Book synopsis
- he gripping debut techno thriller from cybercrime specialist Daniel Scanlan. FBI Special Agent Ericka Blackwood chases a deadly online predator in a high-stakes hunt for the truth. Perfect for fans of Thomas Harris and Stieg Larsson. He’s online. He’s anonymous. He’s deadly. When a video surfaces on the Dark Web showing a murder no one else could have witnessed, FBI Special Agent Ericka Blackwood starts tracking down the killer. But the case is even darker than Ericka thought. Hidden behind an avatar named Dantalion, a criminal mastermind is feeding his sadistic appetites by directing the crimes of others–and he may have been orchestrating his twisted schemes for years. As Ericka homes in on her target, the tables are suddenly turned. Dantalion has information that will help Ericka fulfil a deeply personal quest for revenge… but only if she risks her career, her life, and the fate of Dantalion’s future victims. Does vengeance come at too high a price? About the author Daniel Scanlan is a lawyer who has practised extensively in the areas of cybercrime, digital evidence, wiretap, smuggling and money laundering. He wrote the non-fiction Digital Evidence in Criminal Law and contributed to The Lawyer’s Guide to the Forensic Sciences, winner of the Walter Owen Book Prize. He lives on Vancouver Island and enjoys ocean kayaking and hiking. When not outdoors, he is reading and will read almost anything, except books about lawyers. The Hacker is his first novel.
Excerpt from the book
The router beeped twice. Tim’s head snapped in her direction. He nodded and gave her a
thumbs-up. The goggles chirped for attention, the three lights now a solid green. It was time. She
pulled on the headset, blotting out her vision and cutting her off from all the sounds in the room.
Her world was dark and silent, her sensory isolation complete, alone with whatever was coming.
At first, she could make out just a faint hissing sound, then her eyes began to perceive the dim
gloom of a vast hall built of immense stone blocks. The sound came from guttering torches lining
the walls, set at regular intervals in between arches, covering blackened hallways that led away
into nothing. The detail was staggering, the illusion complete, a visual environment exceeding
reality. She glanced down, surprised to see her body accurately displayed, wearing clothes very
similar to those she had worn the night of the car attack. She was both irritated and impressed.
She lifted her head, the goggles tracking her head’s position, the display delayed by a fraction of
a second. Too many relays to project this in real time. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Her avatar sat across from an immense stone chair, empty and partly in shadow, in the illusion
no more than six feet away. She gripped the fake leather arms of her own seat to remind herself
of where she really was, the feel of vinyl reassuring. Hold on to the tactile to override the visual if
need be.
She spoke, projecting her words, ensuring her voice radiated confidence, but cultivating an
element of contempt. “Yes, very nice dungeon. Are we going to talk or am I supposed to sit here
and admire the view?” Her voice echoed back from the virtual stone walls. A few seconds passed—
transmission delay or was he being dramatic?
The voice came from all angles, engulfing her, not loud but a compelling, almost warm baritone,
the cadence like a skilled priest giving a sermon, building anticipation with each word. “Welcome,
Ericka, I knew you would come.” A slight echo reverberated from the walls.
That was fucking irritating. “Obviously, we weren’t going to pass up a transmission stream. Why
don’t you switch off the video game and tell me what you want to say. I’ve seen better graphics.
These don’t impress me.” That wasn’t true. These were the best she’d ever seen in VR, but
provoking a bit of anger might get him talking. Looked like he’d spent some time in the gaming
industry. She made a mental note.
Another delay that she interpreted as transmission lag. When it came, the voice sounded
amused and continued with the same deep timbre, rich with hubris coming now from behind her.
“Do help yourself to the transmission data. Following it is beyond you. Perhaps next time, I will
create an environment more to your liking. This is one of my favorites.”
She started, the hair on her neck standing up. Turning to look behind her, she saw nothing but
the empty hall receding into shadow. She spun back to the throne; a male figure of stunning beauty
now occupied the chair. Tall, appearing seven or eight feet, an enormous naked frame clad in
smooth, rippling muscle, dark-skinned and hairless. The skin gleamed as if oiled, reflecting the
flickering red light of the torches.