blew me away. I was scared when I thought that Tanner's wife was going to lose the baby. The methods they used for tracking and analyzing was pretty amazing to consider. Also the idea of a super computer with a diamond and laser to power it was a pretty cool thing to consider. How they break encoded messages is also interesting. The way they find patterns in nothing, almost, was pretty cool. I didn't like how the author made the assassin so remorseless and dark. But I think it was necessary to add some tension. This book was very good in the sense that it had a lot of twists and turns.
April 15, 2015
5 Stars
This is the follow up to Quantum Breach. I liked it. It is smart, full of drama, characters that I like, suspense that keeps you guessing till the end. The technology is out there. There is a race to keep the America strong and not take down the financial date of our country. I did not want to put the book down.
Tanner Stone works now in Salt Lake City in a NSA with Quantum computer. A super secret fast computer. Tanner is married and expecting his first child. He was supposed to be on a flight to Washington D.C. but his wife started having labor pains so he went to the hospital with her.
The plane he would have been on was shot down with a surface-to-air missile over the Salt Lake City.
This has the FBI, Secret Service and NSA all working to figure out what was going on. With Chinese spies.
Most of the book is set in Salt Lake Valley, UT.
It is fast paced book. It is exciting to read. I would read more from Denver Acey in the future.
This is the follow up to Quantum Breach. I liked it. It is smart, full of drama, characters that I like, suspense that keeps you guessing till the end. The technology is out there. There is a race to keep the America strong and not take down the financial date of our country. I did not want to put the book down.
Tanner Stone works now in Salt Lake City in a NSA with Quantum computer. A super secret fast computer. Tanner is married and expecting his first child. He was supposed to be on a flight to Washington D.C. but his wife started having labor pains so he went to the hospital with her.
The plane he would have been on was shot down with a surface-to-air missile over the Salt Lake City.
This has the FBI, Secret Service and NSA all working to figure out what was going on. With Chinese spies.
Most of the book is set in Salt Lake Valley, UT.
It is fast paced book. It is exciting to read. I would read more from Denver Acey in the future.
April 10, 2013
Editing, Editing, Editing! An enjoyable story, but really needs an editor. NOTE TO ALL SELF-PUBLISHERS: SPELL-CHECK IS NOT AN EDITOR AND IS UNRELIABLE! Also, though I understand the concept of artistic license, some things about the story were just not believable. For example, the main character's first name is Tanner - not a common name. It is not believable that the FBI would relocate him and give him a new identity, yet let him keep his unusual first name and give him a job doing the same work that got him kidnapped in the first place. I get the idea of continuity in the main character, but it isn't as if the character has been in an entire series previous to this story. A change in the second book would have been workable. There are other details that are also implausible, but I don't want to spoil the story.
Overall a Good Read anyway.
Overall a Good Read anyway.
May 15, 2013
The Utah Code Breaker follows Tanner a couple years after his previous adventure in The Mormon Hacker. This one adds a lot more use of technology and a lot more action that it's predecessor though. Even though written in the same style, this book feels a lot more mature and into the groove and is a lot better with pacing and keeping the pages turning. Other than a few spelling mistakes (most notable the spelling of Bryan's name changes back and forth a few times), I have no complaints about the book at all. Some research definitely went into encryptions and the way computers function and (while we don't have full blown quantum computers yet) everything done in the book is very plausible. I would highly recommend this book, even to those that weren't a huge fan of the first one. The Utah Code Breaker is definitely an improved continuation!
March 12, 2017
This was a fast paced cyber mystery novel. I wish I had read the first in the series before reading this book, because I felt there were characters that I was missing background info on. Otherwise, the story was well done. The mystery was well written....although I guessed who the bad guy was, I imagine most won't! (I read WAY too many of these stories!) Some of the scenes were totally unlikely, but since it is fiction, I was ok with them. I think my favorite characters are two brothers who were hackers and end up working for the NSA. Great characterization with those two!
language: clean, heat level: mild
language: clean, heat level: mild
June 2, 2013
This is a well-conceived, fast-paced technical thriller that is drowning in it's own verbiage. It desperately needs a ruthless editor to cut out all the info dumps and unnecessary details that clutter the plot. After a while, I had to start skimming or lose the thread of the story. However, the author's knowledge (or excellent feigning) of the intelligence community, cyber warfare, and malware is superb, and his plot is very clever and engaging. It's definitely worth reading, but with a great editor it would jump from 3 to 5 stars.
June 29, 2014
It makes you wonder how many incidents like this actually happen, as we naively live our lives not knowing about cyber terrorism plots, that have failed - & hopefully continue to fail.
This book was very good, but scary at the same time. I felt like closing my Facebook page after the first book in this series, and now don't know how I could protect myself, and my family,from a situation that could very well happen. Very thought provoking, and makes me want changes with the government debt, and how vulnerable we are because of it.
This book was very good, but scary at the same time. I felt like closing my Facebook page after the first book in this series, and now don't know how I could protect myself, and my family,from a situation that could very well happen. Very thought provoking, and makes me want changes with the government debt, and how vulnerable we are because of it.
December 13, 2013
This book is GREAT. It moves well and the ending is very exciting. I was a little doubtful at first when it started out talking about the geeks at NSA but it has developed nicely and the ending is very action oriented.
The author's first book "The Mormon Hacker" is a prelude to this book. Unfortunately it is out of print and not available as an eBook. I hope Mr. Acey writes a lot more books like the Utah Code Breakers, because he has shown a real talent for action writing.
The author's first book "The Mormon Hacker" is a prelude to this book. Unfortunately it is out of print and not available as an eBook. I hope Mr. Acey writes a lot more books like the Utah Code Breakers, because he has shown a real talent for action writing.
December 1, 2013
I bought the book because the title caught my interest and was pleasantly surprised to find that the book was very enjoyable to read. I understand that there is a prequel to this book, but again was pleased to find that it was not necessary to read it prior to this one. The information of the sites used in the book are of course fictional, but was mixed with enough facts to keep the interest level high
August 19, 2013
Good book. I liked it better than the first one. Good plot and very clean. Even though there was a complaint from another reader, the book was edited and the spelling corrected. I would recommend this book to anyone.
November 9, 2015
I read the first book in this series about a year and a half ago, liked it and I found that this one is even better. For me, this was a page-turner with good characters and an especially brilliant protagonist. I rate it 4.7 stars.
November 30, 2014
What a scary possibility this book presented. Full of suspense and drama and based in Utah with both members and non members involved it is a journey of suspense into cyber reality. Great read - kept me reading.
November 16, 2013
A good read and it was based in SLC Utah. Cool.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews