Zero Day Ghost

A female lead and an intriguing debut novel of cyberspace and crime. Enjoyable read set in US and Hong Kong with lots of twists and turns in the plot. I enjoyed it. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy

Emily Hernandez is a former hacker, hired by the NSA to hunt down an neutralise a malicious botnet she had previously released to the world. But when she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt, she goes under cover - and rogue -into Hong Kong to confront the head of her former organisation and stop the botnet for good. But the deeper she digs, the more she uncovers in the corrupt world of organised crime and secret agencies.

This was a fast-paced, action packed thriller, right from the opening page,full of secret agents, crime bosses, intrigue, explosions, hit men and underground railroads. Emily, a reluctant hero, is trying to distance herself from her family's murky heritage - parents domestic terrorists, extended family part of the Chinese Triad - and become a respectable civilian, but the more she tries to escape, she is drawn further and further into the shadow world as both the agents and the AI set traps for her

While some of the pacing felt a little forced at times , the overall story was an enjoyable read. It was well written in a vividly descriptive style, with believable dialogue and lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

From the first car crash, all the way to the final scene, this becomes a non-stop rollercoaster of action that I could easily see this adapted for the silver screen.

In this age of the rise of artificial intelligence this is a very timely, sobering novel about the consequences if AI goes bad. How many internet connected devices are out there that have the potential to harbour a bot like APRIL? And when will the war between AI and the humans begin?

This was Scott Olsen's debut novel. Well worth the read for fans of thrillers, intrigue and fast paced spy novels.
An author to watch out for.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

If you love espionage, intrigue, and AI this is the book for you. Filled with danger, spy vs. spy in cyber space, and unlimited suspense this one will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Emily took the deal to work for the CIA but soon finds herself in the crosshairs of more than one agency, terrorists, China, and her own creation APRIL an AI that’s capable of taking them all out.

With the help of her sister Kaylin a hacker on the outside of the law, and three unlikely Allie’s she might just survive another day.

Spanning two continents, this book moves along at breakneck speed and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I was given a copy by The Book Whisperer through NetGalley. This is my own opinion of the book.

“Zero Day Ghost” is a debut novel by Scott Olson. Mr. Olson worked on Amazon’s Alexa and knows a bit about AI and tech buzzwords. I must admit that the idea of this book intrigued me. Overall, I think the bones of a great story are there, but there’s a lot of intrigue, techno speak that I didn’t always understand, and the plot had a few too many twists for my taste. There are some basic flaws that need an editor to tighten up. First - a character is introduced suddenly, like the reader is supposed to know who that person is already. I ended up doing a search in the book to see if I missed a previous reference - nope, just an awkward character introduction. In another scene, the hero notes she doesn’t have her phone, but manages to find a house - after midnight - that’s at least half an hour away from the train station. Had she visited the house before and remembered how to get there? Did she consult a map back at home and remember the rough outline? So many questions that actually took me out of the story! Time jumps abound, which I found a bit jarring to the flow of the story too. Once the main character ends up in Hong Kong, things happen very quickly - at times too quickly, though it did all make sense for a fast-paced action story. For a first time author, again, the bones are here for a really good story, but I wish there’d been a bit more explanation of the technological parts and a bit tighter general storyline. Overall, 3.5 stars, rounded up.

A fast paced techno thriller, running from the heart of the NSA in Fort Meade through a Mafioso safe-house to a monastery in Hong Kong. Emily is a hacker working for the NSA with one job: to get control of APRIL, a botnet she helped create. People around her keep getting hurt, caught up in her web of danger and Emily doesn’t doesn’t know who to trust when everyone is lying about something. This is a really quick read, there is some tech jive but doesn’t distract from the action, I enjoyed every twist and turn and there are a lot.

Please note, I received an ARC copy of this book for review from NetGalley, but that never influences my honest reviews of books or authors.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and The Book Whisperer.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

AN NSA analyst and former hacker finds herself in a dangerous situation. As she must choose to work as a Collective agent or spend more time in jail. She’ll get more than she bargains for in this thriller as she wonders if she made the right choice as her family lives will be in danger.

A compelling gripping read that will keep you engage.