Book Review: The Chinese Conspiracy by John Mariotti

 The Chinese Conspiracy
Author:  John Mariotti
Copyright: 2010
Publisher:  iUniverse
Pages:  404
Genre:  Thriller
Source: Complimentary copy provided by the author for review
Extras:  Glossary of Common Terms, A History of Worm Viruses, Prologue and Postscript
ISBN 978-1-4502-5789-3

Content Advisory:  contains scenes of sexual nature, profanity, and violence

(I don't review books that contain this type of material, thus this advisory.  Rated 18 A)

Press release - "Author John Mariotti announces his new cyber-thriller, The Chinese Conspiracy. This fast paced thriller is based around today's headlines of cyber-terrorism.

Your office phone hasn't rung for some time, which is unusual. You pick it up, and you hear a hissing sound. You grab your cell phone, punch in a number, and get an "all-circuits-busy".Your computer monitor shows your home page, so you select a web site and get a "server not responding" message. That's odd! You email your assistant, and ask, "Did if it go through?" The answer is, "no". You turn back to see another "server not responding" notice.

The TV screen behind your desk is filled with snow-the cable is out. The radio doesn't work either-just static hiss. If you go down to the ATM, it'll just spit your card back at you. Bank transactions are dead. On Wall Street, trading has stopped amidst massive confusion. The ticker is dead. The monitors are dead. Everything's dead-"silenced!"

At the airport, the lines are growing; people are restless and confused. No planes are landing or taking off-or even taxiing-ATC is down and the airlines overhead monitors are full of snow. Agents can't ticket passengers or issue boarding passes. Chaos reigns.

From the White House to Congress, the Pentagon to Parliament, nothing related to electronic communications works. It's all completely SILENT. The only things not silent are the car horns in the street outside. It's a veritable cacophony of horns blaring. This scenario is repeated across the country. Nothing works. All electronic forms of communications and computer control have been "shutdown"-TV/Radio, all kinds of phones, the Internet, Wall Street, banking, Air Traffic Control, etc. But how? And by whom? And why?

This totally new form of terrorism-Cyber-Terrorism-potentially the most frightening of all."

My Thoughts:  In the prologue the menace begins with lights within Manhattan turning green at every intersection. Wall Street, New York - all computers are down, the ticker is black and cell phones are not working.  ATM machines are down.  Anything and everything that relies on computers or satellites is out of commission.  In Vegas the casinos have to shut down.  Money transfers don't work.  No email, no cell phones, no internet.  Washington DC - internet down, email down, cell phones not operational. Airports are at a standstill.  What is happening?  More importantly, who is behind it and why?

I could see this novel as a film with some judicious "cuts" of content.   John Mariotti has developed a cyber-thriller that will catch your attention and raise your level of awareness of the dangers that lurk in unseen places:  the hackers, the virus developers, and the like.  This book is available on Amazon.

 

I was excited at the prospect of reading this novel.  The premise of The Chinese Conspiracy is good, timely and frightening. The plot has been developed with great attention to detail and if it weren't for some of the R-18 content, I would recommend this book whole-heartedly.  Skimming through scenes I'd rather were not included, I found the plot to be thought provoking. However,  I did not finish this novel.  I would have loved to have read it cover to cover but I just couldn't get beyond the content.  So there it is.  An unfinished book.     I'm a believer in the adage, if it's not good enough without adding sex scenes, graphic violence or profanity, then it's not any better with it.  That's my opinion.  I leave it to you, the reader, to determine for yourselves.  It's a personal choice.

 

Teaser Tuesday 3/22/11

 Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine this week:

"Horns honking, the crunch of metal on metal and the screams of the injured created a cacaphony of chaos.

All over Manhattan similar scenes were evident, because somehow all the traffic lights in the bulk of Manhattan had switched to green at one time." ~ vii Prologue, The Chinese Conspiracy.

And this is the prologue of a book about a conspiracy to control computers all over the world to gain ultimate power using viruses, worms, trojans and more.  Makes for an exciting read!

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Please take a moment to introduce yourself and your teaser and then stop by Should Be Reading to join the linky. Have a great day!


Do you have your tease ready?  Share a bit here or your link to your tease.  Be sure to link up with Miz B at
Should Be Reading too!

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.  Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, this is my first time joining the book blogging community in this meme.


I am currently reading:

"A tale of redemption...holds readers in suspense until the final chapter...it will test readers' beliefs in the power of destiny and fate, and how they relate to choices one makes in life." - Chattanooga Free Press

"Possibly one of Spark's finest novels...Picture yourself reading it this week." - Examiner.com

"In true Nicholas Sparks fashion, the reader is engaged from the first to the last page.  The characters are authentic and the plot is engrossing and emotionally charged.  Sparks is a talented storyteller who is adept at tugging the reader's heartstrings." - BookLoons.com

Almost finished, my book review should be up tomorrow.  This is also part of a Nicholas Sparks reading challenge.

 "Wise, poignant...You'll catch yourself cheering out loud." - Vick Boughton, People.

"One of those magical books that will suck anybody in." - John Searles, The Today Show.

"Kathryn Stockett has written a wondrous novel.  You will be swept away as her characters work, play and love during a time when possibilities for women were few but their dreams of the future were limitless.  A glorious read."  - Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of the Big Stone Gap series and Very Valentine.

Still reading this novel......

"Kinsella delights again!...Winning...Kinsella keeps things fresh and frothy with workplace politicking, romantic intrigue and a vibrant...cast...Readers will be rooting for Lexi all along." - Publishers Weekly

"A lively new novel...a breezy blend of romantic comedy and cautionary fairy tale...Kinsella is hilarious." - New York Post

"A delicious page-turner, filled with hearty chuckles and heartache...[Kinsella] finds a way to make losing one's memory seem refreshingly funny." - USA Today

I've really only just begun reading this novel. 




I don't know how other bloggers manage so many books at a time.  I am juggling three and still find myself devoting more time to one than another.  I love to read.  If only time would allow more of it.  Upcoming reads include The Chinese Conspiracy by John Mariotti and Deed So by Katharine A. Russell in addition to our book club read of the month for February Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.

What are you reading this week?

Just Received - From the Author

It's like Christmas for me all over again.  There, in my mailbox, were two novels for me to read and review.  This is a new venture for me, reviewing novels direct from the author, and I am excited about it!  Can you tell? Here is an introduction to Deed So and The Chinese Conspiracy.  I'm sure you'll find them as interesting as I.

Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

(from the back cover)  "A young girl struggles to understand a tightening web of racial and generational tensions during the turbulent 1960s in the astonishing new novel, Deed So by Katharine Russell.  All twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford wants is to leave the closed-minded world of Wicomico Corners behind, in the hopes that a brighter future awaits elsewhere.   But when she witnesses the brutal killing of a black teen, Haddie finds her family embroiled in turmoil fraught with racial tensions.  Tempers flare as the case goes to trial, but things are about to get even hotter when an arsonist suddenly begins to terrorize the town.  Can Haddie help save her town, and herself?

Gorgeously written and filled with warm, luminous characters, Deed So is both a snapshot of a tumultuous time and a moving coming-of-age story of a remarkable young girl."

The Chinese Conspiracy by John Mariotti

"Not since the Manchurian Candidate have I read such a compelling thriller about global conspiracy.  But Mariotti goes much further, linking his masterfully fast-paced narrative to the clear and present danger of total cyberwar.  This novel is a call to action that our society must answer now." - Richard S. Levick, President and CEO, Levick Strategic Communications

(From the release provided me) "Powell, OH - Jan 5, 2011 - Author John Mariotti announces his new cyberthriller, The Chinese Conspiracy. This fast paced thriller is based around today's headlines of cyber-terrorism.

Your office phone hasn't rung for some time, which is unusual. You pick it up, and you hear a
hissing sound. You grab your cell phone, punch in a number, and get an "all-circuits-busy".
Your computer monitor shows your home page, so you select a web site and get a "server not
responding" message. That's odd! You email your assistant, and ask, "Did if it go through?"


The answer is, "no". You turn back to see another "server not responding" notice.


The TV screen behind your desk is filled with snow-the cable is out. The radio doesn't work
either-just static hiss. If you go down to the ATM, it'll just spit your card back at you. Bank
transactions are dead. On Wall Street, trading has stopped amidst massive confusion. The ticker
is dead. The monitors are dead. Everything's dead-"silenced!"


At the airport, the lines are growing; people are restless and confused. No planes are landing or
taking off-or even taxiing-ATC is down and the airlines overhead monitors are full of snow.
Agents can't ticket passengers or issue boarding passes. Chaos reigns.

From the White House to Congress, the Pentagon to Parliament, nothing related to electronic
communications works. It's all completely SILENT. The only things not silent are the car horns
in the street outside. It's a veritable cacophony of horns blaring. This scenario is repeated across
the country. Nothing works. All electronic forms of communications and computer control
have been "shutdown"-TV/Radio, all kinds of phones, the Internet, Wall Street, banking,
Air Traffic Control, etc. But how? And by whom? And why?


This totally new form of terrorism-Cyber-Terrorism-potentially the most frightening of all."

Both are intriguing and could be bestsellers!  Return soon for my reviews of Deed So and The Chinese Conspiracy.
Note:  These novels are supplied to me by the authors.   I receive no payment for reading and presenting my reviews of these works.