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The Blue Nowhere
His code name is Phate -- a sadistic computer hacker who infiltrates people's computers, invades their lives, and with chilling precision lures them to their deaths.
To stop him, the authorities free imprisoned former hacker Wyatt Gillette to aid the investigation. Teamed with old-school homicide detective Frank Bishop, Gillette must combine their disparate talents to catch a brilliant and merciless killer.
To stop him, the authorities free imprisoned former hacker Wyatt Gillette to aid the investigation. Teamed with old-school homicide detective Frank Bishop, Gillette must combine their disparate talents to catch a brilliant and merciless killer.
430 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2001
About the author
Jeffery Deaver
376 books10.9k followers#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 741 reviews
January 24, 2020
A stand alone cyber thriller by Jeffery Deaver published 2001.
All in all, a pretty good cyber thriller. Given that the book is now 19 years old the computer language is a bit dated, floppy disks and dial up modems, but that apart it holds up really well as an entertaining read.
There is a vicious serial killer on the loose and the police are always a step behind the killer. No matter what they do the killer always seems to be able to predict their every move. The police know that the killer is a master computer hacker and no one in computer crimes comes anywhere near to his level of brilliance. At their wits end the police decide to ask Wyatt Gillette, another brilliant hacker, to help. The only major problem is that Wyatt is in gaol, serving time for cyber crimes.
Wyatt, of course, jumps at the chance to be (A) out of gaol and (B) to be doing what he lives for, hacking the internet.
What makes this such an interesting read is that both of the hackers are constantly writing code to lure their opponents into make a mistake that will either find the killer or, in the killers cases, create even more death and destruction. There is so much subterfuge going on that there are red herrings everywhere, enough to keep most readers on their toes.
On the downside, there’s a fair bit of technical computer talk, which for the uninitiated, might be a bit boring.
Also, what the author was proposing to happen was, at that time, impossible but ten years later this was not the case.
It never fails to amaze me how today’s science fiction often becomes tomorrow’s science fact.
An entertaining 4 star read.
All in all, a pretty good cyber thriller. Given that the book is now 19 years old the computer language is a bit dated, floppy disks and dial up modems, but that apart it holds up really well as an entertaining read.
There is a vicious serial killer on the loose and the police are always a step behind the killer. No matter what they do the killer always seems to be able to predict their every move. The police know that the killer is a master computer hacker and no one in computer crimes comes anywhere near to his level of brilliance. At their wits end the police decide to ask Wyatt Gillette, another brilliant hacker, to help. The only major problem is that Wyatt is in gaol, serving time for cyber crimes.
Wyatt, of course, jumps at the chance to be (A) out of gaol and (B) to be doing what he lives for, hacking the internet.
What makes this such an interesting read is that both of the hackers are constantly writing code to lure their opponents into make a mistake that will either find the killer or, in the killers cases, create even more death and destruction. There is so much subterfuge going on that there are red herrings everywhere, enough to keep most readers on their toes.
On the downside, there’s a fair bit of technical computer talk, which for the uninitiated, might be a bit boring.
Also, what the author was proposing to happen was, at that time, impossible but ten years later this was not the case.
It never fails to amaze me how today’s science fiction often becomes tomorrow’s science fact.
An entertaining 4 star read.
July 2, 2012
Probably my favorite Jeffrey Deaver Novel.
July 24, 2016
Deaver can spin a tale like no other! I'd forgotten how much I like his books. A crazy book about computer hackers & control they could have over people's lives. Excellent, edge of your seat read!
August 21, 2021
This is not a bad cyber thriller. Even though it was written 20 years ago and floppy discs are now a thing of the past. A serial killer called Phate is playing s game which makes involves access. The police are helpless and enlist a hacker called Gillette who is released from prison to assist them.
The setting is in California with a lot of red herrings. There’s a lot of technical jargon but it is also explained. One thing is that they hit the nail on the head saying technology changes so fast. The reveal of who Shawn the partner of Phate is a nice twist.
A fast paced read. Unbelievable in parts but an interesting and roller coaster road with all the twists and turns.
The setting is in California with a lot of red herrings. There’s a lot of technical jargon but it is also explained. One thing is that they hit the nail on the head saying technology changes so fast. The reveal of who Shawn the partner of Phate is a nice twist.
A fast paced read. Unbelievable in parts but an interesting and roller coaster road with all the twists and turns.
January 24, 2013
Originally published on my blog here in October 2002.
Jeffrey Deaver may usually be a writer of traditional thrillers, but with The Blue Nowhere he joins the small group of authors who can convincingly depict the world of the computer hacker (Neal Stephenson and William Gibson being the best known of the others).
The basic plot of The Blue Nowhere is a computerised version of the Eddie Murphy film 48 Hours; a hacker is let out of prison to help the LAPD Computer Crimes Unit track down another hacker, who has the screen name Phate, who has turned serial killer. The actual crime plot is pretty hackneyed, but the computing background means that the novel is more than just a run of the mill police procedural. (The style, by the way, is similar to Michael Connelly.)
The one part of the plot which seems unlikely, if not impossible, is the program used by Phate to target the victims, which is named Trapdoor. (Deaver admids in the acknowledgements that the experts he consulted were dubious about the way it is supposed to work.) Phate has cracked one of the major Internet routers, and uses a steganographic (and the proof reader of the novel should note the spelling of the word) method to infect the target machine, sending small sections of the Trapdoor program in individual IP packets which are part of the normal online communication. (Steganographic means "hidden writing" , and is the process of writing a secret message as part of an innocent one, say be using every twentieth character, or altering specified bits of an image file.) To put the information into IP packets, given control of a router, would not be particularly difficult. The problem is that once the data reaches the target computer, it needs to be separated out from the genuine information, re-assembled and then executed, and I can't see any way that this could be done barring serious bugs in the IP stack and operating system of the computer being attacked. This is essentially the same reason that a virus spread as an email attachment is not activated unless the user or operating system is conned into executing (opening) the attachment - computers need a reason to run a piece of software. The reasons that systems are vulnerable to cracking are generally attributable to human carelessness, such things as users writing down passwords or using obvious words, or bugs in software which can be exploited.
Since the Trapdoor program is important to the plot, this is something of a problem; yet the convincing nature of the rest of the setting makes it easy enough to suspend disbelief and enjoy the novel.
Jeffrey Deaver may usually be a writer of traditional thrillers, but with The Blue Nowhere he joins the small group of authors who can convincingly depict the world of the computer hacker (Neal Stephenson and William Gibson being the best known of the others).
The basic plot of The Blue Nowhere is a computerised version of the Eddie Murphy film 48 Hours; a hacker is let out of prison to help the LAPD Computer Crimes Unit track down another hacker, who has the screen name Phate, who has turned serial killer. The actual crime plot is pretty hackneyed, but the computing background means that the novel is more than just a run of the mill police procedural. (The style, by the way, is similar to Michael Connelly.)
The one part of the plot which seems unlikely, if not impossible, is the program used by Phate to target the victims, which is named Trapdoor. (Deaver admids in the acknowledgements that the experts he consulted were dubious about the way it is supposed to work.) Phate has cracked one of the major Internet routers, and uses a steganographic (and the proof reader of the novel should note the spelling of the word) method to infect the target machine, sending small sections of the Trapdoor program in individual IP packets which are part of the normal online communication. (Steganographic means "hidden writing" , and is the process of writing a secret message as part of an innocent one, say be using every twentieth character, or altering specified bits of an image file.) To put the information into IP packets, given control of a router, would not be particularly difficult. The problem is that once the data reaches the target computer, it needs to be separated out from the genuine information, re-assembled and then executed, and I can't see any way that this could be done barring serious bugs in the IP stack and operating system of the computer being attacked. This is essentially the same reason that a virus spread as an email attachment is not activated unless the user or operating system is conned into executing (opening) the attachment - computers need a reason to run a piece of software. The reasons that systems are vulnerable to cracking are generally attributable to human carelessness, such things as users writing down passwords or using obvious words, or bugs in software which can be exploited.
Since the Trapdoor program is important to the plot, this is something of a problem; yet the convincing nature of the rest of the setting makes it easy enough to suspend disbelief and enjoy the novel.
June 9, 2016
Even when it's not Lincoln Rhyme, it's a marvelous, captivating story!
May 29, 2018
The Blue Nowhere is my fourth Jeffery Deaver read, and it has confirmed my belief that I will have a love-hate relationship with Jeffery Deaver’s work. My first Jeffery Deaver read, Mistress of Justice, was a big disappointment. Retrospect has me believing I was too kind with my three-star rating, yet at the time I was feeling generous and gave it such a rating because it promised potential fun Jeffery Deaver reads. My second Jeffery Deaver read, Edge, was much more enjoyable. I devoured Edge, finding myself addicted to the story and in need of more. My third Jeffery Deaver read, Speaking in Tongues, was another disappointment. Like my first book, I was generous with my three-star rating, yet it could have just as easily been a two-star rating if my mood had been different. At this point, I was questioning how willing I was to dive into more Jeffery Deaver – but with more of his books on my shelf (I brought a handful in a sale) I decided it wouldn’t hurt to give him another try.
From the very start, I knew The Blue Nowhere was going to follow the path of Edge. This story sucked me in instantly, and I found myself more than willing to keep turning the pages to see how everything came together. In fact, I found myself desperately turning the pages, so sucked in that I was willing to finish this story in a single sitting.
It was one of those stories that kept you guessing, throwing out a lot of information that left you with notions in your mind of what was to come. I worked out some, but not all of the details, and I loved the way things came together with this one. There was so much we got to watch unfold, so many elements to watch come together. The crime had me hooked, and so did the characters, leaving me more than willing to keep turning the pages.
That is not to say this book was perfect, but it was a really enjoyable read. I think the biggest issue I had with this one was in relation to the explanations. I know not everyone will understand all the computer speak that occurs throughout this one, but I feel as though some things were explained needlessly. This may be a reflection of this book now being a bit dated – I think we can all agree, people are better educated in regards to technology than they were fifteen or so years ago – or it could just be that Jeffery Deaver felt it was necessary to explain every single detail. Either way, this was the main thing that I had trouble with, but it wasn’t enough to stop my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I’m hoping my next Jeffery Deaver read proves to be as enjoyable, yet a part of me fears the emerging pattern foretells of a less than enjoyable read. Whatever the case, at least I enjoyed The Blue Nowhere.
From the very start, I knew The Blue Nowhere was going to follow the path of Edge. This story sucked me in instantly, and I found myself more than willing to keep turning the pages to see how everything came together. In fact, I found myself desperately turning the pages, so sucked in that I was willing to finish this story in a single sitting.
It was one of those stories that kept you guessing, throwing out a lot of information that left you with notions in your mind of what was to come. I worked out some, but not all of the details, and I loved the way things came together with this one. There was so much we got to watch unfold, so many elements to watch come together. The crime had me hooked, and so did the characters, leaving me more than willing to keep turning the pages.
That is not to say this book was perfect, but it was a really enjoyable read. I think the biggest issue I had with this one was in relation to the explanations. I know not everyone will understand all the computer speak that occurs throughout this one, but I feel as though some things were explained needlessly. This may be a reflection of this book now being a bit dated – I think we can all agree, people are better educated in regards to technology than they were fifteen or so years ago – or it could just be that Jeffery Deaver felt it was necessary to explain every single detail. Either way, this was the main thing that I had trouble with, but it wasn’t enough to stop my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I’m hoping my next Jeffery Deaver read proves to be as enjoyable, yet a part of me fears the emerging pattern foretells of a less than enjoyable read. Whatever the case, at least I enjoyed The Blue Nowhere.
August 30, 2008
Ugh!
This is one of those books I picked up a few years ago at a Friends of the Library booksale. Since I bought 2 boxes of books unseen, I am always pleased when one is from a known author.
But that makes no difference in this case. It's not Jeffrey Deaver's fault. The book was written in 2000, and is about cyber crime that leaks into the real world. Every "cyber" word used is described in excrutiating detail. By now, most of the terms aren't used anymore. Virtually every character is now a cliche.
I wish I had read it when it first came out, but I find it tedious and laughable by turns right now. I'm not even sure if I'm going to finish reading it.
I finished it. It wasn't worth it.
This is one of those books I picked up a few years ago at a Friends of the Library booksale. Since I bought 2 boxes of books unseen, I am always pleased when one is from a known author.
But that makes no difference in this case. It's not Jeffrey Deaver's fault. The book was written in 2000, and is about cyber crime that leaks into the real world. Every "cyber" word used is described in excrutiating detail. By now, most of the terms aren't used anymore. Virtually every character is now a cliche.
I wish I had read it when it first came out, but I find it tedious and laughable by turns right now. I'm not even sure if I'm going to finish reading it.
I finished it. It wasn't worth it.
April 6, 2021
Nel 2009 quando ho letto questo thriller le cose riguardanti il misterioso mondo sommerso di Internet, il profondo blu, chiamato dagli hacker, era qualcosa di attuale.
Adesso chiaramente anche il Deep web è profondamente cambiato, la tecnologia muta in continuazione, ma ciò nonostante continuo a pensare che sia un bellissimo cyber-psycho-thriller che merita la lettura.
Adesso chiaramente anche il Deep web è profondamente cambiato, la tecnologia muta in continuazione, ma ciò nonostante continuo a pensare che sia un bellissimo cyber-psycho-thriller che merita la lettura.
October 18, 2012
This was the first book by this author that I have read after a work colleague recommended it to me about 2 years ago. Having finally got round to reading it, I found myself really enjoying it. It is a very, very scary look at the world for cyberspace and IT in general. I work in IT and it scared me a lot!
The story's main character is Gillette who is hacker. He starts off the book in prison for hacking into the Department of Defence computers and allegedly running a piece of software that could encrypt their 'unbreakable' Standard 12 software. The police are after a hacker by the name of Phate (who is hacking into people's computers, finding out information about them and then killing them) and his assistant Shawn. The police know that the only way catch Phate is to play him at his own game. Enter Gillette. The level of detail and knowledge in is book is brilliant. There is a very modern fear that we will all be `hacked' and that people can find out a lot of information about us and Deaver has exploited our fear very well. The thing that makes this book so scary is that you can actually see this happening. This could be a possibility.
I don't agree with other reviewers opinions that if you are not a `computer person', you should not read this book. I think this book will appeal to everyone, regardless of your level of computer knowledge.
This book gripped me from the start and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will now seek out more of this books.
The story's main character is Gillette who is hacker. He starts off the book in prison for hacking into the Department of Defence computers and allegedly running a piece of software that could encrypt their 'unbreakable' Standard 12 software. The police are after a hacker by the name of Phate (who is hacking into people's computers, finding out information about them and then killing them) and his assistant Shawn. The police know that the only way catch Phate is to play him at his own game. Enter Gillette. The level of detail and knowledge in is book is brilliant. There is a very modern fear that we will all be `hacked' and that people can find out a lot of information about us and Deaver has exploited our fear very well. The thing that makes this book so scary is that you can actually see this happening. This could be a possibility.
I don't agree with other reviewers opinions that if you are not a `computer person', you should not read this book. I think this book will appeal to everyone, regardless of your level of computer knowledge.
This book gripped me from the start and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will now seek out more of this books.
September 11, 2017
không có hay thường đâu, hay điên đảo luôn í :P
August 27, 2018
Again,just like Phillip Margolin, there are flaws in this story BUT (that's an awful big but you have there), I will not delve into those things because this is a work of fiction and is meant to entertain. So my analytical mind will step back into the shadows and let my critical mind have it's say.
There is a killer on the loose in Silicon Valley and he's not like any other killer out there. He's a computer hacking genius. So what does the police force do to help them catch this clever killer? They release a fellow hacker from federal prison to help them catch this guy before the next victim falls. Little does our convicted felon know, our hacker killer has his eyes set on him to be the next victim.
This is a fairly fast-paced mystery/thriller that keeps you guessing til the very end. Overlooking the flawed details of this incredible story, I did find it enjoyable and entertaining. So, a hefty 4 star rating is what it's worth.
There is a killer on the loose in Silicon Valley and he's not like any other killer out there. He's a computer hacking genius. So what does the police force do to help them catch this clever killer? They release a fellow hacker from federal prison to help them catch this guy before the next victim falls. Little does our convicted felon know, our hacker killer has his eyes set on him to be the next victim.
This is a fairly fast-paced mystery/thriller that keeps you guessing til the very end. Overlooking the flawed details of this incredible story, I did find it enjoyable and entertaining. So, a hefty 4 star rating is what it's worth.
September 10, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, so many years after it was published. Even though technology is advancing so rapidly in our time, this book still feels relevant. Of course, the use of floppy disks is rather outdated! But Deaver created a protagonist that I really liked, and an extremely formidable antagonist, which greatly contributed to the story. As you would expect of a Deaver novel, it is full of twists and turns, and it will keep you hooked to the last page.
December 31, 2022
Too obsolete to be read nowadays, unfortunately. I would have devoured it 20 years ago though. Some books do have the best before date...
May 25, 2018
I liked it. Really liked it. The reason I haven’t gave it a 5 stars is because I think that at the moments some things could have been done faster... 4.5 stars
December 29, 2017
Im Silicon Valley werden brutale Morde verübt. Der Killer ist jedoch anders, als die bisher bekannten Täter. Er hackt sich vorab in die Computer seiner Opfer ein und spioniert somit ihre geheimsten Gedanken, Wünsche und Ziele aus. Detective Anderson weiß sich nicht anders zu helfen und holt den begabten und aktuell im Gefägnis sitzenden Wyatt Gillette in seine Truppe. Der Kampf Hacker gegen Hacker beginnt!
"Lautloses Duell" ist ein alleinstehender Roman von Jeffery Deaver und konnte mich nach einer längeren Aufwärmphase begeistern. Obwohl der Roman bereits 2001 erschien, was man ihm auch deutlich anmerkt, entführt der Autor seine Leser in eine digitale Welt, die nicht nur Gutes, sondern auch Grausames hervorbringt.
Die Geschichte wird von einem auktorialen Erzähler berichtet. Dabei folgt man nicht nur Anderson und seiner Einsatztruppe, sondern auch Wyatt Gillette, der als Hacker im Knast saß und nun der Polizei dabei helfen soll, einen Mörder festzusetzen. Die Ermittlungen konzentrieren sich dabei fast vollkommen auf die Angriffe, die der Killer namens Phate online ausführt. Die offline stattfindende Polizeiarbeit wird nur am Rande beschrieben. Für mich war das eine willkommene Abwechslung, da ich eine Affinität für das Digitale habe. Und die sollte man auch besitzen, da man sich ansonsten schnell langweilen wird.
Zugegeben, auch ich wollte zu Beginn aufgeben, dachte ich doch, dass Jeffery Deaver mir auf den ersten 150 Seiten schon alles präsentiert hat. Da hatte ich mich aber gründlich geirrt und das, obwohl ich Deavers Stil und Erzählweise schon lange kenne. Gerade hatte ich mich damit abgefunden, dass der Thriller linear verläuft..PENG! Haut mir der Autor eins mit dem Knüppel drüber und gibt seinem Werk eine vollkommen andere Richtung. Chapeau!
Die Figuren sind in meinen Augen lebensnah und realistisch beschrieben. Ich fand sehr schnell Zugang zu allen Charakteren. Besonders ins Herz geschlossen habe ich aber Wyatt Gillette, den Hacker. Er gibt mit einer Engelsgeduld Einblick in die digitale Welt, erklärt, nach welchem Codes Hacker handeln und zeigt bei dem allen auch noch ein ermittlerisches Gespür. Das fand ich großartig. Denn obwohl die Beschreibung nach einem Superheld klingt, ist Gillette das ganz und gar nicht. Auch er hat seine Schwächen, Fehler und tappt so manches Mal im Dunkeln. Insgesamt emfpand ich das Figurenensemble als ausgewogen und toll gemischt.
Die Story benötigt eine gewisse Anlaufphase, um dann richtig ins Rollen zu kommen. Nachdem ich über einen gewissen Punkt hinaus war, konnte ich nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen und habe das Buch innerhalb von 2 Tagen inhaliert. Deaver versteht es, Dinge im Ungewissen zu lassen, seine Leser zu verunsichern und ihnen dann mit einer Wendung den Boden unter den Füßen wegzuziehen. Grandios!
Der Stil des Autors ist sehr gut und flüssig zu lesen. Seine Erzählweise ist detailreich, aber dennoch mitreißend und erzeugt immer wieder den Drang, weiterzulesen.
Fazit: Lautlos kommt der Tod. Ich kann das Buch jedem empfehlen, der einen Hang fürs Digitale hat!
"Lautloses Duell" ist ein alleinstehender Roman von Jeffery Deaver und konnte mich nach einer längeren Aufwärmphase begeistern. Obwohl der Roman bereits 2001 erschien, was man ihm auch deutlich anmerkt, entführt der Autor seine Leser in eine digitale Welt, die nicht nur Gutes, sondern auch Grausames hervorbringt.
Die Geschichte wird von einem auktorialen Erzähler berichtet. Dabei folgt man nicht nur Anderson und seiner Einsatztruppe, sondern auch Wyatt Gillette, der als Hacker im Knast saß und nun der Polizei dabei helfen soll, einen Mörder festzusetzen. Die Ermittlungen konzentrieren sich dabei fast vollkommen auf die Angriffe, die der Killer namens Phate online ausführt. Die offline stattfindende Polizeiarbeit wird nur am Rande beschrieben. Für mich war das eine willkommene Abwechslung, da ich eine Affinität für das Digitale habe. Und die sollte man auch besitzen, da man sich ansonsten schnell langweilen wird.
Zugegeben, auch ich wollte zu Beginn aufgeben, dachte ich doch, dass Jeffery Deaver mir auf den ersten 150 Seiten schon alles präsentiert hat. Da hatte ich mich aber gründlich geirrt und das, obwohl ich Deavers Stil und Erzählweise schon lange kenne. Gerade hatte ich mich damit abgefunden, dass der Thriller linear verläuft..PENG! Haut mir der Autor eins mit dem Knüppel drüber und gibt seinem Werk eine vollkommen andere Richtung. Chapeau!
Die Figuren sind in meinen Augen lebensnah und realistisch beschrieben. Ich fand sehr schnell Zugang zu allen Charakteren. Besonders ins Herz geschlossen habe ich aber Wyatt Gillette, den Hacker. Er gibt mit einer Engelsgeduld Einblick in die digitale Welt, erklärt, nach welchem Codes Hacker handeln und zeigt bei dem allen auch noch ein ermittlerisches Gespür. Das fand ich großartig. Denn obwohl die Beschreibung nach einem Superheld klingt, ist Gillette das ganz und gar nicht. Auch er hat seine Schwächen, Fehler und tappt so manches Mal im Dunkeln. Insgesamt emfpand ich das Figurenensemble als ausgewogen und toll gemischt.
Die Story benötigt eine gewisse Anlaufphase, um dann richtig ins Rollen zu kommen. Nachdem ich über einen gewissen Punkt hinaus war, konnte ich nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen und habe das Buch innerhalb von 2 Tagen inhaliert. Deaver versteht es, Dinge im Ungewissen zu lassen, seine Leser zu verunsichern und ihnen dann mit einer Wendung den Boden unter den Füßen wegzuziehen. Grandios!
Der Stil des Autors ist sehr gut und flüssig zu lesen. Seine Erzählweise ist detailreich, aber dennoch mitreißend und erzeugt immer wieder den Drang, weiterzulesen.
Fazit: Lautlos kommt der Tod. Ich kann das Buch jedem empfehlen, der einen Hang fürs Digitale hat!
July 23, 2010
Cyberspace thriller pretty accurate, complex & pleasing plot...
This was our first book by Deaver, so we had no background of his apparently pretty good list of best sellers to influence our thoughts on this one. But the sheer joy of the story, with some incredible twists here and there, kept us entertained throughout. Based on a reference from a friend who knew of our lengthy career in real computer mainframes, we were afraid the computer terminology might be at the 4th grade level or else totally fictional and unreal. Neither extreme was the case, implying that the author did a fine job of research for this book.
If you know nothing about the internet (World Wide Web) or "cyberspace" or as its called herein, the "Blue Nowhere", you will learn a lot; and most of it is at least plausible. Two expert hackers are at each other's throats, literally, as one, Wyatt Gillette, assists the cops in identifying and tracking the other, a wizard known as Phate. The one gone bad is so caught up in unreality that he sees nothing wrong with murdering with a knife through the heart his totally innocent victims picked only for the challenge to physically get at them. Other members of the Computer Crime Unit are at times helpful and at other suspected as abetting the bad guy. In a series of plot surprises, many deaths occur with the cops just a few minutes or less from nabbing the culprits.
Overall, we liked this novel: Deaver maintains a high level of suspense for almost the entire book, despite the obvious setup work and occasional tutoring he needs to do to make the computer stuff make sense. We do come to care about the characters and really want that bad guy nailed, and once the book gets toward mid-way, our reluctance to put it down is probably the best recommendation. While we think some of the hacking described is a little far-fetched, those concerned about identity theft and similar "new age" white-collar crime will find much to think about here as well. All told, we find more than ample reasons to pursue other Deaver works.
This was our first book by Deaver, so we had no background of his apparently pretty good list of best sellers to influence our thoughts on this one. But the sheer joy of the story, with some incredible twists here and there, kept us entertained throughout. Based on a reference from a friend who knew of our lengthy career in real computer mainframes, we were afraid the computer terminology might be at the 4th grade level or else totally fictional and unreal. Neither extreme was the case, implying that the author did a fine job of research for this book.
If you know nothing about the internet (World Wide Web) or "cyberspace" or as its called herein, the "Blue Nowhere", you will learn a lot; and most of it is at least plausible. Two expert hackers are at each other's throats, literally, as one, Wyatt Gillette, assists the cops in identifying and tracking the other, a wizard known as Phate. The one gone bad is so caught up in unreality that he sees nothing wrong with murdering with a knife through the heart his totally innocent victims picked only for the challenge to physically get at them. Other members of the Computer Crime Unit are at times helpful and at other suspected as abetting the bad guy. In a series of plot surprises, many deaths occur with the cops just a few minutes or less from nabbing the culprits.
Overall, we liked this novel: Deaver maintains a high level of suspense for almost the entire book, despite the obvious setup work and occasional tutoring he needs to do to make the computer stuff make sense. We do come to care about the characters and really want that bad guy nailed, and once the book gets toward mid-way, our reluctance to put it down is probably the best recommendation. While we think some of the hacking described is a little far-fetched, those concerned about identity theft and similar "new age" white-collar crime will find much to think about here as well. All told, we find more than ample reasons to pursue other Deaver works.
April 22, 2016
Absolutely horrendous. A very good premise, decent plot, with good pacing, but a technical thriller that 15-20% of the technical details are completely, ridiculously, and very very obviously wrong. See my comment. And a phishing attack is not "searching the Web for details on someone. Holy crap, there was stuff like this every 2nd or third page! Being written in 2001 is not an excuse for blatantly over the top technical blunders. Fuzzy graphics mean someone has remoted into you pc. You didnt know that? How about sluggish keyboard response? See? You can learn all day long with this particular book. The only issue is that its not remotely correct. I MIGHT have been able to ignore page after page of tech bloopers, but when he started with lines like "phishing -its always in the spelling" and "hes from the ELDER DAYS" got news for you Deaver. No one in IT speaks that way. They never did either. Its like a bunch of almost-facts, or a tech-speak blender that scrambled everything until very little of it felt remotely real anymore. Any self respecting IT worker that actually works with tech woukd see that once the gloss is looked through, that at the granular level MOST of the tech in this novel is entirely INACCURATE. Not some. MOST. Theres no excuse for it either. Deaver could certainly have afforded highly accurate oversite. Unless he was just in a rush, didnt care, or didnt think getting above 85% accuracy mattered. I guess based on sales and reviews he was right. But not for this reader. When someone gives a detailed account of what happens when you press the "d" key on your pc, I have this crazy expectation that the account is accurate. Fool that I am. Apparently I am part of a very small contingent that needs te details to actually be correct.
August 14, 2011
Where state of the art computer hackers download information onto floppy disks and are easily identified by their calloused fingertips from all that keyboard pounding. As for the internet, it’s a ruinous addition for the socially inept. A narrative that is clichéd, contrived, with outdated technology and any lack of authenticity from the author.
January 18, 2011
Worst Deaver I've read. Plotting fair, but too much expository filler, and all the "social engineering" stuff was annoying.
February 7, 2022
Recommended by my grade 10 English teacher since it was part of his personal collection. Thank you Mr Sovan.
August 28, 2022
Nhìn chung thì đây là một cuốn khá hấp dẫn. Tuy nhiên theo như tớ thấy thì ngôn ngữ máy tính có vẻ đã hơi lỗi thời một xíu.
Nội dung chủ yếu là có 1 tên giết người hang loạt đang hoạt động và cảnh sát thì không thể tóm được hắn. Bất kể cảnh sát đang làm gì thì tên giết người dường như luôn có thể đoán trước được mọi chuyện. Tay giết người là 1 hacker ở mức ‘phù thuỷ’ và không có nhiều người có thể đạt được level giống như hắn. Cùng đường, cảnh sát phải nhờ sự trợ giúp của một tay hacker khác - Wyatt Gillette, người đang phải ở tù với tội danh tội phạm mạng.
Và tất nhiên và Wyatt đồng ý vì (1) hắn ta có thể thoát khỏi tù và (2) là hắn có thể tiếp tục làm việc hắn nghiên - hacking internet.
Điều làm cho cuốn sách này trở nên thú vị là cả hai tin tặc đều liên tục viết mã để dụ đối thủ của họ phạm sai lầm để tìm ra kẻ giết người. Có rất nhiều điều thú vị đang diễn ra đủ để khiến hầu hết độc giả phải chú ý.
Nhưng vì cuốn sách này (theo tớ) thì có khá nhiều thuật ngữ liên quan đến máy tính và làm tớ khá khó hiểu ở một số đoạn. Nhưng cũng không thể phủ nhận sự hấp dẫn của khoa học máy tính được. Và tớ cũng rất tò mò không biết sau một thế kỉ nữa con người ta sẽ có thể làm được những gì với một chiếc máy tính nữa.
Nội dung chủ yếu là có 1 tên giết người hang loạt đang hoạt động và cảnh sát thì không thể tóm được hắn. Bất kể cảnh sát đang làm gì thì tên giết người dường như luôn có thể đoán trước được mọi chuyện. Tay giết người là 1 hacker ở mức ‘phù thuỷ’ và không có nhiều người có thể đạt được level giống như hắn. Cùng đường, cảnh sát phải nhờ sự trợ giúp của một tay hacker khác - Wyatt Gillette, người đang phải ở tù với tội danh tội phạm mạng.
Và tất nhiên và Wyatt đồng ý vì (1) hắn ta có thể thoát khỏi tù và (2) là hắn có thể tiếp tục làm việc hắn nghiên - hacking internet.
Điều làm cho cuốn sách này trở nên thú vị là cả hai tin tặc đều liên tục viết mã để dụ đối thủ của họ phạm sai lầm để tìm ra kẻ giết người. Có rất nhiều điều thú vị đang diễn ra đủ để khiến hầu hết độc giả phải chú ý.
Nhưng vì cuốn sách này (theo tớ) thì có khá nhiều thuật ngữ liên quan đến máy tính và làm tớ khá khó hiểu ở một số đoạn. Nhưng cũng không thể phủ nhận sự hấp dẫn của khoa học máy tính được. Và tớ cũng rất tò mò không biết sau một thế kỉ nữa con người ta sẽ có thể làm được những gì với một chiếc máy tính nữa.
November 23, 2020
I always fancied being a hacker ;) But this book shows how bad it can get. Getting into someone's computer, learning their secrets and then easily convincing them they are a friend, only to brutally murder them as part of a game.
There is something eerily scary about that. This wasn't written that long ago, but already some of the computer stuff seems out of date, but the whole security issue is probably even more relevant today that it was then. How much easier Phate would have had it with Facebook and all the other social media outlets, where people are happy to parade all aspects of their life in front of strangers!
A very good read, plenty of twists and red herrings, and an ending that felt almost completely satisfactory!
There is something eerily scary about that. This wasn't written that long ago, but already some of the computer stuff seems out of date, but the whole security issue is probably even more relevant today that it was then. How much easier Phate would have had it with Facebook and all the other social media outlets, where people are happy to parade all aspects of their life in front of strangers!
A very good read, plenty of twists and red herrings, and an ending that felt almost completely satisfactory!
September 1, 2018
Este livro narra uma história policial que tem como pano de fundo a pirataria informática. Apesar de ser uma área que domino muito pouco, pareceu-me tudo muito fantasioso, pouco credível. No entanto, o autor assegura-nos numa nota final, que muito do que é relatado é de facto possível e acontece, o que é assustador. Contudo, penso que o essencial neste livro é a reflexão que o autor quer fazer passar sobre o papel das máquinas, que cada vez estão mais presentes, têm nas nossas vidas - como é que interferem no nosso desenvolvimento pessoal, nas relações interpessoais e na organização da própria sociedade. Essa interferência é boa ou é má? Penso que a mensagem do livro pode resumir-se nestas linhas das últimas páginas: "(...) as máquinas também são reais (...) estão a tornar-se cada vez mais parte dessa vida quotidiana de carne e osso, e isso nunca irá mudar. A questão que temos que nos colocar a nós mesmos não é se essa transformação é boa ou má em si, mas simplesmente isto: em quem nos tornamos quando estamos diante do ecrã e entramos no Azul Algures".
March 7, 2018
A very scary book with some really creepy characters! He portrays a frightening scenario of crimes committed by computer hackers. Even though it was full of computer-speak, of which I know next to nothing, I was drawn into the story line and didn't want to put the book down. Just another example of this author's genius!
December 3, 2023
3.8 stars
A lot of technical terms and computer geek stuffs that I,unfortunately, am not into them. So, while I might not really understand many things it is still interesting and pretty fun to read.
A lot of technical terms and computer geek stuffs that I,unfortunately, am not into them. So, while I might not really understand many things it is still interesting and pretty fun to read.
May 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐ No es el mejor de Deaver pero me ha gustado bastante
March 26, 2017
A great edge-of-your-seat cyberspace thriller by Deaver!
The Blue Nowhere is about a psychotic computer hacker who goes by the name of Phate, who hacks into people's computer databases, invading their personal lives, posing as another being and leading his victims to their deaths. Now with the Police Computer Crimes Unit on the case, run by Homicide Detective Frank Bishop, they temporarily release former hacker Wyatt Gillette from prison to assist them in hunting down Phate.
As good as the book was, it felt kind of outdated, where it was written in the very early 2000's, with the use of floppy discs, and early cell phone's, and hacking into other people's computers, but other than that I loved the characters and the plot. In a way the plot's kind of scary because it's the crap people with computers deal with every day, you can never be too careful when it comes to the internet. And if anybody's wondering where the title Blue Nowhere comes into play, it supposedly represents online space.
The Blue Nowhere is about a psychotic computer hacker who goes by the name of Phate, who hacks into people's computer databases, invading their personal lives, posing as another being and leading his victims to their deaths. Now with the Police Computer Crimes Unit on the case, run by Homicide Detective Frank Bishop, they temporarily release former hacker Wyatt Gillette from prison to assist them in hunting down Phate.
As good as the book was, it felt kind of outdated, where it was written in the very early 2000's, with the use of floppy discs, and early cell phone's, and hacking into other people's computers, but other than that I loved the characters and the plot. In a way the plot's kind of scary because it's the crap people with computers deal with every day, you can never be too careful when it comes to the internet. And if anybody's wondering where the title Blue Nowhere comes into play, it supposedly represents online space.
August 27, 2011
The most amusing thing about reading this book in 2011 is that it's ten years old and most, if not all, of the computer-based science and hacking and Internet lingo used by the characters is now outdated. Still, Deaver writes well, and his characters show some depth. Wyatt Gillette, a hacker, is sprung from prison to help a task force find and capture a hacker known only as Phate. Apparently Wyatt and Phate were partners and friends at one time, but Phate has lost sight of reality and has begun killing people IRL (in real life) instead of while playing an MMORPG. There's an unnecessary subplot about Wyatt trying to get back his estranged ex-wife that goes nowhere. However, the true identity of the mole inside the police department who notifies Phate of developments is a great plot twist. However, I'd still recommend the Lincoln Rhyme novels over this any day.
August 2, 2018
Came across this in a pile of "take one, leave one" books in a local store and was surprised I had not read it before since I enjoy Jeffery's work. I was concerned that it dealt with technical computer issues and was published 17 years ago.
Actually, it was a fun trip down memory lane and Deaver does a good job of cluing in the technically uninformed. The story has his usual twists and turns and surprises but certainly seems a bit over-populated in places a a few too many red herrings and what seems to be an extra victim or so. The speed with which the hackers operate seemed a bit inflated, even for today's computer world.
Still, the 500 pages flew by and I found it one of his better offerings
Actually, it was a fun trip down memory lane and Deaver does a good job of cluing in the technically uninformed. The story has his usual twists and turns and surprises but certainly seems a bit over-populated in places a a few too many red herrings and what seems to be an extra victim or so. The speed with which the hackers operate seemed a bit inflated, even for today's computer world.
Still, the 500 pages flew by and I found it one of his better offerings
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