 |
highly recommended |
Dressed as Kermit the Frog on Halloween night, unemployed Alex Bellamy wonders where his life went wrong. It could be worse. A few miles away, Zachary Ternoway is stabbed at his front door. In need of cash, Alex agrees to help catch a computer prankster at McKinleys? Department Store. But things turn serious when someone vows to permanently encrypt the store?s data and torch the building unless ten million dollars is handed over in two weeks. Alex knows there?s a connection between the murder and the extortion threat, yet time?s running out. People are questioning his competency, and a killer?s threatening his life.
Debra Purdy Kong reprises her lead character, Alex Bellamy, in her book Fatal Encryption. This book begins with a murder and Alex in a frog costume. Alex takes a job at McKinleys' Department Stores as a system analyst. Someone is threatening to encrypt their system permanently. Alex delights in a challenge, but is he up to this one? Debra Purdy Kong writes with a flair for technology. Fatal Encryption has a timely plot. The thought of Alex in a frog costume brings humor and depth to his character. This is an entertaining read. Mystery readers will love it. -- Debra Gaynor, ReviewYourBook.com
Fatal Encryption is a corporate caper with plenty of twists and turns, and an assortment of appealing characters to keep you guessing. Debra Purdy Kong?s newest novel offers a well-plotted mystery reminiscent of the classic whodunits. A great beach read! -? Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author
A fast-paced, timely story 
FATAL ENCRYPTION starts off comically with Alex Bellamy on his way to a party dressed as Kermit the Frog. The pseudo-scary special effects of Halloween become real when a party guest returns home and finds her front door blocked. She manages to get the door open far enough to see her brother-in-law crumpled on the floor, oozing blood, with a steak knife nearby.
Alex is drawn into the murder investigation when he accepts a temporary job as systems analyst at McKinley Department Stores and is challenged to find out who has hacked into their computer system and has the ability to permanently encrypt their database. The stakes are increased when the hacker demands ten million dollars and threatens to burn down the store if his demands are not met. In order to find out who is responsible, Alex has to sort through a list of suspects that includes a number of unhappy employees, both past and present, as well the McKinley siblings, whose dysfunctional relationships mirror his own family. In addition, he has to deal with other unresolved aspects of his past and a very real threat to his life.
Kong keeps the story moving with a lot of action and an effective "ticking clock" created by the hacker's deadline. There are a lot of characters in the story but she has given each of them a distinct personality so it's not hard to keep them straight. While I'm not a computer expert, the technical parts of the plot seemed plausible and very relevant in today's world. I would recommend FATAL ENCRYPTION, especially to anyone interested in the irony of how we are made vulnerable by the technology upon which we have become dependent.
Technology is thrilling 
Reviewed by Tina Avon for RebeccasReads (8/08)
Fatal Encryption, written by Debra Purdy Kong, opens with a murder and non-stop action, which kept me glued to the edge of my seat for the whole ride! I read right through 159 pages before I convinced myself to put the book down and go to bed.
I love that this author has figured out that a thrilling opening chapter is important in this kind of storyline. I hate reading thrillers that don't get to where they need to be until the end of the book!!!! No worries here.
Our wonderful main character, Alex Bellamy, is not doing all that great and is doing some serious thinking about his life. But along comes a challenge and, thank goodness, some money. His help is needed in catching a computer prankster (or is it?) at a local department store. Alex signs on, but he ends up signing on for more than he bargained for. The department store is being threatened by this so-called prankster, and if the store does not turn over 10 million dollars, all the data and its systems will be forever encrypted. Alex finds himself involved in corruption, deceit and murder and it is clear to him that his time is limited. He needs to figure out who is behind this threat and he needs to do it soon.
Alex is a flawed character, and I loved him. Its a nice change of pace to have a main character who is ordinary, one that is not written as some sort of superhero who comes in at the eleventh hour to save the day by simply putting two and two together and getting this impossible solution.
I also loved the pace of this book, it's non-stop action from beginning to end, and I can honestly say that there is not one wasted moment. About one quarter through the book, I thought I had it figured out, and I was completely wrong! Although the suspense was killing me, I had no desire to jump ahead and was happily zipping through page after page.
The only negative comment I have about the book is its cover: it just did not grab me at all.
I am glad that I have discovered a new author and Debra Purdy Kong is a name I will be searching for in the future.
A very good read
Fatal Encryption is a very well-done Who-done-it and Alex Bellamy is one heckofa puzzle solver. The book is not only a good mystery, it also delves into the dynamics of human relationships surrounding the McKinley family - owners of a chain of department stores where a computer hacker threatens their very existence- and Alex's insecure ties to his own family, his ex-girlfriend versus a new nicer girlfriend.
All in all, it is a wonderful story that keeps us guessing until the very end. Watch out! The culprit is not who you think it is! Recommended for those who love a good, intelligent, mystery.
Review
All Halloween's night is a time when ghouls, goblins and mayhem ensues for one evening. No one knows how true that is other than Zachary Ternoway. Zach is stabbed to death in his home.
Alex Bellamy keeps wondering at what point things got so bad in his life that he is at a Halloween party dressed up as Kermit the Frog. Alex ends up taking a computer analyst job at McKinley's Department Store. Someone has hacked into the store's computer system and encrypted files. Alex investigates what someone was looking for and why all the secrecy. All of Alex's digging around has ruffled some feathers. If Alex doesn't watch his step he could end up like Zach.
Alex Bellamy is a good character to have in a mystery book. He is just a normal guy that I think readers can relate to and will cheer for to always come out on top. Fatal Encryption is the second Alex Bellamy mystery book. Fatal Encryption can definitely be read as a stand alone book. The only thing that Taxed to Death, the first book and Fatal Encryption have in common is that they both feature Alex Bellamy. I recently stumbled upon Debra Purdy Kong and so glad I did. She is a breath of fresh air. Fatal Encryption made me remember why mystery novels will always hold a dear place in my heart. This book had all the makings of the classic puzzle solving story but for the twenty-first century.
reviews: page 1, 2, 3
| products you might be interested in |
Indie Books are a wonderful alternative resource for reading pleasure
My favorite Indie Books
fatal encryption, encryption, fatal
|
|
 |
|
