Kent Lester

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Dan Clifford, having exposed the conspiracy at NeuroSys, his former employer, is infamous thanks to his release of a computer virus on national television. Working to rebuild his career and his personal life, he is on the verge of proposing to his girlfriend, microbiologist Rachel Sullivan.

The FBI unwittingly interrupts Dan’s plans when his friend, Vince Peretti, director of Cyberterrorism for the FBI’s Atlanta branch, summons him to a hastily-called show more meeting. Despite a presidential pardon for his hacking and the success of his fledging startup, SurMyz Consulting Group, Dan feels less than welcome in Vince’s hastily-assembled joint task force.

A clandestine group of hackers, known as the Firemen, and their leader, Chemerra, have succeeded in decrypting passwords and breaking into secure government servers. Their involvement in biohacking is the reason for the task force. The theft of a dangerous organism, nicknamed the Devil’s Paradox, from GenTropics Pharmaceuticals in Savannah was, the counterterrorism unit believed, the work of the Firemen.

Can Dan infiltrate the Firemen? Will they release the bioweapon . . . or is the threat coming from someone else? And what does big Pharma have to do with the threat?

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The story, compelling from the outset, is the second in the author’s Dan Clifford series. Readers who have not read the previous book that introduced the character [“The Seventh Sun”] will find sufficient backstory for this book to work as a standalone.

An undercurrent of apprehension runs throughout the telling of the tale and keeps the suspense building. With its strong sense of place, the science-filled plot, well-developed, believable characters, and the frighteningly-possible scenario all work together to keep the pages turning in this inventive and realistic thriller. Unexpected reveals ratchet up the tension; Rachel’s situation gives the narrative a sympathetic twist while Dan’s thoughtful decision-making is a strength in the telling of the tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books and NetGalley
#TheThirdInstinct #NetGalley show less

Action-packed sequel full of science, history, and moral/ethical dilemma is fast and fun.

This follow-up to THE SEVENTH SUN takes prediction scientist Dan Clifford and his girlfriend, Rachel Sullivan, to a new threat involving ancient, secret societies and the scary organism known as the Devil's Paradox. You will want to read the first book before opening this one. Full of realistic technology, conspiracy theories, political corruption, DNA hacking gone amuck, and all sorts of other show more interesting details, the story is a thriller as well as an adventure. There's even a bit of romance and the characters are unlikely, reluctant heroes who do their best to save the world. A bit of social commentary lends credence and believability to the narrative.

I enjoyed both books very much and recommend you read them back to back if possible. I like the writing style and the pacing that made this hard to put down. I'd love to see a film adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the e-book to read, review, and recommend. show less

Action-packed sci-fi thriller that screams for a film adaptation.

Read this if you are interested in emerging diseases, corporate greed, and global implications of new technologies.

When an acquaintance disappears while researching extinction events, prediction scientist Dan Clifford joins Rachel Sullivan, a marine biologist, as they race to prevent worldwide annihilation by primordial substances found in the ultimate extremes of the ocean.

I picked this up because I have an ARC of the second show more in the series on my TBR to review. So glad I did as it was rife with cutting edge and realistic science, had a fast pace, and packed with interesting characters. Can't wait to start the next installment. show less

Starts off slow but gaqins speed in the middle and ends with a bang. Provided for review by Good Reads.