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Erased: A Psychological Thriller
There’s no escaping the prison of your mind… Professional hacker Jeff Demarzo reports to work as usual, only to discover none of the colleagues at his company of the last five years recognize him. Fearful his grasp on reality is slipping, yet unwilling to accept the overwhelming evidence of his own insanity, Demarzo must embark on a dangerous quest to uncover the truth—whether he’s prepared for it or not.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2017
63 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 27, 2017
I can’t imagine anything scarier than thinking you’re losing your mind. That’s what happens when Jeff Demarzo shows up for work at his high-tech software company, only to find that he’s forgotten his badge. No problem, right? Someone will vouch for him. He’s been employed there for five years and has many friends at CMI. WRONG! Everyone he meets claims he is a stranger, says he does not work there, never has. His credit cards are cancelled; his bank account is closed. How is this possible? A family member had schizophrenia. Maybe he has developed a mental illness too? Malcolm Pierce takes Demarzo on a frightening, puzzling, dangerous expedition to find the truth and regain his identity in Erased.
When virtually all of his contacts deny knowing him, where can he turn for help? Is there anyone he can trust? As the saying goes, “Just because you’re paranoid, that doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.” He eventually does put his faith in a woman he met at work, and they partner up to use their extensive computer skills to keep his pursuers at bay. Jeff, a programmer who is also professional hacker, comes up with ingenious schemes to buy time, but Sarah is no slouch either. Was it my imagination, or does their relationship come about too easily? Well, for one thing, she reminds him of his former fiancée, who was killed in an accident. Could a new romance be brewing? There is no time for love, however, because whoever expunged Jeff’s identity is now seeking to cause him physical harm.
As in Mr. Pierce’s Blood Passage, the protagonist has smarts. He is sharp-witted, tech-savvy, and he thinks like a military man. He has the personality of a mild-mannered civilian, but he can turn on the tough stuff when he needs to. Sarah is sharp and insightful too. But is she real, or is she a figment of a delusional mind? All of a sudden, I found myself shouting, “WHAT?!” I was scratching my head, wondering how it was all going to shake out.
I marvel at the author’s cleverness in getting his characters in and out of technical difficulties.
I am not a techie geek by any stretch of the imagination, but I still found Erased to be filled with plenty of commotion and tension. Special thanks to Mr. Pierce for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
4 stars
When virtually all of his contacts deny knowing him, where can he turn for help? Is there anyone he can trust? As the saying goes, “Just because you’re paranoid, that doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.” He eventually does put his faith in a woman he met at work, and they partner up to use their extensive computer skills to keep his pursuers at bay. Jeff, a programmer who is also professional hacker, comes up with ingenious schemes to buy time, but Sarah is no slouch either. Was it my imagination, or does their relationship come about too easily? Well, for one thing, she reminds him of his former fiancée, who was killed in an accident. Could a new romance be brewing? There is no time for love, however, because whoever expunged Jeff’s identity is now seeking to cause him physical harm.
As in Mr. Pierce’s Blood Passage, the protagonist has smarts. He is sharp-witted, tech-savvy, and he thinks like a military man. He has the personality of a mild-mannered civilian, but he can turn on the tough stuff when he needs to. Sarah is sharp and insightful too. But is she real, or is she a figment of a delusional mind? All of a sudden, I found myself shouting, “WHAT?!” I was scratching my head, wondering how it was all going to shake out.
I marvel at the author’s cleverness in getting his characters in and out of technical difficulties.
I am not a techie geek by any stretch of the imagination, but I still found Erased to be filled with plenty of commotion and tension. Special thanks to Mr. Pierce for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
4 stars
March 30, 2017
If there’s one thing a reader can be sure of when picking up a book by Malcolm Pierce, it’s this: you’ll be holding your breath and turning pages as fast as you can go and any interruptions in your reading will be un-welcomed!
Just as he did in his previous book, BLOOD PASSAGE, Malcolm Pierce’s protagonist in ERASED, Jeff Demarzo, finds himself plunged into an inexplicable reality: he shows up for work at CMI and is suddenly denied entry by a guard he knows, but who insists he doesn’t recognize him. Thinking someone is playing a joke on him, he approaches several others of his acquaintances and all deny knowing who he is. When he attempts to text, email or call his friends, he can’t reach anyone. What is going on?
Demarzo’s frustration mounts when he discovers his bank account is empty, his credit cards are being declined, and just when he begins to wonder if the schizophrenia which afflicted a relative has now grabbed a hold of his mind, he returns to his home to find one of his best friends dead…in his own living room! How did this happen? Did he kill his friend and not remember it? As Demarzo reels in confusion, puzzled readers frantically flip pages, as eager as the protagonist to solve the riddle of his circumstances.
Demarzo’s greatest allies in getting to the bottom of the mystery are his remarkable hacking skills and a pretty companion, Sarah. But she too suddenly vanishes inexplicably from his life as he rushes to evade pursuers hell-bent on killing him. Determined to breach all security and gain entry to NSA’s inner chambers where he believes the answers to his dilemma lie, Demarzo battles for his life and safety. Does he survive? Does he solve the mystery to his own and the reader’s satisfaction? You have to read ERASED yourself to see just how cleverly Malcolm Pierce brings this latest book of his to a logical and acceptable conclusion.
On a personal level, I always enjoy a writer who is not only creative, but has a solid knowledge of the circumstances, places and technical intricacies about which he is writing. Malcolm Pierce is all that, and then some, as an author. You cannot fail to be impressed by his familiarity with his subject and his ability to work all that knowledge into a totally gripping plot.
Congratulations Malcolm Pierce on writing yet another super novel in ERASED. I enjoyed it thoroughly!
©Viga Boland, author and book reviewer
http://www.vianvi.com
Viga Boland
Don't Write Your MEmoir without ME!
Learning to Love Myself: A memoir of healing after child sexual abuse
The Ladies of Loretto
No Tears for My Father: A true story of incest
Just as he did in his previous book, BLOOD PASSAGE, Malcolm Pierce’s protagonist in ERASED, Jeff Demarzo, finds himself plunged into an inexplicable reality: he shows up for work at CMI and is suddenly denied entry by a guard he knows, but who insists he doesn’t recognize him. Thinking someone is playing a joke on him, he approaches several others of his acquaintances and all deny knowing who he is. When he attempts to text, email or call his friends, he can’t reach anyone. What is going on?
Demarzo’s frustration mounts when he discovers his bank account is empty, his credit cards are being declined, and just when he begins to wonder if the schizophrenia which afflicted a relative has now grabbed a hold of his mind, he returns to his home to find one of his best friends dead…in his own living room! How did this happen? Did he kill his friend and not remember it? As Demarzo reels in confusion, puzzled readers frantically flip pages, as eager as the protagonist to solve the riddle of his circumstances.
Demarzo’s greatest allies in getting to the bottom of the mystery are his remarkable hacking skills and a pretty companion, Sarah. But she too suddenly vanishes inexplicably from his life as he rushes to evade pursuers hell-bent on killing him. Determined to breach all security and gain entry to NSA’s inner chambers where he believes the answers to his dilemma lie, Demarzo battles for his life and safety. Does he survive? Does he solve the mystery to his own and the reader’s satisfaction? You have to read ERASED yourself to see just how cleverly Malcolm Pierce brings this latest book of his to a logical and acceptable conclusion.
On a personal level, I always enjoy a writer who is not only creative, but has a solid knowledge of the circumstances, places and technical intricacies about which he is writing. Malcolm Pierce is all that, and then some, as an author. You cannot fail to be impressed by his familiarity with his subject and his ability to work all that knowledge into a totally gripping plot.
Congratulations Malcolm Pierce on writing yet another super novel in ERASED. I enjoyed it thoroughly!
©Viga Boland, author and book reviewer
http://www.vianvi.com
Viga Boland
Don't Write Your MEmoir without ME!
Learning to Love Myself: A memoir of healing after child sexual abuse
The Ladies of Loretto
No Tears for My Father: A true story of incest
July 29, 2017
What would you do if you went to work and no one knew who you were? This is what faced Jeff Demarzo at the start of this fast-moving thriller. Then he discovers his whole identity has been erased. He is unable to make contact with family, friends or work colleagues. His bank account no longer exists and he has no social media accounts. Fortunately, Jeff is a professional hacker and needs to use all his skills to get to the bottom of his problem or accept he is unbalanced.
He finally meets up with Sarah who remembers him and helps with his plans to find the answers he needs. But, is she real or a figment of his imagination?
Pierce’s writing holds the reader’s attention with his descriptive prose and page turning suspenseful moments. Erased is fast moving but does not leave out details or put unanswered questions in the reader’s mind.
I am no technical geek so I can’t say how accurate the book is in this area but it certainly held my interest and was exciting. Usually when I am reviewing a book I make notes along the way. In this case I was too engrossed to take many notes. That is always a good sign of how a book holds my interest.
Congratulations Mr Pierce! This is indeed a 5* book.
He finally meets up with Sarah who remembers him and helps with his plans to find the answers he needs. But, is she real or a figment of his imagination?
Pierce’s writing holds the reader’s attention with his descriptive prose and page turning suspenseful moments. Erased is fast moving but does not leave out details or put unanswered questions in the reader’s mind.
I am no technical geek so I can’t say how accurate the book is in this area but it certainly held my interest and was exciting. Usually when I am reviewing a book I make notes along the way. In this case I was too engrossed to take many notes. That is always a good sign of how a book holds my interest.
Congratulations Mr Pierce! This is indeed a 5* book.
May 8, 2019
Excellent read
Again, not a novel I would normally read, but after reading Blood Passage, I had to read it.
I am now hooked and looking forward to Malcolms next novel.
This book keeps you in suspense right it the end, then the twist in the tail.
Again, not a novel I would normally read, but after reading Blood Passage, I had to read it.
I am now hooked and looking forward to Malcolms next novel.
This book keeps you in suspense right it the end, then the twist in the tail.
October 21, 2022
Something different and?????????.
I really don’t know what to say about this book after reading it. It was interesting, but hard to believe. Characters were a little weak and the story line was unreal.
I really don’t know what to say about this book after reading it. It was interesting, but hard to believe. Characters were a little weak and the story line was unreal.
August 24, 2020
Interesting and informative
The plot is good . Could have developed the characters a bit more. I did enjoy and will look forward to more by this author.☺
The plot is good . Could have developed the characters a bit more. I did enjoy and will look forward to more by this author.☺
September 24, 2021
Good story
I skipped through the pages pretty quickly. Probably half of this story is deep into tech nerd territory. Which I just don't understand in the 1st place.
I skipped through the pages pretty quickly. Probably half of this story is deep into tech nerd territory. Which I just don't understand in the 1st place.
March 27, 2017
Erased by Pierce. I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it. This is a great story with plenty of pathos but down-times as well when the protagonist checks on his computer. He is left with nothing, no id and no money and he has no idea why people are after him. All is revealed at the end and maybe a bit of romance.
March 28, 2017
Wow, another exciting page-turner from Mr. Pierce! His first-person present writing tense is superb! Couldn't put it down!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews