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SCREENSHOT
A multi-millionaire entrepreneur with a bent for murder, and a talent for creating bizarre and aptly-named killing machines, implements his latest business interactive, pay-per-view, vigilante-style executions, live on the Internet.
First a ruthless drug dealer is torn to pieces by the Rehabinator.
A pedophile is dispatched by controlled lightning from the liquid-Taser Pediphryer.
And a mob boss and his mistress are electrocuted in their swimming pool with the Lesso-lator, all with a click of the killer's F10 key.
And then another and another...
It's all live on the Internet, and the paying public lines up for the chance to pull the trigger with their own F10 key. A crackpot scientist who's almost as mad as the genius behind the killings holds the key to bursting his dot com bubble. A free-lance writer and a beautiful rogue FBI computer geek must use it to unlock the secret of his identity, before they become the next target.
where virtual reality gets real.
First a ruthless drug dealer is torn to pieces by the Rehabinator.
A pedophile is dispatched by controlled lightning from the liquid-Taser Pediphryer.
And a mob boss and his mistress are electrocuted in their swimming pool with the Lesso-lator, all with a click of the killer's F10 key.
And then another and another...
It's all live on the Internet, and the paying public lines up for the chance to pull the trigger with their own F10 key. A crackpot scientist who's almost as mad as the genius behind the killings holds the key to bursting his dot com bubble. A free-lance writer and a beautiful rogue FBI computer geek must use it to unlock the secret of his identity, before they become the next target.
where virtual reality gets real.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
John Darrin
4 books53 followersIn interesting times, I have given life my full attention.
I am an author and writer, and a consultant specializing in radiological emergency preparedness.
My work has taken me all over the world, from China to Finland, from Central America to Canada, working on such unique projects as the first-ever decommissioning of a radiological research laboratory, the decommissioning of several nuclear reactors, the recovery after the Three Mile Island accident, and even on the treatment of nuclear weapons waste in China.
The things in my life that I am most proud of - a loving marriage, my family, my business career and reputation, my unusual friends - are not very interesting, except in a very small circle.
The interesting things, the uncommon things, the things that drive my imagination, are a lot more exciting, if sometimes less commendable. Youthful drug experimentation, the anti-war movement, bankruptcy, motorcycle racing, taking the 5th, dying in the emergency room, Mad Cow Disease, etc. As I used to tell my wife, at least it hasn't been boring.
And now I travel, touring the country in an RV, dragging my motorcycle behind me. Going places, meeting people, doing things.
I am an author and writer, and a consultant specializing in radiological emergency preparedness.
My work has taken me all over the world, from China to Finland, from Central America to Canada, working on such unique projects as the first-ever decommissioning of a radiological research laboratory, the decommissioning of several nuclear reactors, the recovery after the Three Mile Island accident, and even on the treatment of nuclear weapons waste in China.
The things in my life that I am most proud of - a loving marriage, my family, my business career and reputation, my unusual friends - are not very interesting, except in a very small circle.
The interesting things, the uncommon things, the things that drive my imagination, are a lot more exciting, if sometimes less commendable. Youthful drug experimentation, the anti-war movement, bankruptcy, motorcycle racing, taking the 5th, dying in the emergency room, Mad Cow Disease, etc. As I used to tell my wife, at least it hasn't been boring.
And now I travel, touring the country in an RV, dragging my motorcycle behind me. Going places, meeting people, doing things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 21, 2013
This review is over 'Screenshot' by John Darrin. This novel was published April 1st 2009 by Kunati Inc.
James Patterson's "cookie cutter serial killer" meets Tom Clancy's Net-Force!
What do you get when a reporter, an F.B.I agent, and an eccentric scientist walk into a serial killers lair? WOW! Fast pace action, harrowing twists and turns, and a nice vacation from reality! Against his own will, Reporter Seth Mathias is mysteriously invited by email to attend the live streaming video execution of a reported drug trafficker. As the F.B.I and the nations news media becomes involved the serial Killer who calls himself "screenshot" begins to terrorize America through his various machinations and psychopathic methods.
Finding myself sometimes rooting for the bad guy it was interesting to see the author use today's technology to drive a psychopaths agenda. A great read to pass the time of day and immerse oneself in Screenshots world. Even though the story evolved around one key figure it was refreshing to see the duties of a hero juggled between a few individuals throughout the story. These unlikely heroes kept me guessing on who might stop screenshot which in turn added suspense and mystery to the plot.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a new author. John Darrin pens a refreshing look at the techno thriller genre with fast-pace action and roller-coaster dips and dives.
James Patterson's "cookie cutter serial killer" meets Tom Clancy's Net-Force!
What do you get when a reporter, an F.B.I agent, and an eccentric scientist walk into a serial killers lair? WOW! Fast pace action, harrowing twists and turns, and a nice vacation from reality! Against his own will, Reporter Seth Mathias is mysteriously invited by email to attend the live streaming video execution of a reported drug trafficker. As the F.B.I and the nations news media becomes involved the serial Killer who calls himself "screenshot" begins to terrorize America through his various machinations and psychopathic methods.
Finding myself sometimes rooting for the bad guy it was interesting to see the author use today's technology to drive a psychopaths agenda. A great read to pass the time of day and immerse oneself in Screenshots world. Even though the story evolved around one key figure it was refreshing to see the duties of a hero juggled between a few individuals throughout the story. These unlikely heroes kept me guessing on who might stop screenshot which in turn added suspense and mystery to the plot.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a new author. John Darrin pens a refreshing look at the techno thriller genre with fast-pace action and roller-coaster dips and dives.
April 26, 2016
Fellow fans of the thriller and suspense genres, I highly recommend you put Screenshot high on your reading agenda (e.g. to-read shelf, personal list). John Darrin's writing is incredibly sharp, and I didn't lose interest in this book at any point -- it's a total page turner.
The only other thing I feel I should say is that I am increasingly stingy with the five-star rating. If you see fit based on this contextual information, please upgrade my rating of this wonderful book accordingly in your own mind.
One more thing I know I should say: Please be advised that I was super lucky; I received my copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I look forward to reading it again fairly soon.
The only other thing I feel I should say is that I am increasingly stingy with the five-star rating. If you see fit based on this contextual information, please upgrade my rating of this wonderful book accordingly in your own mind.
One more thing I know I should say: Please be advised that I was super lucky; I received my copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I look forward to reading it again fairly soon.
February 11, 2013
Screenshot starts off in the heat of action as the first murder takes place. The book follows the perspective of a few characters: Seth Mathias the writer, Karen Larsen the FBI agent, Morgan Sicals the computer genius, and Philip Hurst the serial killer. Seamlessly you are brought between character as the action progresses, always forward in time instead of repeating the action from different angles. The book almost takes a movie like Untraceable and adds a level of planning, precision, and reason to it; as well as allowing other in on the fun.
From cover to cover it was hard to stop reading enough to get some sleep at night. My normal hour of reading turned into four without me noticing the time going by. Never a dull moment and always a great plan or a great plan gone wrong. The amount of chasing tails, dealing with red tape, and just the realistic way people deal with situations and each other made the book flow without stopping to question the reality of what was happening. Also the technology was kept to a level that is plausible instead of doing the impossible just to feed the plot along; so much so that processes that actually wouldn't work did not work as opposed to them working just to get to the next phase.
This book was a great read and I highly recommend it! If you are unsure about the purchase, I recommend popping over to Amazon to red the first couple chapters, and you will be hooked. I will be keeping an eye out for anything else John Darrin writes as he now has my attention...
From cover to cover it was hard to stop reading enough to get some sleep at night. My normal hour of reading turned into four without me noticing the time going by. Never a dull moment and always a great plan or a great plan gone wrong. The amount of chasing tails, dealing with red tape, and just the realistic way people deal with situations and each other made the book flow without stopping to question the reality of what was happening. Also the technology was kept to a level that is plausible instead of doing the impossible just to feed the plot along; so much so that processes that actually wouldn't work did not work as opposed to them working just to get to the next phase.
This book was a great read and I highly recommend it! If you are unsure about the purchase, I recommend popping over to Amazon to red the first couple chapters, and you will be hooked. I will be keeping an eye out for anything else John Darrin writes as he now has my attention...
December 24, 2014
*Free Advanced Readers copy won off of Goodreads First Reads contest*
First off I really enjoyed Screenshot by John Darrin. The action was concise and the story flowed smoothly. The characters are superbly developed. Their flaws even make it easier to relate to them. The background stories of all the characters helped allow me to fully envision them.
The author does a wonderful job at explaining the technology and mathematical theories without devoting too much time. He has found the right mix so that all the information feels important to the story.
Quite honestly this could have been a 5 star story and listed as one of my favorites had it not been for the ending. The final battle between the hero and the psycho killer was perfect. It is my opinion that the author should have either ended the book right at the end of the battle. Since he added in a bit of an epilogue I felt that there were some unanswered questions about legal questions for the heroes. The epilogue skipped a bit too much and left me wanting more.
Still, I would highly recommend Screenshot to all fans of techno-thrillers. They will not be disappointed.
First off I really enjoyed Screenshot by John Darrin. The action was concise and the story flowed smoothly. The characters are superbly developed. Their flaws even make it easier to relate to them. The background stories of all the characters helped allow me to fully envision them.
The author does a wonderful job at explaining the technology and mathematical theories without devoting too much time. He has found the right mix so that all the information feels important to the story.
Quite honestly this could have been a 5 star story and listed as one of my favorites had it not been for the ending. The final battle between the hero and the psycho killer was perfect. It is my opinion that the author should have either ended the book right at the end of the battle. Since he added in a bit of an epilogue I felt that there were some unanswered questions about legal questions for the heroes. The epilogue skipped a bit too much and left me wanting more.
Still, I would highly recommend Screenshot to all fans of techno-thrillers. They will not be disappointed.
September 15, 2013
I really enjoyed this thriller. It was a smart, intelligent read. The characters were well developed. Events in the novel forced the main characters to make ethical choices and their decisions were consistent with their descriptions.
There were a series of twists and turns throughout the story - it was a pleasure not seeing around the next bend. I do not know if the technical details were all correct as I'm basically a novice with computer technology but it certainly seemed logical and authentic.
The book was published a couple years ago but is not out-of-date.
I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to anyone who likes thrillers and lots of action.
There were a series of twists and turns throughout the story - it was a pleasure not seeing around the next bend. I do not know if the technical details were all correct as I'm basically a novice with computer technology but it certainly seemed logical and authentic.
The book was published a couple years ago but is not out-of-date.
I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to anyone who likes thrillers and lots of action.
August 20, 2013
Read on my Kindle.
John Darrin offered a second chance on his book Screenshot, when you didn’t win a paper copy, you had a chance to get an e-book, and I got one.
Talk about a thriller! I didn’t sleep a couple of nights until after 3 a.m. cause I couldn’t stop until my eyelids crashed shut. Then I had rotator cuff surgery and was so out of it from pain meds that I lost my Kindle! Once I found it, I made short work of finishing the book. This will be a reread in 2014. I don’t like to give away too much info in reviews but this was a great read.
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
John Darrin offered a second chance on his book Screenshot, when you didn’t win a paper copy, you had a chance to get an e-book, and I got one.
Talk about a thriller! I didn’t sleep a couple of nights until after 3 a.m. cause I couldn’t stop until my eyelids crashed shut. Then I had rotator cuff surgery and was so out of it from pain meds that I lost my Kindle! Once I found it, I made short work of finishing the book. This will be a reread in 2014. I don’t like to give away too much info in reviews but this was a great read.
I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.
December 1, 2013
An interesting dip into a world that has a cyberpunk feel without leaving the modern day.Once this book found the mark it sunk its teeth in it was hard to put down. I thought all of the four major characters were well thought out and developed over the course of the book and I felt genuine Thrill at the ending 30 pages. I thought some of the internet sections of the book were more accurate than a lot of the "hacking" tripe that is out there and gave me an intimate sense of realism for the book that helped to make it so thrilling at the end. good stuff!!
July 16, 2009
I just finished reading Screenshot and boy the term techno-thriller sure is apt. The technology involved in the Internet cat and mouse game between the FBI/serial killer made me think of Dan Brown's book Digital Fortress. The serial killer/good guy/FBI search made me think of Jeffrey Deaver's book the Bone Collector. My only dilema is I don't want to share the book because I think everyone should own a copy :-)
October 21, 2013
I really liked this book and how it delves into the dark side of the world wide web. It poses that ever present question, what would you do if you knew you'd never get caught? The fact that the story is told thru multiple point of views, it allows you into the mind of the "killers" and how easy it is for some to cross that line. I won this book (free) through Goodreads and I definitely recommend it!!!
November 13, 2013
This is a real thriller of a book! What happens when an FBI agent , eccentric Scientist and a Reporter walk into a serial killers lair? The action is fast paced with some twists and turns. The reporter Seth Mathias is invited by a mysterious email to attend a live streaming video execution of a drug dealer. The serial killer calls himself screen shot he begins terrorizing America through his psychopathic methods. I highly recommend if you enjoy techno thriller genre.
September 14, 2013
I won this wonderful book from Goodreads. What a timely plot Mr. Darrin has come up with along with a new spin on serial killers. The characters were real with both their strengths and weaknesses portrayed to show that they really were human. Their personalities were quirky and I loved how they related to one another. I cannot wait to read the next book Mr. Darrin has written.
September 21, 2013
Screetshot takes off in the opening pages and never slows down. Its not so much a "who done it" as it is a "how are they going to solve it". The main characters are well written, as is the whole story. Screenshot even raises some interesting moral questions along the way.
Overall, a very thrilling and fun read.
Overall, a very thrilling and fun read.
October 9, 2013
I loved this intense Techno Thriller. Very intense and seemed like it could happen, I loved all the tech talk and thought the writer did a great job. The ending was a little weak, but still worth the read. If you like intense thrillers, this is a great one to read. Cant wait till his next book.
I won this book through Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway.
I won this book through Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway.
September 25, 2012
Enjoyed this a lot. I would perhaps have enjoyed a bit more in depth coverage of the techno side of this techno-thriller. The ending seemed a bit weak and abrupt to me, but still enjoyed it to the end.
September 10, 2013
Screenshot was gripping from the first page. I thought it had great characters and was well written.
How the internet can be used for evil, which most already know but this was very moving.
I'd highly recommend this book
How the internet can be used for evil, which most already know but this was very moving.
I'd highly recommend this book
October 16, 2013
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author, John Darrin. So thanks to Mr. Darrin!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I thought it moved along well and was exciting. I would recommend it to my friends who enjoy a good suspense/thriller book.
October 8, 2013
I thoroughly loved it and the term, 'techno-thriller,' is very appropriate. There was a lot of action and flashing between the protagonists and the antagonist's points of view definitely gave you two perspectives throughout the story which enhanced the storyline. Two thumbs up!
February 8, 2013
Great thriller.....well done!
August 12, 2013
It was a solid thriller that was weighed down by a lot of detail. Not perfect but good.
October 14, 2013
I won this book on first reads.
September 25, 2013
Enjoyed this thriller!! Kept me turning the page to see what was next. Smooth flowing story line. Will recommend to my friends.
October 3, 2013
Great thriller. Got a little lost with the technical details as I'm not that familiar with computer technology. Fast paced action/suspense.
I received the kindle version free from the author.
I received the kindle version free from the author.
December 19, 2013
This book was honestly very intense to me. I loved the way that the author to this is able to draw you in so intently. I recommend you read this.
November 22, 2013
This was so much better than I expected!! Great action and suspense ... recommended!!
July 28, 2013
Realistic future forecast thriller- I can't wait for his next book!
May 18, 2016
I received this book free of charge from the author through Goodreads in exchange for my unbiased review. Yes, I know it has been 3 years since I received the book but I finally got a chance to read it.
I truly enjoyed the book until I got to the very end. The action was great, the pace was wonderful, and the characters were amazing. However, the very end of the book seemed rushed and truly left me wondering what happened. I don't know if this was done on purpose to make way for a sequel or if it was meant to just leave us hanging but either way it was frustrating.
I really liked all of the characters. Screenshot was definitely a man of means and a force to be reckoned with. He surely shows the devastation that someone with knowledge and unlimited resources can render. However, he met his match in Seth.
I gave this book 4 stars because of the ending. Had the ending went into a little more detail, I would have rated it 5 stars. Thanks for a great book!
I truly enjoyed the book until I got to the very end. The action was great, the pace was wonderful, and the characters were amazing. However, the very end of the book seemed rushed and truly left me wondering what happened. I don't know if this was done on purpose to make way for a sequel or if it was meant to just leave us hanging but either way it was frustrating.
I really liked all of the characters. Screenshot was definitely a man of means and a force to be reckoned with. He surely shows the devastation that someone with knowledge and unlimited resources can render. However, he met his match in Seth.
I gave this book 4 stars because of the ending. Had the ending went into a little more detail, I would have rated it 5 stars. Thanks for a great book!
July 24, 2014
WOW, this book was so crazy!! But definitely in a good way, I've had it for a little while now and Im so glad I decided to give it a go! Fast paced, thrilling, a lil crazyy, and certainly something you don't see in the average books going around right now! I'm so glad I won this in a First Reads giveaway because you never know what little gem you'll find when you first start flipping those pages, and that's exactly what I did flipped through the pages so quick I'm surprised there was no paper cuts!! So really if your on the fence about getting this one, just DO IT! Because it was so gripping, all consuming!
July 25, 2014
Entertaining piece of mind candy with some innovative twists. The ending is a little bit underwhelming and campy but it is worth reading.
April 26, 2014
I loved this book. It really kept my interest high waiting to see what would happen next.
September 26, 2013
It was okay. Not much action. The killer did get killed. And the three main characters survived. C+
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews