Although the weaponized British computer hacker is implausibly effective in his intelligence service tasked activities, it is a very interesting read and is successfully different from the current series of "us vs them" novels. ( )

42-9

There were flashes of excitement but overall this was terrible. It often reads more like a lengthy synopsis than an actual novel, with scant attention paid to developing the characters. Instead we get a rambling tale that mostly seems to exist to allow Forsyth to ramble on about geo-politics. ( )

3.5 stars, rounded up (for all of his past accomplishments in this genre.) Someone has hacked into the impenetrable computer systems of the U.S. intelligence community. Turns out, it's a 18-year Brit, working in his attic with standard equipment, who awakens to find a team of black-clad anti-terrorist operators in his bedroom. Luke Jennings is a shy introverted kid, with Asperger's Syndrome, who was just looking around and did no damage. He is whisked off to a secure location, and becomes a central figure in engineering break-ins to various systems belonging to the bad guys: Russia, Iran, North Korea. Sir Adrian Weston, the former Deputy Chief of MI6 comes out of retirement at the Prime Minister's request to run, nurture, and protect Luke as an intelligence asset, and he needs all of his prodigious skills to avoid retribution by the Russians and their nasty friends. Not as good as his earlier stuff, but decent enough. ( )

Brain dead wish fulfilment fantasy. The British flicking everyone's noses. The hacking is dumber than in the dumbest Hollywood film. And everyone lived happily ever after. ( )