Review: Cyber Invasion

Dale Tibbils draws on his extensive nuclear science and computer background to write his first novel, Cyber Invasion. The book is a very well-written techno thriller that will have you gnawing your knuckles and sitting on the edge of your seat. The suspense is truly palpable.

Mr. Tibbils immediately introduces us to Skeeter, a short-statured and very cunning psychopath who is planting bombs around California, apparently with no real agenda. He is a truly nasty fellow who committed his first murder in his youth. His current misdeeds come under the scrutiny of Buzz Decker, an ex- FBI agent and the current head of NEST, the National Emergency Strategic Team, whose sole purpose is preventing terrorism within the United States.

Buzz is a sympathetic figure whose dedication to NEST was unfailing even before he lost his family to an act of terror. He caught the bomber responsible for their deaths and has the exact same resolve to catch the "Phantom.."

Buzz calls on his old college buddy and computer guru, Alex Sloacum, for help trying to catch the elusive bomber. During their search, Buzz learns of a probable missing nuclear warhead and also that an extremely virulent computer virus has been created that will allow the hacker to download everything from the infected computers and that can't be stopped by any number of conventional means. The clock starts ticking as our protagonist loses track of the warhead within our boundaries, the bomber is on the move, and the virus is set to be released worldwide as part of a new operating system while Alex and his employees' efforts are fraught with success followed by failure over and over again.

The pace is fast and you'll catch yourself trying to figure out what'll happen next (chances are you'll be wrong). There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader's interest peaked. There is even some political intrigue thrown in to muddy the waters, and Mr. Tibbils exhibits his sense of humor in such passages as when one of the characters states, "Sorry there's none of that expresso crap. Must be something Freudian that I can't stand Seattle coffee."

Buzz Decker is a down-to-earth and extremely likable character who reminds me not a little of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan in that he is a man of integrity, his methods tend to be unconventional, he's constantly taking heat for it, and he gets results.

I certainly hope this won't be the last we see of Buzz Decker and Alex Sloacum. After reading this book I feel that I know them and definitely want to get to know them better. May this novel be just the beginning.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Carol - SLC - RAM

Book Review: Cyber Invasion