The thing that makes Washburn's tale of terrorists hacking into multiple systems and wreaking havoc across the United States is the realism of so many details. The terrorists are out for revenge because of wrongs they feel they have suffered at the hands of the U.S. within their home countries. The methods they use have taken several years to develop with several people working on them. And the results described could actually happen under the right circumstances.
But it is not just the "bad guys" and their effects that are realistic. Washburn takes the time to describe the various victims caught up in the disasters and makes them believable. He doesn't just mention a couple of old friends on vacation happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Readers learn the names, occupations, how long they have been friends and have been planning this trip, etc. Each of the characters comes complete with a backstory that rounds out each situation and makes it believable.
The protagonists of the story are FBI agents Hank Goodnight and Paige Randall. They are assigned to work together for the first time in response to the first incident. Even as they head out to investigate the damage spreads and they have to work around power outages, grounded air traffic and other issues just to reach the locations and resources they need to do the job.
I won this book in a giveaway and read it in a single afternoon. Once I started, the story pulled me along and I had to see how it would end. I would recommend it for those who enjoy thrillers where investigation and action are mixed with increasingly high stakes. This is for mature YA and adult readers - some of the scenes include graphic details of violence.
