Net Force: Attack Protocol

Net Force Series #2

by Jerome Preisler, Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik

“Jerome Preisler takes us deep into the dark side of the web and maybe our near future with Net Attack Protocol . Robots, AI, the usual Net Force violence and Attack Protocol maps the threats so well, tomorrow’s miscreants may use it as a template. Hopefully the good guys do as well.” —Jim DeFelice, NY T best-selling author of American Sniper, Rogue Warrior, Dreamland

The bestselling Net Force thriller series, created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik and written by Jerome Preisler, reveals the invisible battlefield where the war for global dominance is fought.The president’s new cybersecurity team, Net Force, is up and running. But a political deadlock in Washington makes the young agency dangerously vulnerable to the criminals, terror groups and hostile governments who would use the digital space to advance their destructive goals.

In Central Europe, an unknown enemy mounts a crippling high-tech assault against the organization’s military threat-response unit on its home base. The strike casts suspicion on a core member of Net Force, threatening to destroy the cyber defense group from within. But as they race to track down their attackers, the stakes are suddenly ratcheted higher. For a global syndicate of black hat hackers and a newly belligerent Russia are hatching a mysterious, shadowy scheme for world domination from a place known only as the Secret City.

Their attack leave Net Force in ashes while Moscow and its Dark Web allies set the stage for a devastating strike against the United States.

Unless the men and women of Net Force can regroup in time to stop them.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

416 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2020

About the author

Jerome Preisler is the prolific author of almost forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight novels in the New York Times bestselling TOM CLANCY'S POWER PLAYS series.

His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.

Among Jerome's recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing's Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.

Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.

Reviews

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

NET FORCE: ATTACK PROTOCOL by Jerome Preisler is the latest book in the continuation of the technothiller series created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik. The series is set in 2023 and follows Net Force, a government cybersecurity agency established to fight against on-line terrorism and for internet control. This book can be read as a fast-paced standalone thriller.

Net Force is established and attacked simultaneously in New York City as the President of the United States is announcing their creation. The agents are now on the hunt for a dangerous cybercriminal deep in the Carpathian mountains. As one team is chasing this shadowy figure, he has mounted a high-tech attack against the agency’s military threat response base.

Unless the men and women of Net Force can stop this syndicate of terrorists, they will seize control of the internet and open the door for a modern nuclear Pearl Harbor.

This thriller starts off at a fast-pace and never lets up. The plot twists and danger to the main characters kept me turning the pages. I love all the high-tech gadgets and even though this series is set in 2023, I believe much of the tech is probably used now and is not as futuristic as when the original series began. The author does a good job of balancing exposition and dialogue. Even though the overall plot arc and characters are continued from book one, Net Force: Dark Web, this book can still pull you in and you never feel lost.

I recommend this new technothriller and I am looking forward to more books in this series.

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and furious
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to say that I was at a disadvantage with this book. This is a series and I have not read the other books so I had to do some catching up with the plot and theme idea.

This one took me a bit to get into. I struggled somewhat with the storyline because there is no intro. Bam! This book takes off running and suddenly you are right into the mix of things which is actually great. But you may want to read at least one other book before this one.

What seemed to me to be two separate actions Net Force is handling is two different attacks at the same time which could be from the same hacker. The first being the invasion by Net Force operatives of the fortress of those that want to take over the dark web and dominate the world using cyber attacks. The action is non stop and Preisler keeps the reader hanging in the balance with the suspense factors, leveling it up page after page.

The second action occurring concurrently is at base camp where someone has taken control over the computers in the computerized mechanical guards that track and protect the perimeters of the base. Now they are launching attacks on those they are supposed to be protecting. With impeccable imagery and detail, the race is on to save those in hiding and get them out of harm’s way.

Net Force: Attack Protocol is filled with action and plot twists that keep you engaged and right in the action step by step. But it also leaves you hanging a bit with no clear outcome and waiting for the next installment.

This book is fast and furious! The storyteller has you in the palm of his hand with fresh, raw imagery that will ramp you up with each turn of the page.

* copy received for review consideration
Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/net-force-at...

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Net Force: Attack Protocol in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If you are a fan of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik's Net Force series, then you're going to want to check out Jerome Preisler's addition to the world: Attack Protocol.

In the burgeoning world of technology, cybersecurity is becoming an ever-growing concern. Every agency out them seems to have their own protection force at this point in time, including the famous Net Force.

They've been sent to the Carpathian mountains to strike at a growing threat – one that has potential global repercussions. Assuming that the team can't route them out before it's too late, that is. Imagine the horror of any major scale attack, and now picture the virtual effects that come to bear, and you'll know what Net Force is up against here.

“The hackers – the technologie vampiri – are the local economy. The government protects them. The polizei, the citizens, everyone.”

Net Force: Attack Protocol was a fast-paced and thrilling read, that much is probably obvious. We're talking about the super agents of the cybersecurity world, who seem to find themselves in physical confrontation much one than the average person would expect.

Before I dive into my review, I should mention that I haven't read any of the previous novels in this series. So I didn't know much about Net Force going into this read, and yet Attack Protocol still caught my attention and made me want to dive right in.

Even knowing a bit about cybersecurity, I was both impressed and blown away by the sheer amount of action woven into this novel. I guess I probably shouldn't have been surprised, it's basically Mission Impossible with more tech. At least, that's how I see it in my mind's eye.

Much of the novel actually takes place in Romania, and the villains have a name to go with the location (technologie vampiri). It made for a different sort of setting, and in general, it just seemed to have a lot of fun with those core concepts. That enjoyment easily carries over to the readers as well, resulting in an exciting experience.

Again, as I haven't read the previous books, I can't compare Jerome Preisler's writing to that of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik. I can say that I personally really adored the writing style, and would happily read any further additions to this adventure.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Tessa Talks Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Net Force: Attack Protocol, created by Tom Clancy and written by Jerome Preisler, is a technothriller set in 2023. Net Force is up and running, but they still are trying to find their arch-nemesis, The Wolf. This time, he puts his technologie vampiri to work against a US base in Romania, hacking their attack robots and a fleet of 100 attack drones, turning the US’s AI against them in the most horrific way imaginable.

Favorite character:
Kali Alcazar the Outlier – She is back in this novel, and she is still a very complex character whose loyalties are always in question. She is smart, no-nonsense, and able to take down large bodyguards in a single blow…okay, that a little bit of an exaggeration, but she did take down a sizeable bad-guy. Most importantly, she makes the right choices in challenging situations.

I also have some new favorites in Mario and Laura, who are on the base when the attacks begin. Mario is a robotics specialist, and Laura is a clerk at the bases’ PX. Together they decided to take the path of heroes, possibly at the expense of their own lives. And that’s all I can say about them without giving away spoilers, but I loved their story.

What I Like

I love that the book is set in Romania and that the bad guys are called the technologie vampiri. How appropriate! And I also love the castle with its secret passageways and trick walls, not to mention the underground tunnels. Many cool aspects to this novel, which are minor details for the plot, provided intriguing visuals that stimulated my imagination.

Exceptionally well written, there is just the right balance of dialogue and exposition, enabling the reader to maintain a fast pace. The flow from various parts of the story is logical and easy to follow. And the plot stays focused. The story is about technology, so there is lots of tech jargon. Fortunately, it is written in such a way that it is easy to understand. And, the technology in the story adds a cool factor.


To Read or Not to Read

Net Force Attack Protocol is an excellent read for people who like technothrillers or just thrillers in general, and if you love Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime or similar shows and movies, this series is a good match for you, just as it was for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast Paced Cybercrime Thriller

Net Force, the president’s new cybersecurity team is operating out of a base in Romania. The cybersecurity team has located a threat in the Carpathian Mountains where their archenemy, The Wolf, opens an attack. He used technologie vampiri against the base in Romania turning the defenders against the people on the base.

This story has two prongs, the attack being launched against The Wolf and the attach on the base that puts the residents into hiding until they can be rescued. Both attacks are fast paced keeping you reading to find out what will happen. A further complication is whether the attack on the base was spurred by a traitor in the unit.

Although the emphasis in the book is on action. I thought some of the characters were well developed. Kali, who has been in previous novels, is a favorite. She is very adept at her job, but she is a loner whose loyalties are often in question.

In this book, two characters on the base during the attack are very interesting. Marcus is a robotics specialist and Laura works at the Px. They make decisions that help to turn the tide against the invaders and as an added benefit there’s the hint of romance.

If you enjoy cyber thrillers, the fast pace and well developed descriptions make this worth reading.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I read in this series and I think this helped to better understand plot and characters because there is no backstory and you’re always at risk of not understanding if it’s your first book.
This series reminds me of an action movies, you’ve got a lot of action and you got action since the first pages. It also reminds me of a tv series as there is no definite ending and you will have to read to the next novel to see what will happen.
Even if it’s an action packed book the characters are well developed and interesting.
The plot is complex and I was fascinated by the Carpathian part.
As I work in high tech I found the part about IT a bit on the fantasy side but I would cut some slack as I was amused by how easy everything seemed.
It’s a gripping and highly entertaining read that I recommend if you read the rest of the series.
Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Steena Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read full of intrigue, deep character development and a story that leaves you on the edge of your seat!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for the ebook copy in exchange for my honest review

If you want an action-packed novel, then this is exactly what you need on your TBR. As if the title wouldn’t interest you enough, NET FORCE: ATTACK PROTOCOL was everything I was anticipating it to be and more. Cybersecurity, the Dark Web, high stakes, suspense, and political intrigue made for a complex and gripping plot with characters that were surprisingly well-developed considering all that’s happening. While this was my first book in the series I didn’t feel too lost but I’m pretty sure there would be more character development and background that I’m missing out on as this doesn’t spend too much time catching the reader up.

Overall, if you like political thrillers that have to do with cybersecurity, then this is the book for you! This was the perfect binge read and exactly what I was looking for. I’ll have to go back further in the series and give more of the Net Force books a chance to see what other adventures I’m missing out on.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be completely honest I had a hard time with this book.

I struggled not because it was a bad book in fact it hit the ground running. It was action-packed and throws you right into the middle of things. I struggled because not knowing this author at all I was not aware that this was a book in a series. So I was not sure of all the characters or the pieces that were in play in this book.

With no backstory or intro to work from it was hard for me to get my grip of what was happening. I felt like there were a lot of various plots happening at once. I wasn't sure if there were multiple attacks happening or if it was one person. This kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat.

I must say this book was action-packed with lots of twists. The author hooks you from the beginning and keeps you there throughout the book leaving you wanting more.

With the book ending with no clear outcome, the author has you where he wants you waiting for the next installment to see what happens. I will say even though I struggle having come into this book in the middle of a series it most definitely kept me turning the pages.

Though the book is good I would advise you to start from the first book and work uti this one to make sure you are aware of what is happening.

[Linda Swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerome Preisler writes a jarring, action-packed story, centered in espionage and the Information Age. A highly entertaining read!

[Patricia Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Net Force Thriller Series is created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik and written by Jerome Preisler.

As the world experiences more and more terrorist attacks, the place to be is in cyber-security! With the President giving us an entire agency just for those terrorist acts that you can’t see and Net Force is more than up for the challenge.

This time we are at the edge of the Carpathian Mountains. Where an evil genius has built a seemingly impenetrable fortress from which to oversee his evil plans. Only this time he will be using cyber-space to destroy a lot of lives. Because he is also a next level hacker. With no morals at all.

Just as the team is getting close to the compound, back at base camp, the master of hacking has either hacked our weapons and turned them against us, or we have a traitor in our midst. Because all of a sudden our buildings are being blown up by our own equipment!

And as we all expected, Russia is involved. Hoping to cripple the United States by taking control of the entire internet and do more than steal our credit card numbers. They want to use the internet to pretty much nuke us. And make it look as if we did it ourselves.

If you haven’t read any of the series of books, you should. There is no gentle introduction to the story. No. It is a non-stop, heart-pounding, edge of your seat ride until the last page. I so did not want this to be over. I kept trying to turn another page, but no.

Excellent Read!

NetGalley/ Harlequin/ Hanover Square December 01, 2020

[Nico]

In diesem spannenden Buch von Jerome Preisler ist ein neues Cybersicherheitsteam im Einsatz, das sich Net Force nennt. Die Kriminellen sind mehr als aktiv, wenn es um den Präsidenten und seine Leute geht, und die Agenten von Net Force sind mit der digitalen Kriegsführung beauftragt.

Als ob die Geschehnisse in Washington D.C. nicht schon genug wären, um die Menschen rund um die Uhr wach zu halten, ereignet sich in Mitteleuropa etwas Drastisches, das einen der Net Force-Mitglieder in Verdacht zu bringen beginnt. Wer ist für die beiden Anschläge verantwortlich und wird Net Force nicht nur als Sieger hervorgehen, sondern auch unzählige Leben retten können?

Dieses Buch war keine leichte Lektüre für mich, da es Teil einer langjährigen Serie ist, von der ich keines der vorherigen Bücher gelesen hatte. Tatsächlich habe ich das Buch bei etwa 30 % angefangen neu zu lesen. Ich bin froh, dass ich das getan habe, denn so konnte ich diesen Techno-Thriller viel besser verstehen, während ich gleichzeitig das intensive Gefühl eines spannenden Dramas von Anfang bis Ende erlebte. Die Action war nonstop. Ich muss zugeben, dass es etwas schwierig war, sich in die Charaktere hineinzuversetzen, aber als ich das geschafft hatte, war ich in der Lage, mich voll und ganz in dieses spannende Buch zu vertiefen.

Da ich Technik liebe, hat mich dieses Buch sehr angesprochen und ich war sehr gespannt, wer der Hacker sein könnte, der für die Ereignisse in den USA und in Europa verantwortlich ist. Die Dinge kamen zu einem spannenden Ende, aber nicht ohne ein paar Brotkrümel fallen zu lassen, die mich mehr als gespannt auf den nächsten Teil dieser Serie machen.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this thrilling book by Jerome Preisler, there is a new cybersecurity team in action referred to as Net Force. Criminals are more than active when it comes to the president and his people and the agents at Net Force are tasked with digital warfare.

As if what is going on in Washington, D.C. is not enough to keep people up all hours, there is something drastic taking place in Central Europe, and this begins to cast doubt on one of Net Force's members. Who is responsible for both attacks and will Net Force not only come out on top and will they be able to save countless lives?

This book was no easy read for me as it is part of a long-running series where I had not read any of the prior books. In fact, I started it over at about 30% into reading it. I am glad I did because this gave me a much better feel for understanding this techno-thriller, all while feeling the intense sense of thrilling drama from beginning to end. The action was nonstop. I will say that the characterization was a bit tough to catch on to, but once I did I was able to find myself fully engrossed in this exciting book.

I love technology so this book appealed to me and kept me in great suspense as to who the hacker could be that was possible for the events in both the U.S. and Europe. Things came to a thrilling conclusion, but not without dropping a couple of bread crumbs making me more than eager for the next installment in this series.

Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerome Preisler (https://www.jeromepreisler.com) is the author of more than 40 novels. Net Force: Attack Protocol was published in 2020 and is the second in the Net Force series. It is the 71st book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R. The plot is filled with many characters.

The new cybersecurity team formed by the President is in operation. Net Force is struggling with the political climate of Washington D.C. The autonomous fighting vehicles meant to protect Base Janus in eastern Europe are hacked. They turn on the local Net Force personnel and destroy facilities.

Meanwhile, a small Net Force team is in the field, tracking down an adversary. The Wolf, as he is known, has constructed a headquarters in an old castle. As the team begins their assault, their support from Base Janus is disrupted.

A secret group of hackers has allied with Russia. This new threat ratchets up tensions. The struggling Net Force must divide its attention and deal with multiple threats.

I enjoyed the 8+ hours I spent reading this 275-page thriller. Consistent with all the novels in the Clancy universe, the action is non-stop. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[Betty · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest I prefer the earlier books in the series. This is actually book 12 or so and the second of the relaunch series. I didn't read the first one first, so I was at a disadvantage with knowing the characters involved much less caring about them, and as I finish the book I still don't care. This struck me as a "plot? what plot?" type of book where it just jumped from one action scene to another. I prefer the earlier books where there was a traceable plot that built up to action at the end, and actually gave closure when you got there.

[Skip Unger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished this paperback that my son gave me for Christmas. A typical techno-thriller in the mode of Tom Clancy. While the plot centering on a Cyber Net Force taking on global cybercriminals is intriguing, I've never been a fan of tech porn in lieu of good writing. The writing alone is mediocre and one really has to value the tech aspects highest to get the most out of this book and the series. Recommended for those looking for a easy to read tech thriller and who don't demand any complex plot devices, character development or elegant writing.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well it was far better than Dark Web but there seems to be some difficulty with the overall concept. First story was painfully full of establishing what Net Force was and the players. This book was action from the get go, used a lot of futuristic military type warfare but I didn't really feel the "Net Force" stuff. Probably would have rated it higher if I wasn't looking for a Net Force type book (the original series). Guess this was a time I wished for the ability to rate something at 3.5 or 3.8.

[Vicki Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars because I was stupid enough to read the entire book. I was listening to the audio version, so thankfully I took a nap for several hours.

The Tom Clancy franchise has been going downhill steadily. Soon the writing will be so bad they'll need negative star ratings.

Horrible narration, total war-porn fixation on munitions with a romance thrown in to presumably smooth things out.

This is the end of this reader's desire to read anything with Clancy's name on it ever again.

[David Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just started reading this book. I know it is a “reboot” but I don’t like that the timeline of the story is in 2020 but the characters in the book are just as they started out back in 1998 when the original series was put out. I have read every book in the series, from the beginning, and this one puts the characters, that have moved on or been promoted as of book 10 “The Archimedes Effect”, as starting over again. Kind of ruined it for me.

[Glenn A. Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally enjoy these quick reads with lots of fast action, but this one was just OK. It seemed like there was a lot of jumping around, and a huge amount of time taken at the end of the book to build lots of unanswered questions, which appeared to be included solely for the purposes of the building an opportunity for another author to dash off more stories in this series.

[Tom Mobley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankful that the author reached out to me to explain the sequence of the books. I like how he begins the next part of the story as the book ends.

I would say he has done a good job honoring Clancy’s legacy and provides a solid story that allows you to forget about your issues and enjoy the ride.

I’m looking forward to the next book!

[Edward Rachloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, smart, exciting. My one quibble is that the author we don’t see all the characters from Dark Web, but it seems the author is working up to something. Hopefully it’s the case. I will definitely buy the next book in the series.

[HTP Books]

Categories
Action & Adventure, Technological Fiction, War & Military Fiction, Military Thriller

[Frank G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonstop action from page one and even better than Dark Web. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Paul G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, fast-moving follow up to the first novel.

[Fred Agers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very colorful story and characters, crisp dialog. I enjoyed this more than I’d expected.

[Kerry Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Latino, I loved seeing heroic non-white characters portrayed in a non stereotypical manner. This book is all courage and heart and inspiration in this rough time for America.

[Eric Nisbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This just dragged on and on. Not sure the purpose it served. Kept reading to see if it would get better then to just get it finished.

[Grace Foo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off being promising but quickly felt like it dragged on. I struggled with finishing the book