What do you think?
Rate this book
Enigma Series #4
The Enigma Wraith
Cyber pirates plot to deliver destructive software payloads for computer dominationMephisto and Callisto are playing for the end game. Their agenda looks like blackmail for financial gain, but their true goals are far more menacing and devastating. Everyone is at risk.An intriguing game of digital cat and mouse pits the R-Group against Darknet cyber assassins.Destructive code appears then vanishes risking lives from various points around the world. The methods of infiltration are mindboggling and nearly untraceable.Financial Institutions, Utilities, Military bases and others are at risk from this indestructible virus.The R-Group’s Jacob, Petra, and Quip stretch their vast technical talents to the limits to find the source of the vanishing villain that strikes at the heart of a computer.Finding a solution before more lives are lost – IMPOSSIBLE!Where and when will the next target succumb to this retched Ghost Code?What readers are saying –“The ending kind of frightened me--but I can't tell you why!”“I loved the teaser Breakfield and Burkey had at the end, you know the next book is going to be just as wildly intense filled with chaos and more evildoers!”“This book was an emotional rollercoaster!”
436 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 16, 2021
13 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Breakfield and Burkey
21 books1 followerBreakfield, as the CTO of the Enigma Series, leverages his decades of technology expertise, including security, networking, voice, and anything digital, to bring innovative technothriller elements into storytelling. He has deep knowledge of World War II history, has traveled extensively, and seeks cultural exchanges to learn what makes different people tick. Charles enjoys wine tasting, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking new recipes and extravaganzas, and woodworking.
Burkey, as the COO of the Enigma Series, uses her extensive professional knowledge of optimizing technology and business investments to drive stellar customer experiences into the ongoing stories of Enigma Series. Characteristics of people she has met over her career are woven into their stories. Rox enjoys her family, friends, puppies, reading, reviewing books, and traveling whenever possible. Meeting readers at various events is one of her favorite pastimes.
Together, they have created award-winning stories that resonate with men and women, with a fresh perspective on technology possibilities within a fictional framework. They have two technothriller series, The Enigma Series and Enigma Heirs. They ventured into writing cozy mysteries with the Underground Authors in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. Their newest short story collection complements their novella and individual short stories. For more information, we invite you to visit https://www.EnigmaSeries.com.
Burkey, as the COO of the Enigma Series, uses her extensive professional knowledge of optimizing technology and business investments to drive stellar customer experiences into the ongoing stories of Enigma Series. Characteristics of people she has met over her career are woven into their stories. Rox enjoys her family, friends, puppies, reading, reviewing books, and traveling whenever possible. Meeting readers at various events is one of her favorite pastimes.
Together, they have created award-winning stories that resonate with men and women, with a fresh perspective on technology possibilities within a fictional framework. They have two technothriller series, The Enigma Series and Enigma Heirs. They ventured into writing cozy mysteries with the Underground Authors in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. Their newest short story collection complements their novella and individual short stories. For more information, we invite you to visit https://www.EnigmaSeries.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 30, 2018
My original The Enigma Wratih audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
The members of R-Group are faced with a crippling “Ghost Code” implemented by cyber pirates Mephisto and Callisto. A ghost code that evades detection and creates chaos and havoc everywhere it goes. Petra, Jacob, and Quip must find a way around the code and destroy it before the world suffers a financial collapse. The two evil cyber terrorists have more than just financial collapse on their mind – they want to break technology!
The R-Group finds one of their own as a victim – Juan – when his plane displays the ghost code; he loses all control waiting for the plane to break apart from its acceleration. A heart-tugging moment is shared before Juan is just gone. The team works together to thwart the evildoers and find the crash site of Juan.
Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey have upped their game. This book not only kept the listener on the edge of their chair but it tugged at their hearts as well. R-Group are the superheroes without the capes and because Breakfield/Burkey have developed the characters solidly, one cannot help but feel the pain and joy of the characters.
I loved the teaser Breakfield and Burkey had at the end, you know the next book is going to be just as wildly intense filled with chaos and more evildoers! At what point do we stop trying to further technology?
Derek Shoales, the narrator for the Enigma series is excellent. He has distinct voices for each character and moves the story further through his energy. He has become the Enigma series to me. He’s perfect. His voice is soothing yet exudes appropriate emotions.
There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
The members of R-Group are faced with a crippling “Ghost Code” implemented by cyber pirates Mephisto and Callisto. A ghost code that evades detection and creates chaos and havoc everywhere it goes. Petra, Jacob, and Quip must find a way around the code and destroy it before the world suffers a financial collapse. The two evil cyber terrorists have more than just financial collapse on their mind – they want to break technology!
The R-Group finds one of their own as a victim – Juan – when his plane displays the ghost code; he loses all control waiting for the plane to break apart from its acceleration. A heart-tugging moment is shared before Juan is just gone. The team works together to thwart the evildoers and find the crash site of Juan.
Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey have upped their game. This book not only kept the listener on the edge of their chair but it tugged at their hearts as well. R-Group are the superheroes without the capes and because Breakfield/Burkey have developed the characters solidly, one cannot help but feel the pain and joy of the characters.
I loved the teaser Breakfield and Burkey had at the end, you know the next book is going to be just as wildly intense filled with chaos and more evildoers! At what point do we stop trying to further technology?
Derek Shoales, the narrator for the Enigma series is excellent. He has distinct voices for each character and moves the story further through his energy. He has become the Enigma series to me. He’s perfect. His voice is soothing yet exudes appropriate emotions.
There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
January 14, 2018
It all starts with a simple message: Ghost code-patent pending. It seemingly appears out of nowhere, before causing chaos to the system and disappearing just as quickly as it appears. To make things even more difficult for the R-Group, a family-led cyber security organization, very little evidence of the attack is left behind. But the R-Group, who has had great success in defending others from cyber attacks, as well as leading the counter-attack itself, will not rest until the mastermind of the Ghost code has been uncovered. The situation is even more urgent after one of their own loses a loved one whose plane has been hijacked by the Ghost Code
Written by Charles V. Breakfield and Roxanne E. Burkey, The Enigma Wraith has a little bit of everything: cyber crime, mystery, romance, drama, and even a little humor. It spans across different locations around the globe and a diverse range of characters. At times it reads like a James Rollins novel, where each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective, and as the novel progresses, their paths intersect.
Breakfield and Burkey give voice to many characters in their novel, and, at times, it can be confusing to sort out who is each character. Several characters are introduced towards the ending of the novel, and other characters, who seem to be very important at the start of the story, don’t have much relevance again until the conclusion. To add further to the confusion, many of the characters use pseudonyms because their jobs involve high levels of anonymity. Keeping track of the large number of characters can slow down the reading of the book.
The characters are also difficult to identify because they are connected on so many levels and by a history played out in the previous books, but not thoroughly explained in this book. These connections--especially the romantic ones--are relevant to the story, and, thus, another layer to navigate.
The Enigma Wraith is a unique book in how its writers incorporate knowledge about technology and coding that will surely entertain those readers who have an interest in cyber security and data collection. Breakfield and Burkey are incredibly knowledgeable about different issues facing technology users today: hacking, supercomputers, cyber security, near field communication--which they explain in greater detail at the end in a glossary. For those readers who are less tech-savvy, those sections of the novel will seem slower and perhaps be confusing in the use of technological jargon.
However, Breakfield and Burkey do a great job keeping up the pace of the novel, interspersing the sections of heavy computer use with rescue missions and tense meetings with the ominous Chairman and his fearsome white tiger. The Enigma Wraith is reminiscent of a weekly TV crime/comedy show, with its focus on witty conversations between members of the R-Group, who are all good-natured and likable. Though the dialogue sometimes seems forced, it ranges from serious and dramatic, especially between the love interests, and humorous interactions between the men who work together.
A thriller about a computer program that has the capacity to steal data and interrupt the operations of everyday people, The Enigma Wraith will entertain readers as they work alongside a very fun group of technological crime-fighters looking to defeat the Ghost Code.
Recommended rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Written by Charles V. Breakfield and Roxanne E. Burkey, The Enigma Wraith has a little bit of everything: cyber crime, mystery, romance, drama, and even a little humor. It spans across different locations around the globe and a diverse range of characters. At times it reads like a James Rollins novel, where each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective, and as the novel progresses, their paths intersect.
Breakfield and Burkey give voice to many characters in their novel, and, at times, it can be confusing to sort out who is each character. Several characters are introduced towards the ending of the novel, and other characters, who seem to be very important at the start of the story, don’t have much relevance again until the conclusion. To add further to the confusion, many of the characters use pseudonyms because their jobs involve high levels of anonymity. Keeping track of the large number of characters can slow down the reading of the book.
The characters are also difficult to identify because they are connected on so many levels and by a history played out in the previous books, but not thoroughly explained in this book. These connections--especially the romantic ones--are relevant to the story, and, thus, another layer to navigate.
The Enigma Wraith is a unique book in how its writers incorporate knowledge about technology and coding that will surely entertain those readers who have an interest in cyber security and data collection. Breakfield and Burkey are incredibly knowledgeable about different issues facing technology users today: hacking, supercomputers, cyber security, near field communication--which they explain in greater detail at the end in a glossary. For those readers who are less tech-savvy, those sections of the novel will seem slower and perhaps be confusing in the use of technological jargon.
However, Breakfield and Burkey do a great job keeping up the pace of the novel, interspersing the sections of heavy computer use with rescue missions and tense meetings with the ominous Chairman and his fearsome white tiger. The Enigma Wraith is reminiscent of a weekly TV crime/comedy show, with its focus on witty conversations between members of the R-Group, who are all good-natured and likable. Though the dialogue sometimes seems forced, it ranges from serious and dramatic, especially between the love interests, and humorous interactions between the men who work together.
A thriller about a computer program that has the capacity to steal data and interrupt the operations of everyday people, The Enigma Wraith will entertain readers as they work alongside a very fun group of technological crime-fighters looking to defeat the Ghost Code.
Recommended rating: 3 out of 5 stars
November 21, 2017
The Enigma Wraith by Charles V. Breakfield and Roxanne E. Burkey is a meandering spy-thriller/cyber-crime novel. If is the fourth book in the Enigma Series from these authors.
The book has a set of good guys and a set of not so good guys. On one side stands the R-Group, a band of cyber, financial, and technology experts. Most of these characters have familial or romantic relationships with one another. Among them are Julie, Petra, John C, Jacob, Wolfgang, Quip, and Carlos. If you have read the other books in the series some of these characters feel familiar, it can be nice to see them back in action.
Opposed to the good guy group are a mix of individuals, government entities, assassins, and highly skilled cyber criminals. These nefarious malefactors go by names that are designed to convey a sense of danger and foreign interference: Mephisto, Callisto, Chairman Chang, and Zara. Over the course of the book, you get to learn some interesting things about each of them.
The plot of the book is global in scope, visiting sites such as New York, Brazil, Italy, and Ireland, to name a few. There is a dangerous computer virus, called Ghost Code, hopscotching across the world. It has disrupted banking in Ireland, raised a commotion in a New York tax office, crashed a car in Italy, disrupted electricity in Brazil, and brought down a plane. What remains to be seen, is why this has been done. So far, it appears to be entirely experimental in its purpose, just testing out the capabilities of the destructive program.
The book, aside from its obvious plot of international cyber-crime, seems to offer a warning on the need for cyber-security. It is also almost instructional in its presentation of cybersecurity. Examples abound of individuals and entities sacrificing data security for different purposes, mostly money. In fact, in the text, some Brazilian station workers brag that they have not restarted their computer terminals since 2006.
As the good guys investigate, they uncover the problems that contributed to the crime. For example, social engineering played a factor. At one affected institution, employees were so shocked that a half-naked woman walked in that they did not notice, nor stop, her from putting a USB drive into a terminal and promptly walking out. They also learn that poor judgment on the part of several people made even the best attempts at cyber-security significantly less effective. All this opened the door for the cyber-attacks.
You will have to read the book yourself to understand the scope of the full story. I do have a few notes on the style of writing. First, the story's pacing feels a bit off, with several chapters of important action followed by what seems like very brief and inconsequential chapters. The emotional connections between many of the primary characters also sometimes seemed odd, or not entirely organic. Overall, I still find the book to be a solid read with an intriguing plot line.
The Enigma Wraith is intended for young adult audiences, but be forewarned that there is some sexual content and not all of it includes enthusiastic and affirmative consent. There is also some violence and death, but is tame when compared to popular television shows.
The book has a set of good guys and a set of not so good guys. On one side stands the R-Group, a band of cyber, financial, and technology experts. Most of these characters have familial or romantic relationships with one another. Among them are Julie, Petra, John C, Jacob, Wolfgang, Quip, and Carlos. If you have read the other books in the series some of these characters feel familiar, it can be nice to see them back in action.
Opposed to the good guy group are a mix of individuals, government entities, assassins, and highly skilled cyber criminals. These nefarious malefactors go by names that are designed to convey a sense of danger and foreign interference: Mephisto, Callisto, Chairman Chang, and Zara. Over the course of the book, you get to learn some interesting things about each of them.
The plot of the book is global in scope, visiting sites such as New York, Brazil, Italy, and Ireland, to name a few. There is a dangerous computer virus, called Ghost Code, hopscotching across the world. It has disrupted banking in Ireland, raised a commotion in a New York tax office, crashed a car in Italy, disrupted electricity in Brazil, and brought down a plane. What remains to be seen, is why this has been done. So far, it appears to be entirely experimental in its purpose, just testing out the capabilities of the destructive program.
The book, aside from its obvious plot of international cyber-crime, seems to offer a warning on the need for cyber-security. It is also almost instructional in its presentation of cybersecurity. Examples abound of individuals and entities sacrificing data security for different purposes, mostly money. In fact, in the text, some Brazilian station workers brag that they have not restarted their computer terminals since 2006.
As the good guys investigate, they uncover the problems that contributed to the crime. For example, social engineering played a factor. At one affected institution, employees were so shocked that a half-naked woman walked in that they did not notice, nor stop, her from putting a USB drive into a terminal and promptly walking out. They also learn that poor judgment on the part of several people made even the best attempts at cyber-security significantly less effective. All this opened the door for the cyber-attacks.
You will have to read the book yourself to understand the scope of the full story. I do have a few notes on the style of writing. First, the story's pacing feels a bit off, with several chapters of important action followed by what seems like very brief and inconsequential chapters. The emotional connections between many of the primary characters also sometimes seemed odd, or not entirely organic. Overall, I still find the book to be a solid read with an intriguing plot line.
The Enigma Wraith is intended for young adult audiences, but be forewarned that there is some sexual content and not all of it includes enthusiastic and affirmative consent. There is also some violence and death, but is tame when compared to popular television shows.
November 22, 2017
The Enigma Wraith by Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey
The world is moving to a point where everything is automated. Technology is relied on for everything from social interactions to financial transactions. Ever give wonder to what could happen if something went wrong? What if that server error on the computer screen was more than just that?
A continuation from the Enigma Ignite, the Enigma Wraith is the fourth installment in the thriller series by Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey. Attacks on an Irish financial institution, Brazilian hydroelectric plant, NATO base and a smart car travelling through the European countryside may seem unrelated. However, they are but a training exercise for a looming ‘technopocalypse’. The Ghost Code travels through the global technology infrastructure leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in its wake. Mephisto and Callisto are on a quest to demonstrate the social and industrial destruction capabilities of this computer virus. Not until the attack on Juan’s plane does the R-Group get involved. Jacob, Petra and Quip employ all the trick in the book, and some improvised ones, to try and track down the perpetrators. Juan’s lover and brother go undercover to stop a beautiful cyber assassin who is suspected to be involved in the digital assault. Zara could pass as a doppelganger of Petra, which complicates matters. Are Mephisto and Callisto too much of a dynamic duo for the R-Group no catch up with? Just how much damage will the Ghost Code will cause? Is there a story behind Zara and Petra’s physical similarity?
Rarely does one find a book that satisfies so many kinds of thirst. The Enigma Wraith is a thriller with a lot of suspense, a sprinkling of romance and healthy serving of humor all wrapped up in a witty bow. The book is simply ‘unputdownable’. The book forces one to read “just one more page”. It is a masterpiece suitable for young adults and adults. The plot is fresh and realistic. Sentence construction is excellent. Language used in this book is simple. This being a fourth installment in a series, the authors give the reader context. This means that the previous three are not required pre-requisites though highly recommended. They are just as good. The reader gets relevant snippets from previous books without the revisits getting too wearisome. The characters are wholesome especially Zara. Zara is obsessively controlling on account of her being a dominatrix from a young age. There is a sexually charged scene involving her and Dante, her bodyguard. Such a scene would be expected to be anything but subtle. The authors have managed to subdue this scene but still make it obvious.
The book feels like it has ended too soon. However, this is a necessary cliffhanger, to set the field for the next installment in the series perhaps. This is a great book with loveable characters and an enjoyable plot. For its intrigue and fill of activity, the Enigma Wraith gets a 4.9 out five. This is a guaranteed exceptional literary experience.
The world is moving to a point where everything is automated. Technology is relied on for everything from social interactions to financial transactions. Ever give wonder to what could happen if something went wrong? What if that server error on the computer screen was more than just that?
A continuation from the Enigma Ignite, the Enigma Wraith is the fourth installment in the thriller series by Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey. Attacks on an Irish financial institution, Brazilian hydroelectric plant, NATO base and a smart car travelling through the European countryside may seem unrelated. However, they are but a training exercise for a looming ‘technopocalypse’. The Ghost Code travels through the global technology infrastructure leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in its wake. Mephisto and Callisto are on a quest to demonstrate the social and industrial destruction capabilities of this computer virus. Not until the attack on Juan’s plane does the R-Group get involved. Jacob, Petra and Quip employ all the trick in the book, and some improvised ones, to try and track down the perpetrators. Juan’s lover and brother go undercover to stop a beautiful cyber assassin who is suspected to be involved in the digital assault. Zara could pass as a doppelganger of Petra, which complicates matters. Are Mephisto and Callisto too much of a dynamic duo for the R-Group no catch up with? Just how much damage will the Ghost Code will cause? Is there a story behind Zara and Petra’s physical similarity?
Rarely does one find a book that satisfies so many kinds of thirst. The Enigma Wraith is a thriller with a lot of suspense, a sprinkling of romance and healthy serving of humor all wrapped up in a witty bow. The book is simply ‘unputdownable’. The book forces one to read “just one more page”. It is a masterpiece suitable for young adults and adults. The plot is fresh and realistic. Sentence construction is excellent. Language used in this book is simple. This being a fourth installment in a series, the authors give the reader context. This means that the previous three are not required pre-requisites though highly recommended. They are just as good. The reader gets relevant snippets from previous books without the revisits getting too wearisome. The characters are wholesome especially Zara. Zara is obsessively controlling on account of her being a dominatrix from a young age. There is a sexually charged scene involving her and Dante, her bodyguard. Such a scene would be expected to be anything but subtle. The authors have managed to subdue this scene but still make it obvious.
The book feels like it has ended too soon. However, this is a necessary cliffhanger, to set the field for the next installment in the series perhaps. This is a great book with loveable characters and an enjoyable plot. For its intrigue and fill of activity, the Enigma Wraith gets a 4.9 out five. This is a guaranteed exceptional literary experience.
January 16, 2018
“Enigma Wraith” is the next serial installation by authors Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey. It centers on Zara, a freelancing hacker and femme fatale working both sides in the middle of a cyber war. As introduction to the recurring anthology, she is given a series of tasks by the returning Chairman to wreak more havoc and frustrate the pursuits of Carlos and his team. However, her contributions wane as the focus shifts to the good guys, while the action and secrecy fall apart through inundating dialogue. Overall, the latest book in the authors’ digital adventures leaves much questions to be answered.
A major question regarding Zara is her significance among the cast of characters. The beginning of the novel qualifies her accomplishments as a computer programmer with the proper determination that can be usually to the Chairman. In addition she is attractive, a key that was apparently rare with Chairman’s other cohorts. But just as things went swimmingly, her working relationship with the Chairman in the second half of the book is brought into question. She receives scrutiny by the Chairman and her workload is halved. Why would a successful pawn like Zara, a piece that can reverse the favors in this war, be left aside in the Chairman’s ongoing struggle against the Americans?
Does this have to do with Carlos and Eric, the author’s seemingly projections into the story that eclipse Zara’s importance? Zara uses her physicality on unsuspecting males in her missions and, ironically, creates unnecessary attention from members of an American task force tracking down the Chairman. Instead of doubling up the effort, the authors decide to verbally brainstorm their way in stopping both Zara and the Chairman. While the humorous discourse shifts the focus back on the good guys, it is drivel compared to their plan to stop Chairman’s most promising cohort. Given that she is the wraith of the book, it would greatly improve the story if the focus is more about Zara’s foiling the American vigilance and the Chairman’s penchant for mayhem. Instead, the authors shelve her until the end when she becomes an unthinking object the Chairman discards in the showdown against the Americans. For a story that treks from the mountains of modern-day Brazil to northeast China, nothing is more important than the celebrity of the Enigma Chronicles and its cast of characters.
A chance that allows the authors and readers to reexamine the enduring tales of hackers ends with uneventful endings. Zara’s impact and impending demise does not spell a profound resolution, for the authors fill the next pages with Carlos and Eric personal lives! The Chairman complaining about missed opportunities is reminiscent of Fu Manchu, the stereotypical antagonist having to wait until the next volume for revenge. But he has only himself to blame, because Zara’s interjection was never meant to create new dimensions between good and evil. Indeed, the authors have determined that “Enigma Wraith” in this entry is a mere transfusion in the neverending saga of the Chronicles.
A major question regarding Zara is her significance among the cast of characters. The beginning of the novel qualifies her accomplishments as a computer programmer with the proper determination that can be usually to the Chairman. In addition she is attractive, a key that was apparently rare with Chairman’s other cohorts. But just as things went swimmingly, her working relationship with the Chairman in the second half of the book is brought into question. She receives scrutiny by the Chairman and her workload is halved. Why would a successful pawn like Zara, a piece that can reverse the favors in this war, be left aside in the Chairman’s ongoing struggle against the Americans?
Does this have to do with Carlos and Eric, the author’s seemingly projections into the story that eclipse Zara’s importance? Zara uses her physicality on unsuspecting males in her missions and, ironically, creates unnecessary attention from members of an American task force tracking down the Chairman. Instead of doubling up the effort, the authors decide to verbally brainstorm their way in stopping both Zara and the Chairman. While the humorous discourse shifts the focus back on the good guys, it is drivel compared to their plan to stop Chairman’s most promising cohort. Given that she is the wraith of the book, it would greatly improve the story if the focus is more about Zara’s foiling the American vigilance and the Chairman’s penchant for mayhem. Instead, the authors shelve her until the end when she becomes an unthinking object the Chairman discards in the showdown against the Americans. For a story that treks from the mountains of modern-day Brazil to northeast China, nothing is more important than the celebrity of the Enigma Chronicles and its cast of characters.
A chance that allows the authors and readers to reexamine the enduring tales of hackers ends with uneventful endings. Zara’s impact and impending demise does not spell a profound resolution, for the authors fill the next pages with Carlos and Eric personal lives! The Chairman complaining about missed opportunities is reminiscent of Fu Manchu, the stereotypical antagonist having to wait until the next volume for revenge. But he has only himself to blame, because Zara’s interjection was never meant to create new dimensions between good and evil. Indeed, the authors have determined that “Enigma Wraith” in this entry is a mere transfusion in the neverending saga of the Chronicles.
January 18, 2018
Technology has been taking over the world with its convenience of new methods to do even the simplistic things, but everything comes with a price. Unfortunately, by converting the world into a world of technology, it tends to leave everyone in a vulnerable state because hackers do exist. In “The Enigma Wraith”, authors Charles V. Breakfield and Roxanne E. Burkley set the scene of a current technological crisis occurring and it’s up to a small team of intelligent individuals to solve it before it changes the infrastructure of the new world. The scariest news to hear is not having any backups to remove all hacked code and return things to its original state, simply because of budget cuts and not needing to pay a backup personnel to maintain backups for safety precautions. This demonstrates the lack of care many higher-ups in the corporate world have towards potential threats in the possible future. Unfortunately, their main focus is on the amount of money that they can make. The hackers’ director, Prudence, is one tough cookie that definitely knows her way around encrypted coding and has devised one of the world’s undetected ‘ghost code’ ever imagined. Surprisingly so, the director of this group of hackers is a woman, who in fact, covered all possible bases imaginable. I’m sure men in the tech field respect her level of diligence and the work seems almost perfect, but there’s always room for flaws.
Attacks on banks seem more so the norm because cybercriminals’ goals are to steal as much money as their heart desire and gain power in the process. All this does is make individuals fearful of keeping their hard-earned money in these financial establishments, assuming it’s no longer safe as long as hacking exists. The members of the R-Group consist of Wolfgang, Quip, Petra, Jacob, and Julie. It’s a family tech business, handling the security of institutions and alert government agencies about any suspicious cybercriminal activities. This is one of the most reputable groups of intelligent individuals that investigate any suspicious activity for the cyber safety of everyone.
Our entire world switched from traditional paperwork all to digital and e-paper. There’s nothing that cannot be easily accessible online, which should scare the population of societal members across the globe. All it takes is for the brains of an ultra-genius, or someone who wasn’t treated fairly in life and want power by making people pay, to hack into major systems and cause cyber warfare. Even though we have some of the world’s finest techies handling the security of everyone online, we still have to be mindful that systems can be depleted of resources in the blink of an eye. I recommend this book to everyone, it will make you think twice about what our possible future would be if cyber securities can be breached without an ability to recover. Sometimes it would have you wondering what would happen if all data ever store were wiped away.
Attacks on banks seem more so the norm because cybercriminals’ goals are to steal as much money as their heart desire and gain power in the process. All this does is make individuals fearful of keeping their hard-earned money in these financial establishments, assuming it’s no longer safe as long as hacking exists. The members of the R-Group consist of Wolfgang, Quip, Petra, Jacob, and Julie. It’s a family tech business, handling the security of institutions and alert government agencies about any suspicious cybercriminal activities. This is one of the most reputable groups of intelligent individuals that investigate any suspicious activity for the cyber safety of everyone.
Our entire world switched from traditional paperwork all to digital and e-paper. There’s nothing that cannot be easily accessible online, which should scare the population of societal members across the globe. All it takes is for the brains of an ultra-genius, or someone who wasn’t treated fairly in life and want power by making people pay, to hack into major systems and cause cyber warfare. Even though we have some of the world’s finest techies handling the security of everyone online, we still have to be mindful that systems can be depleted of resources in the blink of an eye. I recommend this book to everyone, it will make you think twice about what our possible future would be if cyber securities can be breached without an ability to recover. Sometimes it would have you wondering what would happen if all data ever store were wiped away.
December 24, 2017
It is not often that a techo-thriller pulls off so much, but The Enigma Wraith by Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey is one that should satisfy the casual reader. The fourth in the series, The Enigma Wraith pounds out a complicated plot involved two new cyber pirates, Callisto and Mephisto, who threaten to wreak havoc with their Ghost Code. In a world that increasingly blends into the Internet, these hackers want to show everyone the weakness in that. This is where the R-group, made up of Jacob, Petra, and Quip, enter to combat this new threat, and they will be tested to their very limit.
Breakfield and Burkey have managed to pull off a decent narrative that incorporates something for everyone. There’s humor, danger, and even some romance. Beginning with seemingly isolated incidents such as an Irish firm’s funds disappearing without a trace, or a Brazilian hydroelectric plant malfunctioning, and even a NATO base in Europe becoming compromised, The Enigma Wraith shows how vulnerable our world could become when attacked from the web. The Ghost Code that belongs to Callisto and Mephisto goes uncontested and while their motives on the surface seem motivated by greed, what lurks beneath only becomes more terrifying.
The series has been going for a bit now and continued to do so thanks to the cast of characters it brings respectively to the table. Even if the reader has not ready any of the previous installments, the characters are simple enough to sip into and follow the story. This is very much like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, where there is an arc through the series, but each story is a self-contained entity to some degree. It makes the book overall more enjoyable and great for any reader coming to the series for the first time.
This point also hits on how the characters are a nice variety of varying experiences that readers can attach to. They all have their struggles, so none of them are very flat characters, except for maybe the villains, who carry their baggage in the narrative. Jacob, Petra, and Quip are our familiar heroes, and with a dash of quick wit and action, they bring the rest of this novel together to a satisfying conclusion.
There’s a little something for every reader here, a thriller with a technological bent, science fiction, humor, and even some romance. Any reader would be pleased with this fourth entry of the Enigma series.
Breakfield and Burkey have managed to pull off a decent narrative that incorporates something for everyone. There’s humor, danger, and even some romance. Beginning with seemingly isolated incidents such as an Irish firm’s funds disappearing without a trace, or a Brazilian hydroelectric plant malfunctioning, and even a NATO base in Europe becoming compromised, The Enigma Wraith shows how vulnerable our world could become when attacked from the web. The Ghost Code that belongs to Callisto and Mephisto goes uncontested and while their motives on the surface seem motivated by greed, what lurks beneath only becomes more terrifying.
The series has been going for a bit now and continued to do so thanks to the cast of characters it brings respectively to the table. Even if the reader has not ready any of the previous installments, the characters are simple enough to sip into and follow the story. This is very much like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, where there is an arc through the series, but each story is a self-contained entity to some degree. It makes the book overall more enjoyable and great for any reader coming to the series for the first time.
This point also hits on how the characters are a nice variety of varying experiences that readers can attach to. They all have their struggles, so none of them are very flat characters, except for maybe the villains, who carry their baggage in the narrative. Jacob, Petra, and Quip are our familiar heroes, and with a dash of quick wit and action, they bring the rest of this novel together to a satisfying conclusion.
There’s a little something for every reader here, a thriller with a technological bent, science fiction, humor, and even some romance. Any reader would be pleased with this fourth entry of the Enigma series.
October 31, 2018
The Enigma Wraith is the best book in the series thus far. The conflict, antagonists, plot line and R group made more sense. It helps having read the previous books and getting a sense of the characters personalities and pasts. There's a consistent use of formal dialogue for most of the main characters in this series including this book; but combined with the humorous tone I believe it works well. You can't have a good story without sufficient conflict so this had all the necessary elements. The sex scenes were a bit too steamy for me, but besides that, it's the best story.
October 16, 2018
By far I think this one has to be my favorite one so far out of the series. I mean hacking a car driverless car. And not to mention more of Jacob in this one. I really like his character. I got nervous because this one seemed the hardest for the tram to track down and take down. Although nothing is truly taken down I believe because somehow someway they are all connected. Again as always looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 5, 2024
The Review
In this ever-increasing technological world, the threats that we, as individuals and society as a whole, are far grander than ever imagined. The authors do an incredible job of showcasing this, exploring the world vulnerable to digital attacks. The authors play into people's genuine fears regarding our reliance on technology, showcasing the chaos and terror that digital terror attacks on our infrastructure can have on our world.
Yet amidst all of the technothriller action, the character development and the rich imagery really made this story shine brightly. The relationships these teammates form with one another, and the mindset of the antagonists the team comes across along their journey really helped elevate the adrenaline-fueled action that the story took on.
The Verdict
Memorable, compelling, and thought-provoking authors Breakfield and Burkey’s “The Enigma Wraith” is a must-read technothriller. The twists and turns in the narrative and the fantastic character development made this a thrilling novel in which to get lost.
In this ever-increasing technological world, the threats that we, as individuals and society as a whole, are far grander than ever imagined. The authors do an incredible job of showcasing this, exploring the world vulnerable to digital attacks. The authors play into people's genuine fears regarding our reliance on technology, showcasing the chaos and terror that digital terror attacks on our infrastructure can have on our world.
Yet amidst all of the technothriller action, the character development and the rich imagery really made this story shine brightly. The relationships these teammates form with one another, and the mindset of the antagonists the team comes across along their journey really helped elevate the adrenaline-fueled action that the story took on.
The Verdict
Memorable, compelling, and thought-provoking authors Breakfield and Burkey’s “The Enigma Wraith” is a must-read technothriller. The twists and turns in the narrative and the fantastic character development made this a thrilling novel in which to get lost.
September 24, 2021
I really found myself lost in this book. I think I got the main jist of it--There was a lot of technical goings on amidst international computer sabotage. People went missing and were ultimately saved. There were a couple of romances going on--and a very happy ending for at least one of the couples.
The ending kind of frightened me--but I can't tell you why!
The ending kind of frightened me--but I can't tell you why!
Read
August 2, 2023The series gets sappier as it gos on.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews