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Trojan

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This is an alternate Cover Edition for ISBN10: 099722570X/ ISBN13: 9780997225709.

Before the Hack of the US Election, there was Trojan.

Trojan is based on an infiltration and takedown of the US Nuclear Armament and Defense Systems scenario, which a US Navy Information Technology Veteran envisioned while he attended the Navy and Marine Corps Computer Science School at Quantico, VA.

While attending a computer internals class, an instructor removed the covers off a few of the systems in a computer lab and the student noticed that the tiny CPU chips, the brains of these machines, were all manufactured overseas somewhere. It shocked him and made him nervous that America’s nuclear defense capabilities could be dependent on foreign parts.

It begged the question…

What if an entity embedded rouge computer logic on those chips at the time they were manufactured, causing them to crash at a predetermined time, incapacitating America’s defense capabilities?

That question spawned the idea for this story.

Within Trojan, suddenly and without warning, all of America’s nuclear armament and defense systems crash - a complete meltdown. Star Wars, Air Force One, Doomsday Briefcase, and Guidance Systems, all rendered useless. Exposed, America is brutally attacked, major cities bombed.

Amid this crisis, one man arises, Victor Walker. He holds the key to saving America, but there appears to be one small problem – there are those in the American Government who don’t want him to do it.

Trojan is not a story written second-hand by someone who researched information technology and then penned the story. It’s written by a real-world Information Technology Veteran who provided services to the US Navy, the Department of the Navy, and various Fortune 100 companies.

Now that the Hack of the US Election is no longer a debatable topic, Trojan is not only a possibility, it’s a plausible future reality.

“Victor, who is comparable to an extremely patriotic Jason Bourne, is an intriguing hero.” - Clarion Review

“Fans of the genre will be delighted with the book's well-crafted characters, excellent pacing, and plot.” - Publisher’s Weekly

312 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2016

17 people are currently reading
659 people want to read

About the author

David L. Wallace

3 books38 followers
Before publishing my debut novel, I served over 27 years as an information technology professional working initially for the US Navy, and then the Department of the Navy and various fortune companies. I'm a UCLA Writing Program alumnus, who writes mystery thrillers and children stories. After years of crafting and fine-tuning my story telling ability, 2016 is the year of the launch of my debut novel titled Trojan, which is based on a "what if" scenario I envisioned years ago while attending the Naval & Marine Corps Computer Science School at Quantico. My vow to my readers is to capture your imagination and keep you engaged, from the beginning of each story to its riveting conclusion.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Chris Sanford.
67 reviews
September 12, 2016
Trojan is such a wonderfully written political thriller that it was difficult to put down. The in depth detail made it easy to follow even though the technical computer plot line. It has something for everyone amazing fight scenes, technological subplots, relationship issues, family drama, even nukes. The plot keeps the reader guessing along with the main character Victor Walker, about who the enemy is. From computer geeks to Middle East sects, to Ninja's, war vets and survivors and simple folks it is a full ride discovering who must be stopped to save America while it's technical defenses are down.
It has always bothered me how much society depends on technology for everything and that as the root of this story is a point well written. Subtle points are made about family, society, military, outsourcing, and the wounds of the past, that strengthen this story. It was nice to have a hero who was both smart and nerdy as well as fit and well trained. More people today are well rounded and to have our hero Victor show that through his strengths and weaknesses was well thought out. To show his weakness in his family as also his greatest strength to fight for made this book even more realistic. I would give Trojan 4 or 4 and a half stars only because I felt some things in the end were not wrapped up and that some more character development would have strengthened the story further. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to others.
Profile Image for Grady.
Author 51 books1,822 followers
October 16, 2016
‘The stinging sensation of ant bites would serve as his last reminder that before that evening, he was once human.‘

Brooklyn born, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina raised David L. Wallace makes his literary debut with TROJAN: THE ENEMY WITHIN with a depth of insight into espionage and IT experience that offers to the credibility of his novel. David has been in information technology both in the US Navy, the Department of the Navy as well as with various fortune companies. Writing has been a goal since he experienced a “what if” scenario envisioned years ago while attending the Naval & Marine Corps Computer Science School at Quantico. Now a graduate of the UCLA Writing Program he uses his background and literary training to bring to life a novel that appears to announce an important figure along the lines of Robert Ludlum!

With a flash of light (or rather a glow of dark!) David opens his book with a prologue that suggests the terror within – ‘From his crouched position in the woods in rural Georgetown County, South Carolina, he could hear his own heavy breathing in the night air as he watched the family’s movements inside their small, brown home. After much thought about the impression his outfit would make, he’d decided it was festive enough for the occasion. The complete ensemble consisted of a red and black skullcap aligned perfectly to the holes for his eyes, nose and mouth, and a formfitting, black bodysuit with white wings painted on the back. For years, he’d contemplated a name befitting himself and finally settled on Star of David Killer. He liked the way the alias reverberated in his head. It revealed a lot. It concealed everything. It hinted at his purpose and yet, it withheld the true essence of his aspirations, keeping them covered in a shroud of secrecy. He hoped an insightful reporter would have an epiphany and bestow that nickname upon him. It was far more interesting than the one his parents gave him at birth. He breathed deep and exhaled slowly, taking in the ambiance of the moment. It was time to initiate the events he hoped would lead everyone to recognize him by that moniker. He clinched and released his toes on each of his hospital footie covered feet. Through the shear curtains of the dimly lit dwelling, he saw the parents and their young son finish their dinner, signaled by the boy picking up the used plates from the table. He knew them well, after having cased their dwelling for years, observing every nuance of their behavior. He sat flushed as he watched them for the last time, shivering from time to time from the thrill of the thought of what he was about to do.’ One enemy defined, but the remainder of the story fleshes out every character equally well.

In David’s own synopsis he states, ‘Victor Walker’s main responsibility as Sr. Manager of White House Defense Armament Systems, was to ensure America’s flagship armament servers remained up and operational, to protect against major attacks, both foreign and domestic. His performance garnered him praise for his genius from both the office of the President and the Secretary of Defense. On the evening of August 7th, a dark cloud overshadowed his otherwise bright and shining existence. Suddenly and without warning, all flagship armament servers crashed – a complete meltdown. Star Wars, Air Force One, Doomsday Briefcase and Guidance Systems were all rendered useless. As Victor raced to ID the root cause of the disaster to avert a non-defensible strike on America, he found something didn’t pass the smell test. Indicators pointed to a rodent on the loose – to a Trojan – to a mole within America’s government who was assisting a hostile enemy.’

Much of David’s writing feels like personal observation, a quality that engages the reader with a vice grip, placing us in the midst of the thriller as audience participants. It works extremely well and assures that David L. Wallace has stepped into the inner circle with his debut novel.
Profile Image for Marinda.
379 reviews7 followers
October 11, 2016
Who to trust that is the question. Victor Walker runs the nation's online defense system and just days after a major political figure is assassinated the defenses all comes crashing down. Now America is defenseless and it's up to Victor to fix it, all while trying to avoid being killed,protecting his wife and daughter,clearing his name and trying to figure out who did it and how they did it. With assassins,ninjas,war vets,computer geeks, and just plain folks the action keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even though there's lots of computer speak in the book it no way bogs the story down. The author kept just the right balance of strength and weakness and Victor to make him feel like any person the reader knows out in the real world. Victor's biggest weakness is also his strength the fierce love, protectiveness and loyalty he feels to his family. Will he be able to solve this and save hisself and everyone he loves? Who can you trust the when the danger comes from within?
I truly enjoyed this geo-political thriller from start to finish and was kept guessing who the enemy was through the entire story up to the very end. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends and if you're like me and enjoy a good thriller don't hesitate to grab this book you won't be sorry.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
Profile Image for Lee.
604 reviews13 followers
September 8, 2016
This is a very intense book! It's an action-packed, nail-biter story, with lives hanging in the balance. Set in Washington D.C., the story centers around a government worker, Victor, who deals with computers and security with the missile defense systems. When the systems shut down with no warning, the government and the nation is in serious trouble from an unknown enemy. While Victor and his staff hurry to try to fix what's wrong, someone behind the scenes is setting Victor up to be the fall guy. His family is kidnapped, he is threatened, and explosions happen in his workplace, until he has to go on the run trying to find a way to prove his innocence and save his family and save the country. I loved this story...and I could definitely see this happening nowadays within the government. There is a great authenticity to the book and the events and the people who make up the book. So much happens to the main family and government people, it left my heart pounding in a lot of places, waiting to see if they would be okay. I enjoyed the book a lot. And I highly recommend it. I was able to read it quickly, because it captured my attention and kept it throughout the book. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Cale.
161 reviews
January 24, 2017
I admit I had no real expectations when starting this book by David L. Wallace seeing as how I’d never read the author before and the description felt a bit generic to me. But I ended up enjoying it more than I expected. I was so immersed in this book and impressed with the level of detailing on almost every single aspect. A lesser author would have glossed over some of these pivotal scenes that Mr. Wallace carefully and masterfully brought to life in a memorable way. And the characters… Loved them all! (even the ones I didn’t like!) Felt like a got a great dose of harsh reality and the darker side of life and human nature, and how different beliefs, ideologies can clash in ways that are detrimental to the safety of everyone, and thought Mr. Wallace did a great job of weaving it into a believable, well-written storyline. Interesting and complex with social commentary that is not for the easily offended or faint of heart. Very easy to read, with great pacing and editing. Recommend for adults.
Profile Image for Lynn Hallbrooks.
Author 7 books112 followers
December 26, 2016
I was intrigued by the synopsis when I read it on the Reading Deals Review Club site. I requested it and was given a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

To me this is a cross between Mystery and Suspense with a smidge of Family Drama thrown in.

Victor works as a top level supervisor within the Department of Homeland Security. Cyber-threats to national defense and security fall within his purview. He has been a trusted employee, that is until chaos reigns. Now not only his job is on the line but the fate of the nation.

In my opinion there were some scenes in this story that did not reflect well on certain professions. I am not sure if this was the intent of Mr. Wallace or not. I may be being overly-sensitive, so I urge anyone intrigued by this story to make their own decisions after giving the book a fair read.

Warning: Due to Adult language and situations plus Violence, I recommend this book for a Mature Audience.
Profile Image for Susan.
498 reviews27 followers
February 6, 2017
This book plot couldn't be more real. The main character is Victor Walker, manager of the top secret Computer Defense Armament System (CDAS). CDAS is responsible for keeping the country's defense weapons protected and always available. Of course, something happens to put the system in jeopardy.

There is a lot of detail on how the system is suppose to works, sometimes too technical. At least for me. But it is necessary to the main plot about whis is responsible for the trojan virus in the system. No spoilers. You have to read this book.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book to review.
Profile Image for Kim .
63 reviews2 followers
October 6, 2016
Faced paced and thrilling.
I was almost living the scenes of the story. Wallace is on par with world class authors in the likes of Tom Clancy. And to think of it, I must've enjoyed Trojan more than any Clancy's titles.
Wallace's fast-paced thriller brings to mind Jason Bourne but in this case its Victor Walker. Victor happens to be the person spearheading the fight against terrorism, being the Senior manager of White House defence armament system. As fighters crisis in this breathtaking action narration, nothing betrays the fact that you're actually reading it not on the scene.
Trojan: The Enemy Within was completely off the radar and unpredictable. You can't be too sure about any tiny thing. Anything can happen, anytime. I've read some good political thrillers and this one, in particular, didn't disappoint.
6,228 reviews80 followers
March 18, 2016
I won this novel in a goodreads drawing.

It's an espionage novel about a mole hunt, with the protagonist being framed for a crime he didn't commit, and being branded a traitor. Plus there's the spectre of nuclear armageddon front and center as well, as he is accused of taking down the country's entire nuclear apparatus.

Unfortunately, none of this is very well done. Very little, if any, tension is generated, and all of the characters are two dimensional.

The only really interesting part took place in the prologue. The rest of the book is pretty trite.

Plus, the book is not formatted well, using very small type that only takes up about three quarters of a page. It was a strange choice.

There were some promising ideas here, but most of them were wasted. Too bad.

Profile Image for emily.
107 reviews
August 29, 2016
Trojan is great! The writing is fluid and consistent. I was surprised to the attention of detail used in Trojan, but the detail wasn't annoying. It is consistent. I would say that Trojan is action packed, literally from the first page. The fight scenes are awesome, they were intense. I do think that the book dragged a little in the excitement department.

Trojan does have an interesting topic. I feel like military security would be hard to write if you do not have much knowledge or experience in that subject. So, I think that the author definitely has an advantage with his professional background. It made the book seem realistic to me. I love the ratio of fighting and "talking". I would give Trojan four stars!
Profile Image for Valery.
1,501 reviews57 followers
December 20, 2016
Victor Walker, senior manager of White House defense armament systems, is the compelling protagonist in Trojan: The Enemy Within by David L. Wallace. A political thriller at it's core, this novel also touches on the concept of revenge. With intricate detail that describes computer security matters at the highest government levels, complicated personal relationships and power struggles, this novel propels the reader along a taut, exciting journey. From the opening pages with a vicious murder, a potential N. Korea incident and the assassination of the Vice President, Wallace has crafted an extraordinary debut political thriller. A suspenseful novel that will engage the reader until the solid if abrupt ending. I look forward to reading more from this author and highly recommend this debut.
91 reviews
February 15, 2017
Trojan, A political Thriller, A Love Story
Trojan is a fast past political thriller by David L Wallace, who has used the computer IT world to write this great book. Someone close the the President of the president of the United States has breached or has helped breached the defense system. The one man blamed was kidnapped along family, the length he goes to to save his county and defend his name is nothing short of heroic. Once you start reading this book you have a very hard time putting to down. It's a 5 star book in my opinion! I was giving this book free to read and to review, but I would buy it to read again
Profile Image for Heidi.
524 reviews50 followers
October 21, 2016
The characters are developed well, but what really soars is the plot. There is never a dull moment in this thriller. There were times when I gasped, closed my eyes, and held my breath. From the moment when an important figure is assassinated, to the travesties that cities endure, to the impending major threats, my mind is still blown away.

Read my full review on my blog:
https://bookloverblogs.com/2016/10/21...
Profile Image for Stacey Schneller.
242 reviews5 followers
August 16, 2016
This book kept me guessing, trying to put the pieces together of who was behind the attacks on America and Victor's family. It was a fast paced read for me and I enjoyed it very much. It does make you think of what if this could really happen. A good story and if you like a good thriller I recommend this book. 


 I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you. 
Profile Image for Chocomeiske .
587 reviews56 followers
October 12, 2016
Absolutely a hidden gem. This reads like a best-selling political thriller. It has action galore and the tension is palpable as the protagonist races to secure the security of the armamant systems while under the suspicion of being connected with the terrorists and fighting to keep his marriage. Loved it.
Profile Image for Antonella Gramola-Sands.
523 reviews5 followers
January 2, 2017
Great book, impossible to put down once started. For the lovers of political thrillers this is a real gem. Totally engrossing characters and interesting plot twists.
Profile Image for Paula.
182 reviews8 followers
November 11, 2016
Keyboards Kill
I want to take a few moments to share my thoughts on this great book that I recently finished reading. If you like stories of electronic espionage, pulse-pounding action, and a realistic storyline then Trojan: The Enemy Within by David L. Wallace is for you. Once you jump into the exciting ever changing environment that the author has cleverly created with his creative writing style, you will stay immersed until the very end. I felt like a fly on the wall observing an entirely different esoteric reality of what goes on behind the doors of the White House, Homeland Security, the Pentagon, and the President's Office. All the Top Secret entities and their clandestine operations that happen without security clearance are so real that I almost felt guilty reading. Due to the concise and well-researched nomenclature and complex functions of the super secret environment along with the well written and developed characters of this story as they carried out their extremely secretive and pertinent jobs I got a Tom Clancey feel from this read. I enjoyed the easy going writing style that made the story very clear and understandable. Don't judge this book by its cover, which I found to be a little antiseptic and distant, the contents are anything but. Thanks to excellent proofing and editing the story flowed without interruption. This brave writer took on a story subject which is crowded and highly competitive. Thanks to his talent, effort, and discipline he created a book that is sure to standout in the crowd.
29 reviews
July 4, 2017
What would you do if the most important computer systems in the world failed?
Victor Walker works in the White House computer system. When the Vice President is killed and his personal computer is compromised, Victor is needed to help find who did it. When the defense systems of both the White House and the Pentagon suddenly shut down Victor thinks it was the defense systems that were targeted all along, and that someone within the White House is responsible. Who can you trust when someone you know turns out to be a terrorist and murderer?

I finished it within a week! I found this gripping from beginning to end. I'm a bit of a tech nerd myself, so I found the main plot being computers kind of fun. It was a mix of CSI: Cyber and, well, any White-House-in-trouble movie. It was action-packed and fast-paced. I could see this being turned into a movie.

The thing that kind of bugged me was that there was too much "tech speak". Being a bit of a computer nerd myself, I understood a lot of it, and the beginning had the characters explaining what they were talking about, but after a while my brain got tired of figuring out what the characters were talking about. I understand the story has everything to do with the most important computer systems in the world, but it would have been more enjoyable, for me, if the "tech speak" was easier to understand.
Profile Image for Mary Enck.
Author 1 book12 followers
July 9, 2017
After reading this novel, I feel as if I have learned some things about the intricacies of computer programming, cyber spying, hacking, and loads of other amazing activities. I am no programmer myself, but this was easy to understand even though it left me a little lost at times. The story is all the more intriguing with the technical details woven in. The author must have great knowledge about the subject in order to write this and I believe deserves respect for that as well as being a great storyteller.

I enjoyed this novel. I feel it highlights the world we find ourselves in today and the troubles that are inherent with the tentacles that reach us from Internet to air travel and ever growing dangers that come by getting closer to other cultures, other countries and their battles. I often long for the days of travel by horse-drawn conveyances and times when the most devastating tragedies are the likes of the Titanic sinking. That seems to pale alongside the possibilities of nuclear warfare. Trojan may scare you and put that into perspective.

I read this one in a hurry and lost sleep. It is that riveting.
Profile Image for  B. Sinsational.
167 reviews12 followers
June 18, 2017
Best book I've ever read in this genre!

Exceptional awesome fast paced techno-thriller. Perfectly balanced between action and intrigue, dialogue and suspense-building events. Characters with depth and personality traits both positive and negative ones, which helps give a vivid impression of real people. Unlike many other books in this genre, this has character-based side stories revealed in a realistic, and relevant manner and this fact adds a remarkable allure and attraction for the reader. There is not a dull moment in this book.
Fantastic work from a highly talented Author, hopefully many more fantastic books will come. This is a definite best-book I've ever read within this genre.
Profile Image for Donny.
160 reviews1 follower
July 3, 2021
Amazing, intriguing, drama was enthralling.
Profile Image for Notes From 'Round the Bend.
161 reviews5 followers
May 22, 2017
I‰Ûªm going to be upfront in saying that I struggled with this book; technothrillers are an utterly uncharted territory for me. I found the barrage of acronyms and technical terms overwhelming, coming back-to-back-to-back as they did right from the jump. It‰Ûªs clear an expert wrote this novel, but a layperson may well struggle with the terminology, The sentence structure was awkwardly convoluted at times and I found myself rereading a number of passages in an attempt to untangle them.

That being said, the premise and plot of this novel was interesting. Mr. Wallace really did put his extensive career in information technology and government/military work to good use. His characters evolve in complexity as the story progresses and Victor is the type of flawed hero that readers can root for. Many people

will relate to his struggle to find a balance between work and home life, the burden of certain secrets‰ÛÓespecially those with shame and guilt attached‰ÛÓand the toll responsibility can take on a person.

Considering the current political climate, both in the U.S. and around the world, ‰ÛÏTrojan‰Û has a frightening reality to it. The events in this novel could very well come to pass and the terror of that leant this thriller a cutting edge that the genre has been missing. Reader beware: If you‰Ûªre a worrier, be prepared for sleepless nights spent thinking about the possibilities.
Bottom line: ‰ÛÏTrojan‰Û has good, solid bones underneath the slightly rough surface. Lovers of political intrigue, cyberterorrism, and modern murder mysteries will enjoy this. An IT background would likely help with the terminology here, so do keep that in mind.
Profile Image for Pam Herald.
77 reviews3 followers
September 10, 2016
I enjoy political thrillers, and this one delivered on several levels. Though it was very detail oriented, it did not take away from the essence of the story. I actually learned a lot and found myself thinking, could this really happen?

This is an intense action packed read that kept me hanging on for dear life all the way to the end! The very life support of the safety of the nation is compromised when the computer system controlling it crashes without warning. This sends government worker and head of his department Victor and his staff scrambling to find the reason in a hurry, Soon Victor realizes his worst nightmare, he is being set up to take the blame. His family is kidnapped and the ensuing ordeal to find out who is doing this leads him into the fight (fights!) of his life. A great character, lots of action and twists will have you engrossed in this exciting thriller from page one!

I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review, and I am honestly telling you to get it and enjoy it now! You won't be disappointed.
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