JK's Code

by Ronald S. Barak

JK’S CODE
CAN YOU UNRAVEL IT . . . BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE?

Twenty-year-old computer genius Jake Klein, known to his friends as JK, drops out of college to pursue fortune and fame in the field of cybersecurity. Discovering and upending a conspiracy between the presidents of Russia and America to manipulate the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, JK finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the heads of state of two of the world’s most powerful countries—with the emphasis on deadly. Revealing the truth to the world definitely comes with a price. The fourth in the bestselling Brooks/Lotello novels, JK’s Code is a political thriller teeming with real-time events, satire, suspense, and just a hint of romance that couldn’t come any closer to the realities of 2020 if JK were covertly dividing his time between the White House and the Kremlin—which he may just be.

436 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2020

About the author

Ronald S. Barak, bestselling author, Olympic athlete, law school honors graduate, and experienced courtroom lawyer, is uniquely qualified to write his novels that appeal to all political and legal thriller fans.

Described by his readers as a cross between Agatha Christie, Lee Child, and John Lescroart, bestselling author Barak keeps his readers flipping the pages into the wee hours of the night. While he mostly lets his characters tell his stories, he manages to get his licks in too.

Barak derives great satisfaction from knowing that his books not only entertain but also stimulate others to think about how things might be, how people can actually resolve real-world problems. In particular, Barak tackles the country’s dysfunctional government representatives—not just back-seat driving criticism for the sake of being a back-seat driver, but truly framing practical remedies to the political abuse and corruption adversely affecting too many people’s lives today. Barak’s extensive legal background and insight allow him to cleverly pollinate his fiction and today’s sad state of political reality.

Barak resides in Pacific Palisades, California, where he is hard at work on his next novel.

Novels in the Brooks/Lotello Thriller Series include The Amendment Killer, The Puppet Master, and Payback. He is listed among the most respected thriller and mystery authors today: https://ronaldsbarak.com/not-exactly-....

To learn more about Barak, visit. https://ronaldsbarak.com/.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ronald S. Barak is back with another explosive thriller that mixes politics, technology, and a dash of satire to entertain a the reader effectively. Jake Klein is a computer genius at only twenty. He scores a lucrative invite to a secret conference on election meddling and takes away more than a few pointers on how to rig an election, including backdoor access into a highly dangerous hacker’s computer. Jake soon learns of a plan by the Russians to once again influence and meddle in the upcoming 2020 US election, which is backed by the current POTUS. Trying to get the message out, Jake is soon discovered and two superpower governments seek to neutralise him for all he knows. With Election Day approaching, he will have to act swiftly, or face another four years of horrible leadership. Barak knows how to convey a wonderful story with a twist to keep the reader engaged.

Jake Klein knows his way around a computer, even at a young age. Known to those around him as JK, Jake finds himself tripping upon a private conference in Eastern Europe whose aim is to highlight how to rig elections through voting machines. When he scores an invite, Jake is ready to take the information and ensure it is passed along to those who need it.

While at the conference, JK takes the bold move of installing a tracker on the computer of a powerful hacker, just to see what he can discover. When he is back in the US, JK learns just how dangerous things can get, as he uncovers plans to infiltrate the 2020 US election once more. Led by the Russians, with full support of the current US Administration, the plan would be to use voting machines to skew results and leave a destructive leader in the White House. As JK trie to stop this, he is discovered by powerful sources in each government, making him a wanted man.

While JK tries to dodge those who are after him, he confides in his sister about what is going on. She, in turn, entrusts the help of others around her to locate and rescue JK before it’s too late. Talk of assassination, treason, and permanent incarceration circle around, while JK is being held captive. Knowing what he is doing is for the good of the many, Jake stops at nothing to ensure that the truth comes out, or that election results are not tainted ahead of this most important election for America. Ronald S. Barak does well to keep the reader engaged, adding his own spin on events in the not too distant past.

I stumbled upon the world of Ronald S. Barak a few years ago and was immediately hooked. His mix of law, politics, and satire had me wanting to know more as quickly as I could. This is another great book that packs a punch, while also conveying some of the seriousness that befell the US election system, with some spewing “fix” on both sides. A strong narrative and highly detailed plot keeps the reader engaged and curious as to how things will progress, which is just the kind of book I needed. Eager to see what else Barak has in store for this series, which took a turn away from the strict legal storyline.

Jake Klein (JK) plays a wonderful protagonist in this piece, offering up some great backstory and development throughout. Young and keenly aware of his surroundings, JK can tap into things with ease and expound on them. He is attune to the world around him, yet somewhat naive when it comes to life, as is shown throughout this piece. Relying on the help of others, JK makes his mark and uses his brains to face-off against two powerful entities, both with plans to annihilate him, given then chance.

Legal thrillers are definitely my cup of tea, given the chance to get lost in their storylines. Ronald S. Barak has done well with his past stories, but spins things in this one, while adding some satire to what was a highly tense 2020 US election campaign. His narrative in this piece flows well and kept me on my toes throughout, never sure in which direction he would take things. The plot seemed clear, but definitely had some twists to keep things interesting. Mixing chapter lengths, Barak tears the reader to “read a little more”, which was his stated goal in the author’s introduction. Adding that satirical side is sure to anger some who would don their silly red ball caps, but that is perhaps the point. I liked the blend of serious topic and lighthearted banter, which made reading this book all the easier for me.

Kudos, Mr. Barak, for another winner. Bring on more, as I am eager to see where things will go in this series.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely, compulsively readable political and legal thriller that wryly connects the terrors of the dark web with the fragile state of democracy. One of the year’s best!

In a world where activists like Julian Assange have become famous for extravagant government exposes, Ron Barak’s new political thriller imagines what is at stake for the hackers on the front lines. JK’s Code is named for the text-based key to the mystery that American cybersecurity buff Jake Klein, known as JK, developed to impress his older sister. Little did he know that one day it could be used in an attempt to save his own life.

In the novel’s early chapters, a brilliant Russian hacker named Leonid Gradsky takes a meeting with Russian President for Life Alexi Turgenev and demonstrates the power of his new computer program. Turgenev’s advisors soon come to the conclusion that the technology will enable them to manipulate the 2020 U.S. election results effectively and discreetly. They also initially assume that they can appropriate Gradsky’s election-manipulating solution at any time. Little do they know that the software is dependent on the innovation of a Kazhak developer named Cipher.

Enter JK, who soon discovers Gradsky’s real identity, and more importantly, that Turgenev is conspiring with the President of the United States to rig the election.

In the book’s early chapters, Barak’s burgeoning fan base may wonder what this all has to do with retired U.S. District Court Judge Cyrus Brooks and homicide detective Frank Lotello, whose names are the basis for the entire series. The connective tissue is Leah Klein Lotello, the older sister of Jake “JK” Klein, wife of Frank Lotello and step-mother of Charlie Lotello and Madison Lotello (if you didn’t get all that, don’t fear – Barak has generously added a cast of characters before the prologue). Leah also happens to be an attorney. To say much more about Cyrus and Frank’s involvement would add spoilers, but it’s safe to say that both play a significant role. Barak has created perhaps his most ingenious plot yet, one that maintains a coherent, suspenseful thread across two continents and the dark web while still carving out a hefty lift for Brooks and Lotello. The dynamic duo’s entrance also adds a layer of wry humor to the high stakes political and legal drama.

JK’s Code is a book that will captivate readers well beyond the 2020 election.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

JK's Code is another installment in Ronald S. Barak's Brooks/Lotello political thriller series.
In this one, an American university computer security student stumbles across a plot to sway the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election through a highly sophisticated computer program. J.K.'s discovery leads him to travel the world, meet interesting new people and gain an up close and personal knowledge of American law enforcement as he tries to understand and counteract the hacker malware.
Barak writes hard hitting books set in a very familiar America and this one is no different than the others in that respect. There are world leaders and politicians who have a striking resemblance those we've just spent the last several years watching. The action is fast paced and so exciting you won't want to stop till you get to the very last page.
This is a book everything I look for in a political thriller, and I loved it.

[Ronald Barak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm throwing a virtual pre-order book release party for my new election fraud thriller, the 4th novel in my bestselling Brooks/Lotello series, JK'S CODE!

Don’t miss your chance to get JK'S CODE at our pre-order price of 99 cents! (JK'S CODE Pre-Order)

The plot in JK’S CODE is so closely tied to the events of the most dramatic election of our time, you’ll wonder what’s real and what’s fiction!

“An incredibly timely election fraud political thriller—you’ll wonder where reality ends and fiction begins.”
—Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Escape Artist

Here's a sneak peek from the Prologue:

SOMETHING WAS CRAWLING UP his leg, chewing at his consciousness as well as his skin. He violently slapped at it, heard it scurry away in the darkness, but couldn’t see it. It wasn’t from the hood that no longer covered his head. When he opened his eyes, it was still pitch black.

He strained for any sounds that might help him get his bearings. Except for his labored breathing, however, there was complete silence.

The cuffs that had bound his arms behind him were gone, although his shoulders still ached. He stood, slowly, felt the lingering stiffness in his body, but was grateful to again be able to move.

He raised his hands in front of his face, pointing outward, and cautiously inched forward. In a few steps, he made contact with a wall. The chill from the stone seemed to penetrate his fingers and travel through his bones as he released a shiver. Pulling his hands back, he could feel dampness remaining on his fingertips. He rubbed his hands together.

He tried stepping out of the dimensions of his indeterminate confines—until his knee banged into something unyielding. He used his hand to trace the shape of the offending object, a john. He reached around it and made contact with an adjacent sink.

After a few more minutes of exploring, he concluded that he was in a cubicle, approximately ten feet by ten feet. He was trembling and he was chilled to the bone.

In his mind’s eye, he reconstructed the two emails addressed to Leah Klein Lotello—sent just before the thugs had grabbed him, and roughed him up. As near as he could tell, that was only a few hours ago.

He had written the two back-to-back emails in code—JK’s Code—because he couldn’t dare let them know what he was actually trying to say. His life depended on concealing the real message of the emails from them.

It had been years since he had used the code he’d devised to impress his older sister and that she’d christened after his own nickname—JK. He wondered whether she would still remember JK’s Code, and how it worked.

The first email had read:

DEAR SIS!

HOPE YOU’RE WELL. WE NEED TO CATCH UP.

HUGS,

JAKE

The second email had read:

BUKAR ABCIM U-

He had been forced to split the message in two parts. As it was, he hadn’t had time to finish the second email.
On its face, the beginning of the first email was perfectly innocent. His captors would not know it had a double meaning. He could only hope Leah would, and would apply JK’s Code to translate DEAR SIS! into DIRE SOS! To tell her that he was in trouble—serious trouble. Signing it with his formal name rather than his favored nickname was intended to signal something was amiss.

Jake hated having to send the two emails to her, having to be dependent on anyone, especially on his sister, who still treated him like he was a child instead of a twenty-year-old man. The last time he and Leah had spoken—three months earlier—he lost his temper and essentially told her to leave him alone. He didn’t think he needed anyone’s help. He was wrong.

And he was scared.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

JK's Code - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Ronald S Barak cleverly posits a US/Russian conspiracy that's bang up-to-date, in J(ake) K(lein)'s Code - a 'true' version, of how the 2016 election had been (and potentially 2020's was to be), rigged again - by Russia - and ensure Baker's re-election, in return for US/Russian compliance.

JK learns of the conspiracy, (to frame him in the Press) but what can he do to prove his innocence?
Who is Anya - and is she who she says she is?
What does President Baker plan to do if he's not re-elected?

JK's Code by Ron Barak, is so realistically possible, that it could be read as an unofficial 'biography' of either/both the current US and Russian Presidents, or as 'JK's' journal of the last two years, up to the present time.

Do you agree? Get your copy of this tense political thriller, that will make you see the so-called 'super' powers leaders in a whole new light, under the 'skin' of assumed respectability and integrity... you'll never guess how it will all turn out!

[Graham J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Topical and exciting novel.

I really enjoyed this novel as it gives an insight into the political skulduggery that goes on and is so credible.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I’ve had this recording for sometime, but was not able to listen to it until now. This is a stunning book of fiction that sure sounds like a reflection of reality, in terms of the political background. Of course, the characters are fictional as well as the hero of the plot. But, perhaps the names were changed to protect the innocent. And, it is now 2024 and not the dates in this story. Who could have known that we seem to be back in the midst of the same situation again, perhaps.

Fantastic to listen to this story with what seems to be some of the same characters behaving similarly in 2024.

I have always enjoyed Barack’s stories, and this was a humdinger! So timely, even now.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for 2020

This was my fourth Barak thriller. I’ve loved them all, but for me JKs CODE is by far the best. If I would have read it 10 years ago, I probably would have stopped after about 50 pages because it would have so impossible to believe. The author captures the last 12 months of our nearly impossible to believe country with accuracy as hard as it may seem. He tells a story with great research into cyber warfare and weaves the COVID 19 news and the election experience into an exciting story with an equally exciting climax. I grew to like Jake and hope to read more about him and Amir and Anya.
Thanks Ron and keep up the good work.
Larry -your Pres in South Florida

[Cbyarling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one unbelievable story!

Let me explain: Ron Barak wrote this book during the 2020 presidential election on the subject of computer vote fraud. He also predicted the possible use of it in the states of Georgia and Pennsylvania.

As the story unfolds, you are truly captivated by the possibility that it could actually happen. And we now know that it indeed really happen.

Since this is Book #4 in the Brooks/Lotello series, his familiar characters return to support the story.

Jump right in. You won't be disappointed!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable. Jake is one of a kind, figuring out coding. Unfortunately he doesn’t realize the danger he is in. Once you start reading, you are drawn in to a world that you don’t think possible. Danger lurks at every turn. Jake gets caught up in something dangerous he never expected. If you want gripping excitement, don’t miss out.

[Tony Fecteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable spy novel. I'd have liked to see more details on the how's and whys but that may be the programmer in me trying to figure out how some code was done. The action JK's common sense in the book was very enjoyable.

[Ann Keeran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake Klein is an undergraduate with a chance to make the U.S. elections much safer.

[Dena Akbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a really good book and It is really interesting.

[Marcella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed

I hate it when a writer let's his politics guide his story. I read for pleasure to escape the VS of the elite in DC. This book slaps you in the face.