It was okay. Reminded me of Shawshank Redemption which I did like but it had a lot of computer/technical jargon that just went over my head. I couldn’t put it down and definitely lost some sleep just to finish this. I can’t wait to pick up book #2

Truth be told, I have this obsession with prisons. I think it is because I am so terrified of ending up in one. Ha. When I saw that the book, You Will Know Vengeance by W. A. Pepper, was compared to the Shawshank Redemption, I knew that I had to read it.

This was definitely a different type of book than my normal read. The editors called it a "techno-thriller." Have you ever heard of a prison that is filled with just computer hackers? Brilliant minds all in one place? I almost have the feeling that this place could actually exist. The main character, Tanto, has spent eight years in a hidden prison in Texas. Everyone's job in this prison to is catch other people online. (I especially like when they are catching the scum that prey on naive teenagers online.)

The characters in the story are what make it in an interesting read. The head of the prison calls everyone, "Dog," and treats them as such. The other inmates also bring their own stories to this prison. It is a life of violence, but to some, it is still considered home.

The book was well-written, and although there is quite a bit of technology terms, everything was explained well .

I gave this book four out of five stars. I was given this book for my honest review.

This is my first book by this author which i enjoyed reading from beginning to end. A story that ticks all the boxes with suspense for sure. This is a story where the author used details to give the story a realistic feel. A story that is fast paced and hard to put down. A story that has twists and turns like no other. I enjoy how the characters pulled me into their world with ease and held my attention to the end. They are connectable and made the story for me. There is great growth with the characters as well as the plot throughout. I enjoyed this well written story and look forward to seeing what is next for this author. I highly recommend this book.

Bad guys being used by the good guys to bring down worse guys. Techno-thriller that builds slowly with several interesting twists.

I started reading this one and I just don’t think it is for me. I may get back to it sometime soon for another chance, but right now it has to be a DNF. The whole techno aspect intrigued me, and I was expecting something like John Marrs but it was not that at all.

This was a really good book, though knowledge, even a bit, of computers and how they operate would probably be beneficial, there is a glossary at the end of the book that explains all the terms as well. I had not read any previously books by this author and I may have to look at some of his others and the next in this series. Tanto has been in prison for 8 years, though this is not your typical prison, all the inmates are expert hackers who are tasked with going onto the dark web and finding users that are looking at, mostly, child porn then obtaining enough information for them to be charged, each successful charge counts as a 'kill', enough kills will get you paroled early. Tanto is close to that mark, though the warden of the prison is a mean man, who takes away kills and awards them to others at will. A new inmate, Barca, and Quidlee enter the prison around the same time, Quidlee is a timid fellow and Tanto takes him under his wing to foster him along. Barca is not so nice a hulking brute who enjoys hurting and humiliating others, especially Quidlee. This story really moves, all the chapters are only a few pages long and the action is non stop, I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Hustle Valley Press for the ARC.

A techno-thriller has the main character Tanto a hacker being arrested and sent to prison to work for the government. He along with others is trying to make it day to day gaining points by getting others on the outside to fall into one of their traps. When a new prisoner comes to Barca he is more of a Bully and does not want to work or code, he wants to put fear and intimidation and also take over the small crew in order to isolate Tanto. His Busdos ways are put to the test. When another prisoner arrives Barca really plays on him making it out as Tanto was the one who set him up and put him in this prison. Tanto must use his skills as a hacker and his mind if he wants to survive. He has Barca and he still is being controlled by the warden who has him working on a whole different program. Tanto though will not be defeated and by the time you start getting to the end the story has you on edge for you know something is going to happen. A very good book with excellent characters and very much worth the read.

I do like a book that starts with a trigger warning, then proceeds full steam ahead. Although this was not my normal taste in fiction, the writing was clever and kept the flow of the story moving. If you’re looking for a story that’s a bit twisted and depraved, you’ve come to the right place.

At first - I didn't see myself finishing this book - I'm very glad I did! Not only did I finish - I'm ready for the next one.

Very different style of story telling - often brutal always blunt - it takes awhile to get this one going.

Prison books are not my favorite - still not - but this one was very interesting.

Thank you to the Author and NetGalley for this opportunity.

This is one of the few books to truly bring, in a credible way, crypto-crime into the mystery genre. It’s a thoroughly modern thriller and done in a really engaging way, so even if you are an “old school” mystery reader, you will quickly relate to the technological aspects of this book. I am not sure if I loved or hated most of the characters but I certainly did not want to stop reading about them!

Special thanks to Hustle Valley Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this book

Tanto, who practices Bushido is dragged to jail by a Swat team for years for his technological skills and hacking to help them capture and entrap others with his techy skills , but when he takes a badly beaten younger prisoner under his wing, he realizes his old nemesis beat the kid. His nemesis is dangerous and is now in his cell block.

Will Tanto forget his willfulness in Bushido or will he exact vengeance on his nemesis? This book left me with a cliffhanger and was just not for me.

After a very slow build, the pace of the story picked up about halfway through. By that time I wasn't really engaged with any of the characters and the plot was just barely believable. I finished the book, hoping for some critical reveal that would make sense out of the rest of the book but was left with just a cliffhanger and an excerpt from the next novel. This one just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy..

This tale is about a hacker that is imprisoned. He is forced to work in ace rest projects. The setting is grim and realistic. The tale involves hacking and vengeance. It is quick-moving and suspenseful.

"You Will Know Vengeance" was a crazy, twisted story. The author has created a world where skilled hackers, once caught, are placed in a secret government prison where they are dehumanized (referred to as "dogs") by Warden Cyfib. In Hackers Haven, as Tanto, one of the inmates, refers to the prison, the inmates are required to defend government computers (as well as paying corporate clients) against attacks. They are also required to catch people engaged in illegal activity online, enticing the unsuspecting idiots into taking the necessary actions that will allow the government to successfully prosecute them but not going so far that the soon-to-be criminal defendant can make a credible claim of entrapment. If you collect enough "kills", you can be paroled. However, that is a difficult task, as there are numerous infractions that can result in loss of "units" (credits for successful kills). Moreover, each "dog" is implanted with a chip that allows for disciplinary shocks, which are doled out frequently.

Into this hellhole enters the latest rookie (rook), Quidlee, who struggles to adjust to his new situation. Soon afterwards another new inmate arrives, Barca. He is a beast of a man, sadistic, and mercenary, and rather manipulative. Barca immediately focus attention on both Tanto and Quidlee. Tanto knows that Barca is a threat not only physically, but also to the way of life that Tanto and some of his fellow hacktivists have established in Hackers Haven. If stopping Barca was not a big enough challenge, Warden Cyfib wants Tanto to finish development of Gakundo, a software program that will greatly speed up captures, but will also ensnare a lot of people who are foolish rather than malicious in their online activity, and whose lives will be destroyed as a result. Tanto has to figure out a way to protect Quidlee, get rid of Barca and sabotage Gakundo without being caught doing so (a difficult task, as Warden Cyfib is one of the best coders/hackers).

The plot itself is quite creative and engaging. The characters are interesting and creative, and the interactions between them are quite good. Tanto tries to live his life by the Bushido Code, the historic code of conduct for the Japanese warrior classes. However, his efforts to do so are challenged by the environment in which he lives, especially with the addition of Barca. The author does a good job of portraying the struggles Tanto experiences as he tries to follow his internal moral code when faced with an adversary who appears to have no scruples.

It will be interesting to see what challenges face Tanto in the next book in the series.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I started out loving this book (once I figured out what was going on), then I kind of hated it, and then I kind of loved it at the end. It was a crazy ride, a thriller based on computer hackers imprisoned in an unknown location to hack into systems to catch the ‘bad guys’ - mostly child molesters and pornographers from what I could tell. The warden, Cyfib, is an overbearing soulless bully with a lot of hacking skills, and you start to think it can’t get worse. And then it does. A bigger, rather enigmatic bully named Barca is brought in and is somehow above the law in that living hell. That’s the basic setup; the story revolves around the team of prisoners which comes to include a vulnerable new guy, and the slow motion train wreck that their lives become. I personally felt like the violence perpetrated by Barca got out of hand, even for a prison book, but on the whole I would heartily recommend this wild book. In the final analysis, I can’t wait for the sequel.

My copy of this ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. The opinions are my own.
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Review of eBook

In an unknown time, hackers, captured and thrown into a hidden prison, spend their time trapping other hackers. When Tanto finds himself tossed into the turmoil of this confinement, he relies on the ways of Bushido to maintain his peaceful attitude and protect the others confined in this place.

But when Barca is tossed into Hacker’s Haven, Tanto realizes that danger has come to those he now considers family. Since the guards ignore Barca’s barbarism, Tanto does everything possible to protect the other hackvits. However, a particularly savage act forces Tanto into developing a desperate plan.

But he may lose himself in the process.

=========

This techno-thriller, filled with suspense, tension, atrocities, and desperation, also offers readers a hefty dose of viciousness, violence, and brutality. There is a fair amount of the more technical aspects of computing, but it is not necessary for readers to have a strong understanding of computing in order to follow the action in this narrative.

Readers are sure to find themselves drawn to the various well-drawn characters . . . both AldenSong and Quidlee are particularly intriguing. Character development is first-rate and is the prevailing highlight of the narrative.

The plot is complex, filled with unexpected surprises, anguish, and sedition, leaving readers to deplore the inhumanity on display here. The story is relatively straightforward but the never-answered question concerning the cryptic [and unexplained] message regarding parole that Lance-a-little sends to Tanto is sure to frustrate readers.

Also included here are the first chapter of the next book in the series and a glossary of the technical terms used in the story.

Readers who enjoy techno-thrillers are sure to find much to appreciate here; however, heed the author’s Disclaimer and Trigger Warning [which is a bit more ominous than necessary] . . . the story is set in a prison; expect despicable behavior and many horrific actions to find their way into the telling of this grim tale.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Hustle Valley Press, LLC and NetGalley
#ywkv #NetGalley

"Vengeance is where you get retribution on the one who has wronged you. You were not the one wronged, so you made sure this guy messed himself up, because only he could miss those shots, no matter what you did. He was causing damage to other players, and he ultimately caused damage to himself. That's justice, not vengeance."...

Only in a game do you get something as pure and satisfying as justice. In life, the best you can hope for is vengeance. Tanto to Quidlee during a basketball game

I don't think I've ever seen a better explanation of the difference between justice and vengeance and is the premise of the entire story.

Tanto is computer hacker and is in a prison with some other hackers. This isn't a normal prison by a long shot. Yes, the prisoners are restricted with what they can do, they're fed crappy food, and the guards are jerks. But what they do while they're incarcerated is far different from other prisons. They hack into the dark web and catch bad guys, usually child porn perverts, but other offenses, as well. They gather enough information to have them arrested. It's termed as kills and when you reach a certain number of them, you get released from prison.

The problem is the warden can give them or take them away at will and he does. Other prisoners like Barca, who is the bully of the bunch, can be gifted some of your kills and can ultimately be released earlier than you. It's a twisted system, but not surprisingly so. The warden is a bad dude; a hacker himself, so it's very hard for the other peasant inmates or "dogs" as he calls them (and treats them worse) to pull anything over on him. Cyfib wears spurs that jingle and lets the prisoners know he is in the area before they actually see him. That pays off. Tanto had some close calls with him that had me biting my nails.

Quidlee is new to the prison and is in desperate need to get out. Everybody is, right? Well, Tanto sees the need and has another issue that concerns Quidlee and devises a plan to get him out. Only nothing ever goes as planned. Ever. Especially in this place.

My favorite character was Aldensong. He's a big Samoan guy with a big heart, an innate sense of right and wrong, and is Tanto's best friend. But the cast of characters is diverse and impressive. All of the characters were well-thought out and had a particular part to play that may have been secondary but still critical to the story. As for Aldy, I hated that Barca called him "fatso". I wanted to reach through my screen and punch him in the mouth every time he said it. I don't care that he's six foot eight and a total jackass, complete with a big mouth he never shut, and expected special privileges which he got. I despised him, as was intended, and I loved Aldy's gentle spirit, his sense of humor, and the way he thought. His loyalty knew no boundaries.

This was a white-knuckled ride with tension that was tangible, fantastic characters that flew off the page, and a tight plot that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed it very much.

With that being said, I do want to mention a couple of things. The Disclaimer and Trigger Warning was unnecessarily dramatic. Get counseling? Really? I've read worse than this in other books and nobody had to hold my hand and whisper in my ear that everything is okay. I've never needed to go to a professional after reading any book and I've read some grisly stuff in my day. Stuff far worse than this by the author's favorite author, Stephen King, no less. I was so put off the disclaimer that I nearly declared the book a DNF before I even started. But being the voracious reader that I am, I wanted to see what was so bad about it that it needed such a dire disclaimer and trigger warning. Some bad things did happen. It is a prison, after all. But I didn't think it was so over the top that it deserved a warning like this.

I also saw that it was touted as dystopia and was compared to The Shawshank Redemption. I see the connection between both of those, although I wouldn't be surprised if a prison like this actually exists and is running at full steam. I guess Tanto would be our Andy DuFresne. He's got something the warden wants and will go to extremes to get.

It might also be beneficial for the reader to have some knowledge of computer lingo. This is a story of computer hackers and there are a lot of computer terms in it. There is a glossary at the end of the book that helps with that and it, too, is well done. I have some computer background myself, so I was familiar with the terms without having to look them up, but I can see where it would be helpful to someone who doesn't have that. I can't find my way out of a wet paper bag when it comes to computers now, but I do know the jargon.

I did enjoy this book and may continue with the series. It does have some moments of humor and I got a kick out of the play on the names of characters. MottenCather (Cotton Mather, a Puritan writer and minister) and Jim Hetfield (James Hetfield, front man for the band Metallica). Even Tanto's name is word play. I thought the hacker names were clever.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I was initially drawn to this book as it's likened to The Shawshank Redemption which I loved! This one is a techno-thriller and, although I admit I am not tech-savvy enough to completely understand all the computer jargon, I was amazed at the high-tension scenes that propel this novel to its riveting conclusion! Tanto is one of the few prisoner "hackvicts"-- part of a small group engaged in trying to "capture" cyber criminals from the inside in exchange for early parole. But when new blood is introduced, all hell breaks loose and things get dicier than most men can handle! So go in expecting to lose sleep as you won't be able to put this one down! Fortunately it's the first in a series so buckle up!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!