| Publisher | Head of Zeus |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 02 March 2023 |
| ISBN-10 | 180110784X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1801107846 |
| Format | paperback |
| Pages | 384 |
| Price | £ 8.99 |
The Hacker
by
Ericka Blackwood, an FBI cybercrime expert, races to stop a sophisticated online predator, while dealing with her own demons.
Review
When some horrific dark web activities, including live murders and child sexual exploitation, grab the attention of FBI Special Agent and cybercrime expert Ericka Blackwood and her team, they discover the activities are being orchestrated by a mastermind known as Dantalion.
Dantalion claims to have never killed, nor organised killings, but it becomes clear that he uses a number of minions to ensure that the dark web activities both continue and reach even greater heights in their brutality. He does this by identifying individuals with nefarious tastes and aims, and then enlists their co-operation for his own purposes while satisfying their interests. This is all done anonymously, however, so Dantalion s identity is unknown even to those collaborating with him.
Ericka has baggage and therefore operates imperfectly. She is current subject to a desk-suspension and is also required to attend counselling sessions, following an incident where she brutally assaulted an abuser who subsequently died. Her parents were killed when she was 16 and her sister, Patty, was 14. Patty was later raped and subsequently committed suicide. Ericka has made it a life mission to track down the three rapists who fled to southern America after the rape. Dantalion hints that he may be able to help her find them.
The plot expands to include triads, biker gangs, jihadism, mob activity and plane hijackings, not all of which are red herrings. As the situations worsen, the CIA and Homeland also want part of the investigative action.
Most of the book, however, is spent trying to locate Dantalion, who always seems to be one step ahead. This leads to questions about whether he has AI which is superior to anything previously developed or whether there is perhaps an insider helping him. Someone also thinks to investigate whether someone with exceptional skills may have gone off the grid in recent years, perhaps carrying a grudge. I must say that I did wonder throughout the book how someone could have as many resources, as well as the time, ability and reach as Dantalion.
Despite the subject matter, the book is not a tech-heavy read, but it helps if you are pretty up to date with today s technology and acronyms. As examples, artificial intelligence, virtual reality goggles and driverless vehicles all play their part.
The author is a Canadian prosecutor who spent 15 years of his career in cybercrime, so he is clearly comfortable with the subject matter. Alarmingly, perhaps, he claims that the technology in play in the novel is either available today, or we are just around the corner from having it. I did like his observation that the web [has] substituted camouflage for courage. This raises the wider question of balancing the good that technology delivers with the societal costs that it also creates.
Given the clue-chase-fail sequences, the book is slow and repetitive in parts, although both the pace and intrigue do accelerate as the story progresses. I aligned with Ericka early on, although she and the other characters are somewhat colourless. The suggestion that she faces a major moral dilemma is over-stated and this angle is more a minor thread than a crucial story component.
The story left me a little empty and without real satisfaction, to be honest, but wiser about the threats our communities face from technology when it is abused. That said, almost certainly some loose ends mean there will be a sequel and Ericka will return to employ her investigative skills once again.
Dantalion claims to have never killed, nor organised killings, but it becomes clear that he uses a number of minions to ensure that the dark web activities both continue and reach even greater heights in their brutality. He does this by identifying individuals with nefarious tastes and aims, and then enlists their co-operation for his own purposes while satisfying their interests. This is all done anonymously, however, so Dantalion s identity is unknown even to those collaborating with him.
Ericka has baggage and therefore operates imperfectly. She is current subject to a desk-suspension and is also required to attend counselling sessions, following an incident where she brutally assaulted an abuser who subsequently died. Her parents were killed when she was 16 and her sister, Patty, was 14. Patty was later raped and subsequently committed suicide. Ericka has made it a life mission to track down the three rapists who fled to southern America after the rape. Dantalion hints that he may be able to help her find them.
The plot expands to include triads, biker gangs, jihadism, mob activity and plane hijackings, not all of which are red herrings. As the situations worsen, the CIA and Homeland also want part of the investigative action.
Most of the book, however, is spent trying to locate Dantalion, who always seems to be one step ahead. This leads to questions about whether he has AI which is superior to anything previously developed or whether there is perhaps an insider helping him. Someone also thinks to investigate whether someone with exceptional skills may have gone off the grid in recent years, perhaps carrying a grudge. I must say that I did wonder throughout the book how someone could have as many resources, as well as the time, ability and reach as Dantalion.
Despite the subject matter, the book is not a tech-heavy read, but it helps if you are pretty up to date with today s technology and acronyms. As examples, artificial intelligence, virtual reality goggles and driverless vehicles all play their part.
The author is a Canadian prosecutor who spent 15 years of his career in cybercrime, so he is clearly comfortable with the subject matter. Alarmingly, perhaps, he claims that the technology in play in the novel is either available today, or we are just around the corner from having it. I did like his observation that the web [has] substituted camouflage for courage. This raises the wider question of balancing the good that technology delivers with the societal costs that it also creates.
Given the clue-chase-fail sequences, the book is slow and repetitive in parts, although both the pace and intrigue do accelerate as the story progresses. I aligned with Ericka early on, although she and the other characters are somewhat colourless. The suggestion that she faces a major moral dilemma is over-stated and this angle is more a minor thread than a crucial story component.
The story left me a little empty and without real satisfaction, to be honest, but wiser about the threats our communities face from technology when it is abused. That said, almost certainly some loose ends mean there will be a sequel and Ericka will return to employ her investigative skills once again.
Reviewed 26 February 2024 by John Verpeleti
