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The Codex File
Michael's wife is murdered as internet access is banned. Only a band of hackers and industrial espionage can unravel the Codex file and discover why.
Forget everything you think you know about the internet. If you think nefarious web sites peddling a cocktail of online scams, illegal pornography, racial hatred and vicious computer viruses was all you had to worry about - think again. The government has banned access to the internet and the world wide web, dubbing it an illegal, unregulated zone. Sounds good news doesn't it, until you know that its replacement controls every aspect of your life, from digital content, provision of your gas, water and electricity, and all your money. And with everything and everybody connected, we're all now potential targets if we oppose it.
Do you still feel safe?
Empowered?
Connected?
Welcome to the future of the internet. Welcome to the Codex file.
Michael Robertson’s family has been murdered to protect the covert government project linked to establishing a new UK internet. Piecing together what happened leads him to four computers hackers, vehemently opposed to the new network, who provide the only means to hunt down the killers. But uncovering the truth leads to industrial espionage and a plot that leads right to the heart of government as he seeks the truth behind the Codex file.
Forget everything you think you know about the internet. If you think nefarious web sites peddling a cocktail of online scams, illegal pornography, racial hatred and vicious computer viruses was all you had to worry about - think again. The government has banned access to the internet and the world wide web, dubbing it an illegal, unregulated zone. Sounds good news doesn't it, until you know that its replacement controls every aspect of your life, from digital content, provision of your gas, water and electricity, and all your money. And with everything and everybody connected, we're all now potential targets if we oppose it.
Do you still feel safe?
Empowered?
Connected?
Welcome to the future of the internet. Welcome to the Codex file.
Michael Robertson’s family has been murdered to protect the covert government project linked to establishing a new UK internet. Piecing together what happened leads him to four computers hackers, vehemently opposed to the new network, who provide the only means to hunt down the killers. But uncovering the truth leads to industrial espionage and a plot that leads right to the heart of government as he seeks the truth behind the Codex file.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2012
3 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Miles Etherton
1 book8 followersI am a historian with a special interest in WWII and modern-day technologies.
I like to explore the darker side of our existence, and in particular the murkier depths of the online world. I enjoy melting intriguing facts into captivating fiction–not for the fainthearted–in my cyber-thrillers.
I love the internet and the online world. What if one of the greatest technological advances we’ve made, would be misused? What if the freedom of the internet has turned on its users? Imagine devious minds having their way with our data… it makes for fascinating ideas to explore in writing.
If you love cyber and conspiracy thrillers then why not come along for the ride! Are you brave enough?
I like to explore the darker side of our existence, and in particular the murkier depths of the online world. I enjoy melting intriguing facts into captivating fiction–not for the fainthearted–in my cyber-thrillers.
I love the internet and the online world. What if one of the greatest technological advances we’ve made, would be misused? What if the freedom of the internet has turned on its users? Imagine devious minds having their way with our data… it makes for fascinating ideas to explore in writing.
If you love cyber and conspiracy thrillers then why not come along for the ride! Are you brave enough?
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 11, 2018
Read more (http://cjlistro.blogspot.com/2012/04/...)
I don’t usually read thrillers, but the premise intrigued me enough to check this out. I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next slightly paranoid nerd. I wasn’t disappointed. The Codex File grabs you with a sickly twisted beginning and yanks you through. Even if you aren’t a big fan of Michael (which I was not, especially when he was getting so unnecessarily paranoid) you really want to see those government baddies crucified. Etherington sets up a world that we can all imagine in the not-too-distant future, which makes the possibility of this government conspiracy all the more terrifying. A world where technology is in everything we do and we’re never safe from invasion. Scared me to death, which made for a really compelling plot.
There writing style was generally good for a thriller. Clear and clean, though there were places where extra descriptions could have been taken out to pick up the pace. I was on the fence about the use of multiple character perspectives throughout. It removes much of the surprise, since you already know some of the pitfalls that Michael and his friends will fall into before they do. However, it sacrifices surprise for a strong sense of dramatic irony. You know they’re doomed, and dying to see how they get out of it. The style grew on me, though I think some of the villain-scenes could have been less transparent. What I liked less was the occasional random interlude into someone else’s mind during a Michael-centered scene. We’d be reading about Michael, then all of the sudden, we’d be in Brown’s head. Why were we not always in Brown’s head, I wanted to know. Convenience. A little author trick to reveal details only Brown could know, but I thought the story stood well enough without it.
Overall, I thought that while the book could have used a few copyediting tweaks, it was a fun, compelling read. I really enjoyed it, and could easily see it sitting on a shelf with a major publishing house’s logo on it, after some revision. As it stands, I highly recommend picking it up. Even if you’re not very tech-y, Etherington does a good job of bringing this not-too-distance futuristic world alive, and making the terror and the suspense real and deeply felt. Great atmosphere. Good read.
I don’t usually read thrillers, but the premise intrigued me enough to check this out. I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next slightly paranoid nerd. I wasn’t disappointed. The Codex File grabs you with a sickly twisted beginning and yanks you through. Even if you aren’t a big fan of Michael (which I was not, especially when he was getting so unnecessarily paranoid) you really want to see those government baddies crucified. Etherington sets up a world that we can all imagine in the not-too-distant future, which makes the possibility of this government conspiracy all the more terrifying. A world where technology is in everything we do and we’re never safe from invasion. Scared me to death, which made for a really compelling plot.
There writing style was generally good for a thriller. Clear and clean, though there were places where extra descriptions could have been taken out to pick up the pace. I was on the fence about the use of multiple character perspectives throughout. It removes much of the surprise, since you already know some of the pitfalls that Michael and his friends will fall into before they do. However, it sacrifices surprise for a strong sense of dramatic irony. You know they’re doomed, and dying to see how they get out of it. The style grew on me, though I think some of the villain-scenes could have been less transparent. What I liked less was the occasional random interlude into someone else’s mind during a Michael-centered scene. We’d be reading about Michael, then all of the sudden, we’d be in Brown’s head. Why were we not always in Brown’s head, I wanted to know. Convenience. A little author trick to reveal details only Brown could know, but I thought the story stood well enough without it.
Overall, I thought that while the book could have used a few copyediting tweaks, it was a fun, compelling read. I really enjoyed it, and could easily see it sitting on a shelf with a major publishing house’s logo on it, after some revision. As it stands, I highly recommend picking it up. Even if you’re not very tech-y, Etherington does a good job of bringing this not-too-distance futuristic world alive, and making the terror and the suspense real and deeply felt. Great atmosphere. Good read.
October 7, 2014
Here’s an exciting British based novel of internet espionage, murder, psycho-manipulation and the fight for power when politics and big government get control of the free internet. I was initially put off a bit by the first chapter and the graphic murder scene, but as I read further, came to understand that the point needs to be made clearly that there are still people in our society who will do anything to hold complete power. The “Dark Side” of humanity has not gone away despite our cult of happiness.
Where better than Britain to set this novel? Nowhere! The country is already set up for governmental control of TV, radio and telecommunications, so why not add the Internet to the licensing agreements and go back to the kind of control they had when the BBC was the only British vector of information.
But what happens when big business egos and political power players join together to perfect a system where the competition can be eliminated by accessing the home computer regulation system, turn on the gas and wait for someone to flip on thelight switch. Accidents just seem to happen to anyone who gets in the way of the take-over. The masses can be kept happy massaging themselves with their movies, apps, and all the great things the internet can deliver to their sensual world.
Happily the fighters for the Free Internet have managed to survive as nameless, faceless fugitives as they go on the run and desperately work to thwart the final success of the full-on app that will make the whims of the diabolical leaders come to full reality. Fortunately they have a key file to the ultimate app, left in a lock box for Michael Robertson by his wife, horrifically mutilated and murdered by the man who will take full power in the Nazi-like world he envisions.
Who will win out? Michael is tormented by his wife Collette’s ghost in the form of the ANNA app that seems to follow him and bring on self-destructive impulses. The free internet patriots are down to their last hideout and have been sucked into a trap set through the government web. The malevolent net is beginning to close! Read it!
Where better than Britain to set this novel? Nowhere! The country is already set up for governmental control of TV, radio and telecommunications, so why not add the Internet to the licensing agreements and go back to the kind of control they had when the BBC was the only British vector of information.
But what happens when big business egos and political power players join together to perfect a system where the competition can be eliminated by accessing the home computer regulation system, turn on the gas and wait for someone to flip on thelight switch. Accidents just seem to happen to anyone who gets in the way of the take-over. The masses can be kept happy massaging themselves with their movies, apps, and all the great things the internet can deliver to their sensual world.
Happily the fighters for the Free Internet have managed to survive as nameless, faceless fugitives as they go on the run and desperately work to thwart the final success of the full-on app that will make the whims of the diabolical leaders come to full reality. Fortunately they have a key file to the ultimate app, left in a lock box for Michael Robertson by his wife, horrifically mutilated and murdered by the man who will take full power in the Nazi-like world he envisions.
Who will win out? Michael is tormented by his wife Collette’s ghost in the form of the ANNA app that seems to follow him and bring on self-destructive impulses. The free internet patriots are down to their last hideout and have been sucked into a trap set through the government web. The malevolent net is beginning to close! Read it!
April 26, 2012
Some subjects are almost too frightening for words and for me, the more possible the thriller, the more this is true. Codex grabbed me from the beginning and because its protagonist, Michael Robertson, is not as computer literate as his murdered wife, a top analyst. From the heinous crime, made to look like that of a violent political radical, this book mounts with intrigue. After Michael is in a care facility for his mental health, he becomes ensnared in a vengeful search for his wife and his daughter's murderer. At first he doesn't know how the UK "citizen's internet" is empowered by the Defense Department and he doesn't know how much they want information that his wife left in a P.O. box.
The technology is planned to outfit buildings like interior design. And the use of this in treacherous hands is as evil as the gradually enhanced nemesis, Vincent Trevellion. Attacked and confused in an eerie way through the screen in his home, Michael eventually finds his way to people who are on the elimination list, remindful of Farhenheit 451. But nothing is as it seems, even Michael. He is being manipulated into someone he isn't, his co-conspirators have new identities, and the passwords to their organizing are extremely dangerous in usage.
This is an exciting book, one that a person can hardly wait to read again. And the ending was stunning after the confrontation of the Real Internet Guardians with the almost all-encompassing UKCitizensNet. The technical language was not a barrier for me and what I liked most was the development of the characters, what really boots the computers.
The technology is planned to outfit buildings like interior design. And the use of this in treacherous hands is as evil as the gradually enhanced nemesis, Vincent Trevellion. Attacked and confused in an eerie way through the screen in his home, Michael eventually finds his way to people who are on the elimination list, remindful of Farhenheit 451. But nothing is as it seems, even Michael. He is being manipulated into someone he isn't, his co-conspirators have new identities, and the passwords to their organizing are extremely dangerous in usage.
This is an exciting book, one that a person can hardly wait to read again. And the ending was stunning after the confrontation of the Real Internet Guardians with the almost all-encompassing UKCitizensNet. The technical language was not a barrier for me and what I liked most was the development of the characters, what really boots the computers.
January 11, 2023
Action Packed!
Miles Etherton writes a thrilling dystopian tale with The Codex File. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. The reader is introduced to Michael, reeling from the recent murder of his family, he is determined to do what it takes to get justice or revenge, whatever comes first. Michael is a raw character, who is a determined man, and with the recent ban of the Internet, he needs all the help he can get to get around this new "internet." It's an action-packed story, filled with hackers, conspiracy, and control of the government. The Codex File is a magnetic thriller and mystery, as it shows us how the simple freedoms we have, can be taken away in an instant. It's breathtaking! Michael is determined and tenacious and determined to get the job done no matter what. The Codex File is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book, to also write a review.
Miles Etherton writes a thrilling dystopian tale with The Codex File. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. The reader is introduced to Michael, reeling from the recent murder of his family, he is determined to do what it takes to get justice or revenge, whatever comes first. Michael is a raw character, who is a determined man, and with the recent ban of the Internet, he needs all the help he can get to get around this new "internet." It's an action-packed story, filled with hackers, conspiracy, and control of the government. The Codex File is a magnetic thriller and mystery, as it shows us how the simple freedoms we have, can be taken away in an instant. It's breathtaking! Michael is determined and tenacious and determined to get the job done no matter what. The Codex File is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book, to also write a review.
January 8, 2023
Dystopian Novel or Real Life?
A dystopian novel, “The Codex File” is frighteningly close to home. Protagonist Michael Robertson is in a cat and mouse game with Vincent Trevellion with a trail of tortured, dead bodies in their wake. If you can stomach the sadistic violence, the cyber-thrilling Orwellian theme will scare the bejesus out of you.
Trevellion will stop at nothing to block access to the internet, in favor of the controlled UKCitizensNet. Conspiracies and manipulation are de rigueur: “brainwashing by saturation of misinformation . . . the distinction between information and misinformation soon becomes blurred.” The scope of manipulated dissemination of information is, at the very least, thought provoking, and at most, actually occurring right now!
Etherton is a genius at going back and forth in time, and twisting and turning without confusion. The surprises got me EVERY time. The end felt like it was in the middle of a caper — a tease for another book, surely, but a wrap of any kind would have been better.
A dystopian novel, “The Codex File” is frighteningly close to home. Protagonist Michael Robertson is in a cat and mouse game with Vincent Trevellion with a trail of tortured, dead bodies in their wake. If you can stomach the sadistic violence, the cyber-thrilling Orwellian theme will scare the bejesus out of you.
Trevellion will stop at nothing to block access to the internet, in favor of the controlled UKCitizensNet. Conspiracies and manipulation are de rigueur: “brainwashing by saturation of misinformation . . . the distinction between information and misinformation soon becomes blurred.” The scope of manipulated dissemination of information is, at the very least, thought provoking, and at most, actually occurring right now!
Etherton is a genius at going back and forth in time, and twisting and turning without confusion. The surprises got me EVERY time. The end felt like it was in the middle of a caper — a tease for another book, surely, but a wrap of any kind would have been better.
February 17, 2020
I quit reading this one at the 6% mark on my Kindle and deleted it – the main attraction seems to be murder, and describing in all of the gory details on how people can be murdered. Rather than grabbing my attention and trying to get me vested into the book and wanting to read more, the author appears to want to try his best to gross you out. I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but this one left me uncomfortable. If blood and gore are your thing, by all means give this one a shot.
May 29, 2021
Miles Etherton’s Book ‘The Codex File' introduces readers to a new theme of terror in the taking over of all communication across the country, and replacing it with total control of the Internet. This gripping tale leaves the reader wondering, could this really happen? 5 *
March 12, 2017
Technothriller. The government has taken control of cyberspace, but some determined individuals are resisting. Lots of graphic violence.
January 24, 2016
I received a free copy for an unbiased review.
This is a modern '1984', but ultra violent. The sustained level of gory violence is the reason I'm not giving the book more stars, because this makes it difficult for the average reader to take. Which is a pity, because the author has thought out his nightmarish scenario with care, and I'm always pleased to see SF set in Britain. Some readers may well give it a better rating.
UKCitizensNet has replaced access to the internet. All phones, blogs, television channels, film channels, websites and social pages are channelled through the government, which has also nationalised all services like water and electricity in a future communist version of Britain.
Why we didn't get endless civil unrest is not explained. At this point, civil liberties people are reduced to a handful of free internet activists who live on the run and try without success to hack into state computers. Meeting up with them, unsure if he can trust them, is our protagonist Michael whose wife Colette and daughter have been murdered. The start of the book introduces us to Colette and then we see the murder, and we get to see her again through flashbacks as Michael recalls meeting and marrying her and the birth of their child. As these flashes have little to do with the ongoing story some readers may skip them. Colette was working for one of the three companies competing to provide the UK Net service.
Two years pass before Michael gets out of a care home for the breakdown he suffered after he found Colette's body, and through his eyes we explore the provisions and restrictions of the new Net. Then he finds Colette left him some documents from her work, and the violence starts again, pretty much without pause. In a reminder of 'Life On Mars', Michael thinks he hears his wife speaking to him from the state-run TV screen.
The author clearly knows the locations he uses. For those readers who have not visited them, it wouldn't hurt to drop in a few lines about where and what Winchester, Aldershot and the other places are. Did Michael travel five miles or five hundred? We don't get much description of the locations and a lot of the action is set in offices or hideouts. I also figured that the cars would be under Net supervision - since they would still get radio, satnav and probably phone - so it's not much use for Michael to say to a conspirator, "I've got a car. Let's go." Some events, like soldiers opening fire on environmental protestors, are clearly taken to extremes by the author for the purpose of illustrating how grotesque the government has become.
There's a lot I would have expected to see by this time which just doesn't make its way onto the pages, like electric cars. We do get the assumption that computing is pretty much as it has been for the last couple of decades, just more pervasive, with java apps being developed for nefarious purposes. Many pages are full of hacking attempts and initials. Again, this means that the book will find a more specific audience rather than a general one. I would read more by this author, but only if the violence is less prominent.
This is a modern '1984', but ultra violent. The sustained level of gory violence is the reason I'm not giving the book more stars, because this makes it difficult for the average reader to take. Which is a pity, because the author has thought out his nightmarish scenario with care, and I'm always pleased to see SF set in Britain. Some readers may well give it a better rating.
UKCitizensNet has replaced access to the internet. All phones, blogs, television channels, film channels, websites and social pages are channelled through the government, which has also nationalised all services like water and electricity in a future communist version of Britain.
Why we didn't get endless civil unrest is not explained. At this point, civil liberties people are reduced to a handful of free internet activists who live on the run and try without success to hack into state computers. Meeting up with them, unsure if he can trust them, is our protagonist Michael whose wife Colette and daughter have been murdered. The start of the book introduces us to Colette and then we see the murder, and we get to see her again through flashbacks as Michael recalls meeting and marrying her and the birth of their child. As these flashes have little to do with the ongoing story some readers may skip them. Colette was working for one of the three companies competing to provide the UK Net service.
Two years pass before Michael gets out of a care home for the breakdown he suffered after he found Colette's body, and through his eyes we explore the provisions and restrictions of the new Net. Then he finds Colette left him some documents from her work, and the violence starts again, pretty much without pause. In a reminder of 'Life On Mars', Michael thinks he hears his wife speaking to him from the state-run TV screen.
The author clearly knows the locations he uses. For those readers who have not visited them, it wouldn't hurt to drop in a few lines about where and what Winchester, Aldershot and the other places are. Did Michael travel five miles or five hundred? We don't get much description of the locations and a lot of the action is set in offices or hideouts. I also figured that the cars would be under Net supervision - since they would still get radio, satnav and probably phone - so it's not much use for Michael to say to a conspirator, "I've got a car. Let's go." Some events, like soldiers opening fire on environmental protestors, are clearly taken to extremes by the author for the purpose of illustrating how grotesque the government has become.
There's a lot I would have expected to see by this time which just doesn't make its way onto the pages, like electric cars. We do get the assumption that computing is pretty much as it has been for the last couple of decades, just more pervasive, with java apps being developed for nefarious purposes. Many pages are full of hacking attempts and initials. Again, this means that the book will find a more specific audience rather than a general one. I would read more by this author, but only if the violence is less prominent.
April 5, 2012
This is an intriguing action packed murder, mystery book based on the premise of certain members of the UK government seeking to ban the internet and put a government controlled version of it in place. This move robs an unsuspecting citizenship of it’s freedom; of control over it’s choices and it’s environment.
This book has all the elements of a great mystery, thriller, fiction read. It also has a message for those who are open to recognizing it. The freedoms we take for granted can be lost so easily through stealth and secretive promotion and gradual control. Those of us who have enjoyed freedom for a century take it for granted; we become unsuspecting, never believing anything could happen to us.
As the Codex File is implemented there are people who are willing to risk everything to fight against it, using old technology. These people are hunted by the Codex enforcers; forced to flee for their lives, avoiding torture, imprisonment, and death.
The Codex enforcers have targeted Michael Robertson’s, family. Initially he is devastated, and looses himself in the shock of his loss. In time he gets himself together and while learning to cope with his personal grief on a daily basis, he seeks revenge for what has happened. He is driven to become a fugitive, working with the “good guys” who are struggling against those who are plotting to rob the freedoms of the UK citizens.
This book is filled with twists and turns, good guys and bad guys and the usual knives, guns, car chases and physical violence. It captured my attention from the first paragraph to the en and it ends on a note that ensures that you will want to read the next one.
It is a book well written and I highly recommend it
This book has all the elements of a great mystery, thriller, fiction read. It also has a message for those who are open to recognizing it. The freedoms we take for granted can be lost so easily through stealth and secretive promotion and gradual control. Those of us who have enjoyed freedom for a century take it for granted; we become unsuspecting, never believing anything could happen to us.
As the Codex File is implemented there are people who are willing to risk everything to fight against it, using old technology. These people are hunted by the Codex enforcers; forced to flee for their lives, avoiding torture, imprisonment, and death.
The Codex enforcers have targeted Michael Robertson’s, family. Initially he is devastated, and looses himself in the shock of his loss. In time he gets himself together and while learning to cope with his personal grief on a daily basis, he seeks revenge for what has happened. He is driven to become a fugitive, working with the “good guys” who are struggling against those who are plotting to rob the freedoms of the UK citizens.
This book is filled with twists and turns, good guys and bad guys and the usual knives, guns, car chases and physical violence. It captured my attention from the first paragraph to the en and it ends on a note that ensures that you will want to read the next one.
It is a book well written and I highly recommend it
November 5, 2015
This book has elements of Political Intrigue, Science Fiction, and Mystery/Thriller
Michael comes home to a gruesome scene that puts him into a 'Care' facility for almost two years. When he gets out technology has changed so much. The mystery behind what happened to his family is unsolved and not everything he thought was true, still is.
I felt Michael's emotional angst. I enjoyed the plot twists and turns of this story.
A friend once told me that there is a difference in endings depending on who is writing it. I now believe him. This is one of those stories where you truly don't know who will come out on top until the very end...even then you aren't sure.
Warning: This book is for Mature Audiences due to violence and adult language.
Michael comes home to a gruesome scene that puts him into a 'Care' facility for almost two years. When he gets out technology has changed so much. The mystery behind what happened to his family is unsolved and not everything he thought was true, still is.
I felt Michael's emotional angst. I enjoyed the plot twists and turns of this story.
A friend once told me that there is a difference in endings depending on who is writing it. I now believe him. This is one of those stories where you truly don't know who will come out on top until the very end...even then you aren't sure.
Warning: This book is for Mature Audiences due to violence and adult language.
June 3, 2012
Not a bad thriller which hits the ground running with some quite brutal violence.
The story centres around a newly elected government outlawing the Internet and installing their own state controlled version. But in setting this up there are too many dirty deeds that need accounting for....
The pace is great but there are too many spelling and grammatical errors that trip you up and break the flow.
January 9, 2014
An Entertaining Read
The whole idea behind this story creeps me out, because it could happen, especially in the UK. Governments (the politicians) have their own idea once they get into power. The people who vote for them are usually too busy trying to survive to pay attention to their rights being modified by legislation. As the world globalizes, we need to read stuff like this and keep alert ! ! ! Five stars should Miles Eitherton polish the editing.
The whole idea behind this story creeps me out, because it could happen, especially in the UK. Governments (the politicians) have their own idea once they get into power. The people who vote for them are usually too busy trying to survive to pay attention to their rights being modified by legislation. As the world globalizes, we need to read stuff like this and keep alert ! ! ! Five stars should Miles Eitherton polish the editing.
April 29, 2012
Intriguing concept. Grammatical and technical execution could be improved. Action, violence and bloody scenes very well done.
April 6, 2012
Intriguing premise and something kept me reading it, but I was oddly glad to have finished it!
March 15, 2018
Intriguing concept. Grammatical and technical execution could be improved. Action, violence and bloody scenes very well done.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews