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Ghost Code
THE MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON IS A LIE
A hidden line of code has infiltrated the world's most advanced military networks. Now it is rewriting reality.
As tensions explode between the United States, China, and Taiwan, a sophisticated AI begins corrupting the intelligence systems that nations depend on for their survival. Radar tracks disappear. Friendly aircraft become hostile targets. Missiles launch at ghosts. Every false signal brings two nuclear powers closer to a confrontation that could ignite a global war.
When a renegade scientist is murdered, cybersecurity expert Lana Elkins and her daughter Emma discover his final warning: a cryptic message pointing to Seto Systems, creator of the world's most advanced AI-powered military command-and-control platform.
To its brilliant founder, Danny Collins, human beings are the flaw in the system. War, fear, and political weakness are problems only artificial intelligence can solve. And if it takes a global crisis to convince the world, so be it.
As an assassin closes in, Lana races to uncover the truth while Emma finds herself trapped inside Seto Systems—poisoned, framed for murder, and surrounded by an intelligence that seems to anticipate her every move.
With trust collapsing, the truth disappearing, and the countdown to war accelerating, Lana and Emma must expose the hidden code before America's most powerful defense system is turned against the nation it was built to protect.
In Thomas Waite's most provocative thriller yet, the United States, China, and Taiwan approach a point of no return as artificial intelligence rewrites the nature of warfare—and the fate of nations.
A hidden line of code has infiltrated the world's most advanced military networks. Now it is rewriting reality.
As tensions explode between the United States, China, and Taiwan, a sophisticated AI begins corrupting the intelligence systems that nations depend on for their survival. Radar tracks disappear. Friendly aircraft become hostile targets. Missiles launch at ghosts. Every false signal brings two nuclear powers closer to a confrontation that could ignite a global war.
When a renegade scientist is murdered, cybersecurity expert Lana Elkins and her daughter Emma discover his final warning: a cryptic message pointing to Seto Systems, creator of the world's most advanced AI-powered military command-and-control platform.
To its brilliant founder, Danny Collins, human beings are the flaw in the system. War, fear, and political weakness are problems only artificial intelligence can solve. And if it takes a global crisis to convince the world, so be it.
As an assassin closes in, Lana races to uncover the truth while Emma finds herself trapped inside Seto Systems—poisoned, framed for murder, and surrounded by an intelligence that seems to anticipate her every move.
With trust collapsing, the truth disappearing, and the countdown to war accelerating, Lana and Emma must expose the hidden code before America's most powerful defense system is turned against the nation it was built to protect.
In Thomas Waite's most provocative thriller yet, the United States, China, and Taiwan approach a point of no return as artificial intelligence rewrites the nature of warfare—and the fate of nations.
ebook
First published October 13, 2026
About the author
Thomas Waite
10 books160 followersTHOMAS WAITE is the bestselling author of the Lana Elkins thriller series: Lethal Code, Trident Code, Unholy Code, and Ghost Code. Blending cutting-edge technology with geopolitical intrigue, his novels explore how artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare, and autonomous weapons are transforming modern conflict.
Award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan called Lethal Code “taut, tense, and provocative.” Vice Admiral N.R. Thunman, U.S. Navy (Ret.), compared Trident Code to the work of Tom Clancy, while syndicated columnist Dale Dauten described Unholy Code as “a wholly riveting thriller with a wickedly clever plot.”
His debut novel, Terminal Value, reached #1 in the Amazon Kindle Store. A former business executive and strategic advisor, Waite serves as a board director and advisor to technology companies and nonprofit organizations. His nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe, and The Daily Beast.
Award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan called Lethal Code “taut, tense, and provocative.” Vice Admiral N.R. Thunman, U.S. Navy (Ret.), compared Trident Code to the work of Tom Clancy, while syndicated columnist Dale Dauten described Unholy Code as “a wholly riveting thriller with a wickedly clever plot.”
His debut novel, Terminal Value, reached #1 in the Amazon Kindle Store. A former business executive and strategic advisor, Waite serves as a board director and advisor to technology companies and nonprofit organizations. His nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe, and The Daily Beast.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
October 24, 2026
Ghost Code
I was provided an advanced copy of Ghost Code for an honest review. I’ve read some of Thomas Waite’s other books and enjoyed them, so I was happy to participate.
Ghost Code is an intense and thrilling exploration into the possibilities of artificial intelligence and the potential impact on the military and international politics. The main character, Lana Elkins, starts from her CyberFortress with her daughter, Emma.
Lana receives a message with a strange attachment, but the originator is killed. Military commands in the U. S., Taiwan, and China start seeing strange events on military surveillance systems and radar. The tension between China and Taiwan increases.
From one chapter to the next, Waite takes you through each setting as military leaders try to make sense of events. Lana and Emma jump into working on the message and possible system hack in an AI developer under contract with the U.S. military. Waite brings incredible insight into how each side in the complex political relationships thinks and works.
Of course, the company developing the huge AI system that is somehow involved and experiencing some kind of infiltration called Red Sparrow. Waite takes the reader deep into the dynamics of the tech and politics as the events and personalities involved bring the world to the brink of world war.
Exciting? Yes! Thrilling read? Yes! In the process, you will learn a lot about the political and military dynamics in Southeast Asia. You’ll also get a look at the impact AI could have if not well managed. I highly recommend this read. Enjoy!
I was provided an advanced copy of Ghost Code for an honest review. I’ve read some of Thomas Waite’s other books and enjoyed them, so I was happy to participate.
Ghost Code is an intense and thrilling exploration into the possibilities of artificial intelligence and the potential impact on the military and international politics. The main character, Lana Elkins, starts from her CyberFortress with her daughter, Emma.
Lana receives a message with a strange attachment, but the originator is killed. Military commands in the U. S., Taiwan, and China start seeing strange events on military surveillance systems and radar. The tension between China and Taiwan increases.
From one chapter to the next, Waite takes you through each setting as military leaders try to make sense of events. Lana and Emma jump into working on the message and possible system hack in an AI developer under contract with the U.S. military. Waite brings incredible insight into how each side in the complex political relationships thinks and works.
Of course, the company developing the huge AI system that is somehow involved and experiencing some kind of infiltration called Red Sparrow. Waite takes the reader deep into the dynamics of the tech and politics as the events and personalities involved bring the world to the brink of world war.
Exciting? Yes! Thrilling read? Yes! In the process, you will learn a lot about the political and military dynamics in Southeast Asia. You’ll also get a look at the impact AI could have if not well managed. I highly recommend this read. Enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review