Unmasked

Blake Brier #1

by L.T. Ryan, Gregory Scott

Driven by a Promise.
Haunted by Regret.
They never saw him coming.

The first book in a riveting new thriller series by USA Today Bestseller L.T. Ryan and former Detective Gregory Scott, Unmasked is a gripping thriller, loaded with suspense and non-stop action.

"If Lee Child's Jack Reacher was an expert computer hacker, he'd be Blake Brier."

A heinous crime leads the FBI in search of answers.
Blake Brier finds himself sucked back into a the life he left behind.
Blake grows more entangled in the plot of a hacktivist group turned terrorist organization.
And when it becomes personal, Blake will stop at nothing to find the truth.

Fans of Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Robert Ludlum, David Baldacci, and Lee Child will love the Blake Brier thriller series .

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Action, Audiobook

232 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2019

About the author

L.T. RYAN is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. The new age of publishing offered L.T. the opportunity to blend his passions for creating, marketing, and technology to reach audiences with his popular Jack Noble series.

Living in central Virginia with his wife, the youngest of his three daughters, and their three dogs, L.T. enjoys staring out his window at the trees and mountains while he should be writing, as well as reading, hiking, running, and playing with gadgets. See what he's up to at ltryan.com.

BOOKS IN THE JACK NOBLE SERIES
The Recruit (prequel short story)
The First Deception (prequel)
Noble Beginnings
A Deadly Distance
Thin Line
Noble Intentions
When Dead in Greece
Noble Retribution
Noble Betrayal
Never Go Home
Noble Judgment
Never Cry Mercy
Deadline
End Game

BOOKS IN THE BEAR LOGAN SERIES
Ripple Effect
Blowback
Takedown
Deep State (coming January, 2020)

BOOKS IN THE CLARISSA ABBOT SERIES
Beyond Betrayal

BOOKS IN THE MITCH TANNER SERIES
The Depths of Darkness
Into the Darkness
Deliver Us From Darkness (coming soon)

Social Media Links

Facebook (L.T. Ryan): facebook.com/LTRyanAuthor
Facebook (Jack Noble Page): facebook.com/JackNobleBooks/
Twitter: twitter.com/LTRyanWrites
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6151659.L_T...

Contact L.T. Ryan at contact@ltryan.com
About the Author
L.T. RYAN is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. The new age of publishing offered L.T. the opportunity to blend his passions for creating, marketing, and technology to reach audiences with his popular Jack Noble series.

Living in central Virginia with his wife, the youngest of his three daughters, and their three dogs, L.T. enjoys staring out his window at the trees and mountains while he should be writing, as well as reading, hiking, running, and playing with gadgets. See what he's up to at ltryan.com.

Social Media Links

Facebook (L.T. Ryan): facebook.com/LTRyanAuthor
Facebook (Jack Noble Page): facebook.com/JackNobleBooks/
Twitter: twitter.com/LTRyanWrites
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6151659.L_T...

Contact L.T. Ryan at contact@ltryan.com

Reviews

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi Tech And Fast Action, What's Not To Love!

A great start to a new series as you are immediately drawn into tense situations, close relationships, and quick drawing gun slingers who try to do right when they see a wrong! Amazing technology assists with those searching for wrongs, with characters you definitely want to see again...
Blake Brier is a well developed character, trying to settle into a normal life after being CIA for years. But he has built up quite a technology site in his home, and is even writing codes for a company now. All is going okay, until he passes a woman who has held his heart for years...And the need to get in touch with some old friends happens quickly...And there Will be Hell to pay....
An intriguing story with gritty action, quick moving scenes and an unforgettable plot that will keep you turning pages until the end. I am ready for More!!!#

[Jeff Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comparisons to Jack Reacher and other big names in the thriller space really don't do this book any favors. In a vacuum, it's fine. But when compared to the books written by Lee Child, Vince Flynn, etc. this starts to look like a bit of a poor imitation. The plot was okay and Blake Brier is a decent protagonist, but the book really didn't stand out for me.

[Prasanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

too much cryptocurrency jargon put me off, on this one!! if not it would have been a good enjoyable thriller..

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read. I’m going to do the series.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Good gawd what a mess**

You know, it started out just fine. By the second chapter, I was like, "ohhhh, now isn't that interesting? Let's find out what this is all about!" But then enter the rest of the book, which eventually went kersplat in an epic proportion. It was boring. It both rushed AND dragged, if you can believe it. How a book can pull that off is beyond me. Just a big, chaotic mess, much like how this "review" is gonna be because I can't pinpoint one main thing that bothered me about this book. It more just had LOTS of things that bothered me, some more than others.

All the technobabble bitcoin blah blah blah just wasn't connecting with me at all. Characters would experience all these revelations about what other characters are doing and I'm reading the thing like, "Uhh...what?" I was into it when it was this mysteriously heinous crime to be solved. Then it turned into this overly complicated mess of banks and numbers and figures and coding and hacker stuff and...ugh. I'm used to having a character represent me as a reader, someone who is "stupid" when it comes to certain subject matters. But the one moment where that COULD have happened here, the character is totally on track. Meanwhile, I'm like..."HUH?"

Character developments were unconvincing and rushed. I'm not given much of a chance to get truly invested in anyone, despite them having likable traits. The interactions between Blake and Anja were SUPER awkward and badly written. I was supposed to buy that these two exes who broke up YEARS ago can be thrown back together without much awkwardness, just so Blake can experience something significant enough to motivate him to become John Wick? It was lazy. And to top it off, dude underwent a cartoonish type of "transformation" like the days of He-Man and Sailor Moon.

Action scenes were oddly written and paced. Dialogue did not flow too naturally at too many areas. Exposition was clunky. Everything was just too much a chore. I even fell asleep twice while reading this thing, resorting to taking a break into other books before I got back into it. Literally the only, ONLY winning moment in this book was the one highlight I made about money being the driver of wickedness because that's Biblically accurate. Other than that, this book did not win me over at all, so totally not for the likes of me. Maybe the next two in the series are better, but I likely will never know. I don't even WANNA know. I wanna just move on to other books now, and fast.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete thrill ride…couldn’t put it down

Loved this first book in a new series by LT Ryan and Gregory Scott. It’s an exciting thriller with scary “it could happen” real world implications.

Blake Brier is a former CIA Spec Ops and a computer genius. Now retired and trying to live a dull, normal existence, he is drawn into a terrorist plot with scary global implications. It is scary how plausible the ultimately revealed scenario is.

I didn’t understand a lot of the tech speak and the whole Bitcoin thing went way over my head even with what was probably supposed to be a dumbed down explanation! Still do not get the whole cryptocurrency thing. Probably if I did get it the plot would have been even scarier! But it worked well enough with the little I did get.

The suspense builds well, the crisis moment which propels a huge pivot is heart wrenching and the crisis resolution points had me cheering out loud.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series. So glad I just found this author. This makes two new series from this author I’m hooked on, Rachel Hatch being the other. Great find for me!

[Jackson Coppley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the genre for my Nicholas Foxe series is Technothriller, I am always interested in the latest Technothriller hit and Unmasked does not disappoint. L.T. Ryan and Gregory Scott have created a fine read blending action and cutting-edge technology. It is a perfect fit for a crisp 222 pages providing the reader with a quick page-turner for a couple of enjoyable evenings.

Ryan and Scott serve up a good story introducing a new hero that every action fan will enjoy. They add to that some technical intrigue some readers may want to pass over. As a former IBMer, I chose to study it. I don’t know much about blockchain and cryptocurrency more than a Wired Magazine article could provide, and those technologies are the essence of the plot. But I know that Ryan and Scott are opening themselves up to some techies picking apart those elements.

For example, here is a passage from the book: “Blake monitored his laptop as the device connected to Beck’s computer wirelessly transmitted every bit of data on his hard drive and RAM to Blake’s system.” That stopped me. Just how fast was the WIFI in that coffee shop? Even if the two laptops were hard-wired connected port to port, we are talking at least more than an hour to transmit the contents of the average hard disk.

So, put that aside and enjoy the writing and the plot. Ryan and Scott do a good job, starting from the first few pages, in revealing how a robbery gets more and more odd and, yes, creepy.

To sum it up, read for the plot, enjoy the tech parts if you can, but get this book.

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome Adventure
I love a good action read with tons of suspense, a good strong protagonist, and an antagonist that gets under my skin. This great story came through on all counts.

Blake Brier has retired from the Agency and is enjoying a much quieter life now. Unfortunately, his quiet life is also a lonely one. His career path made the concept of marriage and family pretty unattainable. That all changes as Anya, the only woman he's ever loved walks back into his life, and his bank account is hacked. On the same day.

Anya isn't just Blake's former lover, she's also a seasoned FBI agent who happens to be working on the bank hacking case. It all goes well. Until it doesn't. Blake finds himself suiting up for a mission once again as he seeks out an extremist hacktivist group that has no problem murdering innocent people.

Blake is a character who easily draws the reader into his world. He's genuine, engaging, intelligent, tough, and fearless. His relationship with Anya has that well-worn comfortable feel to it, with a combination of humor and heat. Other characters fill out the cast nicely, especially the antagonists. Yep, here there be monsters. And foul creatures they are: worthy of a visceral revulsion.

This is a great read for anyone who enjoys action, thriller, or suspense novels with great characters and a strong storyline. It's all here, and well worth the read. Five stars for narrator Scott Brick, who always does an amazing job as well.

[Sandra Mistretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new genre for me, which is being categorized as a techno thriller. I listened to this on audiobook. My libraries only offer one of this series. There is very complicated technical information about the encrypted transfer of data, and Bitcoin crimes.

The hero is unusual. Blake Brier has red hair and a long red beard. The author implies that women find him attractive, but he doesn't appeal to me. Blake used to be a CIA operative and he is an expert computer technician. He retired, but he is drawn back into solving a highly technical crime involving Bitcoin and complex computer crime.

The unique aspect of this plot, is a weird cult of men who burn their bodies all over in order to purify themselves. When they are healed and brainwashed, they go into banks wearing white masks with green tears leaking from the eyes, and steal their databases. The thieves don't take any money. They kill the tellers and anyone else in their way. When they have completed their mission, they face the bank security camera and simultaneously shoot themselves.

[Bethanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I don't understand bitcoin and I don't care to understand it. This story is about a robbery at a bank that involves the bitcoin market and the manipulation of computers in financial institutions for profit ( I don't understand that either).
Blake is a retired CIA computer expert who gets involved with the case when his money " disappeared " after a robbery where the criminals took nothing, killed several employees and then themselves. ODD...one of the FBI agents investigating this is Blake's former lover Jo.
The story is fast and complicated with computers, hackers, money manipulation, CIA employees, murders, rituals, and some batshit crazy people. That mix makes it so interesting to read because you don't know what the heck is happening and what is coming! Nothing in this story is predictable. I absolutely loved it.

[Tracy T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book, great narration by Scott Brick (audible review)

At first I was like hmmmmm... then all of a sudden it picked up really quick and was full was action and intrigue.

I enjoyed the characters and for such a short book (which is okay) there was a lot of character development. I think because the story wasn't full of filler nonsense. It was fast and to the point.

Some sicko characters too that's for sure. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, it will be interesting to see where it goes.

The narration was amazing. I mean seriously it's Scott Brick so that was a given. I absolutely love him! He is so good at narrating I actually look for books he narrates.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unmasked. L.T. Ryan. Gregory Scott

A group of hackers have become terrorists. Crypto terroists.. Money, the banking industry replaced by bitcoin. The banking industry has become concerned. Their stranglehold on the banking industry is gravely threatened. Blake Brier ex special ops operative has been indirectly recruited. His bank account, finances frozen, removed. Then his ex girlfriend whom he recently rekindled with has been murdered. She was a FBI agent who was investigating a recent robbery terrorist attack at a bank. It was all stages by the banks CEO. Non stop action, suspense. Enjoyed immensely!!

[Trish R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. There was a moment or two that I was totally lost I liked it. There was a little too much computer jargon used but I dealt with it.

I was certainly shocked when the 5 masked guys broke into the bank, did something on the bank's computer then did what they did. Shocking!

I did like Blake, Khat, Fezz and Griff. AND I liked Jo! To bad what happened to her, happened.

Sex was off screen and the F-bomb was used 1 time.

As for the narration: You can't get any better than Scott Brick. Yeah, he could use a little practice on the women's voice but even that does not deter from his phenomenal reading talents.

[The Humble Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Lord I am sooooo glad to finally put this down. This seemed to have dragged on and on...💤 😴 💤
Someone mentioned fast paced? Uhhh NO. If this was fast, then I would have finished it in 48 hours. But..........it took me about a week 🙈. I would have stopped sooner but....I was already past the 50 percent mark so I thought what the nell, might as well finish. But dang...boy was I glad to finally end it.

Would I recommend? For a slow read sure.
Fast paced? No.
Was the book bad? No. The book was good. Not fabulous. The characters were good but not loveable
The plot was good but could have been better

3/5 5/10

[Chad Rexin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good suspense and action

Interesting story. I found it a little dark but it has the standard good guy and bad villain characters. Only that some of the villains were in positions of power. And the book could easily have gone another way with the story as one of the leading characters ended up getting killed off half way through the book. I did like that while there was a main character with an air of mystery who had a massive amount of servers and hacking abilities also had skills of a CIA agent. It was good the main character had some friends he could call on to aid him in wrapping up getting to the bottom of the investigation he had started early on in the book.

[Theresa Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once it starts it never stlops

Blake Brier may be new to the reader but he has years of experience. He knows his way around a computer and can defend himself in a fight. Basically retired and living in Washington, D.C. he reconnected with a love from his past. She has been out of his life for ten years and is now stationed at FBI, Washington, D.C. This fast paced thriller takes you into the world of finance, both the traditional bank and crypto currency. Find a comfortable place to read and hang on for a fast ride.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre beginning which, in the bigger scheme of things, felt overdone and beyond belief. The discussion of cryptocurrency seemed inadequate, confusing and boring. This assessment comes from someone with over 40 years in IT. I think if more attention was paid to explaining the mechanics of cryptocurrency at a layman's level it would make the story more enjoyable for the average reader. The story got better as it progressed but it never quite met my expectations. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll try book 2 of the series.

[Tom Fuhr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, an underwhelming read. Blake Brier's character lacks much depth, with the author electing to emulate a Jason Bourne/humble-alpha vibe that doesn't capture much imagination. Metus' character seemed far fetched. We're asked to believe a man who fakes his death after barely surviving a burning car crash into the ocean, permanently defacing him, can vanish into society without a hint of his survival. Must have missed the part about the black-market doctor network to mend him. Would not recommend. Onwards.

[Holly Stone]

Started this yesterday and finished a couple seconds ago a little different from the other L.T. Ryan books I've listened too so far Blake Brier is a computer code writer and a compu genius. When his old girlfriend newly found new girl friend is murdered he decides to take matters into his own hands and find those responsible with the help of his old team mates. Blake goes on a spree to finish the job Anya "Jo" started to take down those responsible for one of the biggest bank heists yet reported. Lots of action if you like that sort of thing....first in a trilogy... Unmasked

[Nancy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

This book delved in the modern world today and the real terrorism we are faced with today. I know it is fiction but at times I felt this could really happen. That thought was scary and I found myself wishing I had a better knowledge of the cyber world.

L.T.Ryan truly connects with a demented and arrogant mind that lurks somewhere out there in the real world which makes me very uncomfortable.

I consider this a must read if only to wake up those people still wearing blinders as to the idiosyncrasies of today's world.

[Dennis Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Action Read

Enjoyed this introduction to a new character, Blake Brier, ex CIA agent turned for hire problem solver. Had to skip over the highly technical computer lingo, but once past that, exciting read. Blake meets up with his old love to try to solve a very bizarre bank robbery. Along the way, a couple of old CIA compadres join up to solve the mystery. A good read. ENJOY!

[Robert Ullrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Money in the bank!

You're going to understand my heading once you start reading. It's not just a thriller, it's a story of missed opportunities, choices in life, greed, remorse, revenge and justice. There's also a very educational perspective in one aspect. As the first novel in a series, it sets up nicely for the second. I gave it the fifth star based on my expectations of the next in the series.

[Tony Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising and Swift

This was definitely not what I was expecting. I expected a run-of-the-mill super warrior with a secret back-team, roving around the planet killing baddies and restoring the American Dream despite government led setbacks etc, etc. What actually happened was more of a parallel to that with plenty of personality flaws and a few errors tripping the all too gallant hero. Not too far from the standard but refreshingly human.

[Habit_of_book_reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis for this book at Amazon I knew it would be hacking but thought of GPS and kidnapping and riddles and crypts. Well some of it were there but what I didn't expect was bitcoin and block chain. Definitely intrigued now and have to do some reading about it. But Kudos to author on the technical aspect of the blockchain technology and not only that he also simplified it so that others can also read it. Nice refreshing concept definitely not what I expected.

[Garu · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit sophomoric. The author seems to delight in explaining types of guns and new technologies and the thrill of mystery gets sacrificed. There was very little that the reader has to guess, and the progression of the story is blunt. I don't mean any disrespect because I am sure the author has spent time conceptualizing the story. It needs a little more suspense, partly in conceptualization and partly in writing.

[Debbie Vetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out with a bang!

The first scene was quite a surprise. Blake is a likable guy and his two friends are very reliable. Anja would of made Blake's life more complete but... Lots of violence, mild sex (which is fine with me). It was more love than lust. What the disciples went through for Metus was unbelievable. I'm not really into cyber crimes but this is well written and moves smoothly along keeping your interest. Great job. Thank you.

[Susan Clair Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unmasked

The first book in this series introduces the main characters including the love of Blake's life, A FBI agent named Anja Kohler. During the coarse of her investigation he steps in to help causing his life to be threatened and Anja to be murdered. He gets his old group together, they solve the problem, get vengeance for her the celebrate her life and say their final goodbyes. Great story, sad but good. Really love this author.

[Dianne Biscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this first Blake Brier book and truly look forward to the next one! His character is well developed and believable as are Fezz and Khat, his 2 best friends. The premise of the book is timely and interesting to me...I learned more about Bitcoin than I ever knew before!.
Try it...I do believe you'll like it!

[Valerie Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast read Fun read

I really enjoyed unmasked. I must admit some of the technical stuff I didn’t fully understand but it in no way detracted from the story line. There were characters to meet that you know you will see again it was written in such a way it didn’t slow down the story. Looking forward to the next in the series. It is will a definite buy. I’ve already pre-ordered 😁

[Cheryl Carmoega · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! Great Start!!!

Very likeable main character, well developed plot and characters!!! Great action, you are doomed if Blake Brier is after you!!! He will get justice!! One heck of a guy to have on your corner!!! Ryan & Scott you got one great series with this one!!! Can't wait for book 2!!!!!