Abridged Audiobook
Perhaps the worst book I have read. Ending predictable (I was screaming "the answer" 10 minutes before the characters figured it out). "Hero" characters are constantly being bailed out by luck or other characters. "Experts" are the least intelligent people in the book. Overall, I'm not sure how Dan Brown stuck around long enough to deliever Angels & Demons after this dreck. Truly forgettable.
The book that broke me… nasal whining “murican” narration, rubbish and obvious plot, subscription cancelled..
Very entertaining and captivating
I may be a bit biased because I am a techno-nut and love books involving math and science. I did enjoy this book. I also guessed the kill code well before the reveal. This was the only part of the book that I did not like. I did enjoy it.
I wish I could come up with a story premise like this. Because I KNOW I could write better than this. Criminally BAD writing. The supposedly intelligent characters constantly say and do incredibly stupid things. The descriptions are childish and repetitive, suggesting the author was paid by the word. I too was screaming out the answer to the mystery at the end 10 minutes before the morons in this book got it. The author may have a few scraps of technical knowledge. But, he knows nothing about culture (punk or intelligence). And if the NSA actually employs people this idiotic, the ACLU has nothing to worry about. If the system would allow, I'd give it NEGATIVE stars.
I saw the ending of this book a mile away. It was OK, but nothing special.
Enjoyed this very much. Dan Brown is a great writer.
the premise of the book was interesting, but between the bad voices and the predictable "twists" I would not recommend this book to anyone. Boring, boring.
Loved the book. Love Dan Brown. The only problem is I guessed the kill code at 15 minutes to go
Gret read. Another winner from Dan Brown. I like the acurate history he puts into his books.
A good suspense novel that is set in the intelligence community. This is a typical Dan Brown writing with strong hero/heroine characters that develop nicely as the story unfolds. It will be especially appealing to those that have interest in computing or work in the technology industry. It is somewhat educational on internet privacy issues.
Had the miles rolling away and kept me riveted as I listened. I guessed some of it before the end however he kept me questioning my conclusions until the end.
It's a very good story, but not as good as Dan Brown's other books that I've listened to(Angels & Demons, and The DaVinci Code). I really recommend it if you like thriller/suspense stuff.
He's not the greatest writer in the world, and I guessed some of the character outcomes ... But I was riveted toward the end. Literally could not put it down. I don't know how much of my excitement was because I'm "into" computers, but it was an enjoyable read.
Excellent, kept me on the edge of my seat! It was a book I would definitely recommend and have to my friends. Great suspense and in the dan brown style, keeps you wondering.
If you like the Fox TV show '24', you will love this book. ButI am so relieved to have it behind me. There was such buzz that I felt compelled to 'read' it...but it just didn't do it for me. When it takes an entire chapter to get through 10 seconds of fictional time, I tend to get a little impatient. Unending detail...
RIVETING!! Loved it and couldn't stop listening!!!
Quite exciting. The suspense is great! I recommend it.
This was a good book. A little on the thin side compared to other Dan Brown books when it comes to the excitement, but I liked it.
Good book, not as good as others by same author but still a great book to listen to!! Enjoyed it very much.
This is a very intelligent, engrossing book. My husband and I both listened to this book and tried to figure out the ending. It was great fun! We enjoyed the reader's different voices. I recommend it to anyone. The only drawback is if you have listened to Brown's former books you may see the same twists and turns. Still worth it!
Having worked in the technology area for more than 15 years, I found this book fascinating. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot moved at a great pace.
Definetly not his best book, but if you like his style it is still worth the rent even if it is a litte futuristic,
I can't believe a man who wrote "DaVinci Code" also wrote this non-sense. What a total waste of anybody's time...
NOt up to the authors other books. Lacked something and did not keep my attention.
Good read. Good development of characters however it seemed a bit long winded.
Interesting but not believable. Digital Fortress doesn't live up to Brown's other books.
I agree with Mike B. This book is terrible. It was overly-dramatic and absurdly predictable. Maybe its a lack of computer programming background, but I found the whole story line completely implausible. I loved Angels and Demons and DaVinci, but I'll think twice about reading another Dan Brown book.
I've read and enjoyed both the "DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", but this book is horrible. Brown handles suspense and character development with all the dexterity and skill of William S. Gray in his "Dick and Jane" books. The plot twists (making that word plural is generous) are obvious, the characters are intellectually and socially inept, and if you can't predict the end at some point during the first disc, you aren't paying attention. In fact, my wife listened to 3 minutes of the second disc and accurately predicted the end. This book is truly a waste of time. Dan Brown proves he is a wonderful researcher, but a lousy writer. I'd give it zero stars, but sadly that isn't an option. Skip this and go with some of his more recent works.
I really enjoyed this book. Coming from an IT Profession, it was written in a way which was very believable. A plot that could actually happen....A probably already has, in some form or another. The twists and turns definitely kept me guessing. Who was the good and who was the bad? If you decide to read, it will be a good one. Thanks!
This is the 3rd Dan Brown book I've read, though the 1st on CD. The Narration was excellent - bad narration can kill a book. I really enjoyed the story as well. It didn't keep me on the edge of my seat as DaVinci Code / Angels & Demons did, but I still enjoyed it, and found myself looking forward to my 75min commute 2x a day, to find out more. Next stop, Deception Point.
It was alright but was not quite the thriller the title implies. the historical and research Dan Brown does is really good but the story let me down.
With each chapter, I found it more and more difficult for me to justify the time spent listening to this disappointingly predictable and much too "over-the-top" thriller. It may be impossible for Dan Brown to ever recapture the literary sensation that accompanied his earlier blockbusters - a curse for him and his fans.
Really enjoyed it like all Dan Browns books. Suspenseful and could really see this happening. That is what I like about this author, very believable.
Suspenseful, attention comanding. We were kept on the end of our seats.
This book was a good bit predictable. At times, what was about to happen was so clear I found myself upset with the characters for not seeing things coming. Also, his description of computer systems was more in the realm of fantasy than science fiction.
This was very much a conventional thriller, a genre done better by other authors. The core of the book, encryption algorithms, wasn't fleshed out very well, and the cast of characters were relative caricatures. That said, I still enjoyed it. The first half of the book plodded a little, but the 2nd half became gripping. As I think about it now though, the inconsistencies in the book really bugged me. So I downgraded from a 4 to a 3. Take that Dan.
If you have read Deception Point and you loved it, you will love this one too. I think that these two books are better than Angels and Demons and Davinci Code.
Dan Brown is an amazing write. This story was incredible. The reader did a wonderful job at telling the story, giving it life. I loved this book.
I enjoyed this book very much and unfortunately I think it is not far from the mark
I've read all of Dan Browns books and I liked this one and Da Vinci Code best. Worth the time.
This book had some good moments, but overall it was really not up to the quality of Da Vinci and Angels. An interesting read nonetheless, but much more unbelievable than some of Brown's other works. The ending needed some work.
I get that it isn't Da Vinici. I can't spell algorythm. And yet I LOVED this book. I kept asking myself why this hasnt' been a movie yet. I can't give a great reason for why I liked it so much, I just did. I found myself figuring parts of it out before they happened and in this case that was GOOD! I enjoyed that part of it. Believable, good character definition, good plot. WELL worth the five disk listen!
If you read Davinci Code and you're looking for something comparable don't bother with this book. Story consistency reminded me of a bad 'B' movie.....picture Pam Anderson as Susan Fletcher in the movie.........
This book was okay . It's the best rating I can give it. The story was a bit farfetched and, in some areas, very predictible. I love Dan Brown but this was not one of his best! The ending made me just want to throw the book out the window (but I had to send it back to Simply Audiobooks so I didn't).
I enjoyed this. After reading the Da Vvinci Code I decided to try another Dan Brown Book. I found I enjoyed this one more, but that may have been because of the whole digital/computer focus in this book as to all the religion in the other book. If you liked DaVinci I would recommend giving this one a try.
Very good book. The reader was well spoken and it was read in such a way as to keep me hooked and left me unable to "Put the book down." Rent it if you like suspense and a few gory details. Once is enough for this book. The others by Dan Brown are done in a similar way. Listen and Enjoy.
not as exciting as DaVinci Code, or Angels or Demons- but good! Gets a little bogged down in details about computers- but if you are into mysteries and crytology- you'll love every detail! not sure i could have had the patience to read the book- but the audio kept me interested!
So much promise - so little delivery. The protagonists of this book are described as having genius IQ's - one, Susan, the supposed salvation of the NSA cryptography division. Given the predictable nature of this "thrilling mystery", I guess I'm much more brilliant than I ever thought and could really help out the NSA as I solved the puzzles at least a dozen steps ahead of all the "brilliant" characters. This book is disappointingly predictable and formulaic. Don't waste your valuable time.
A real let down after reading The DaVinci Code. This story really dragged along at times. I can't believe I'm saying this, but perhaps the abridged version would be better. I've never recommended an abridged version in my life!
Thought DaVinci Code might be a fluke, so read this to see if Dan Brown could write. He can. Excellent thriller with plenty of action and technology kept at a level nearly anyone could understand. Characters are not as cardboard as is often the case with thriller writers. Would definitely recommend this book to keep your interest and challenge you with a few puzzles. The final "big" puzzle is way too easy, however, but maybe not everyone will think so.
Starts out interesting. Then gets boring and predictable. The love story tie-in is the worst part.
The story is enjoyable...and if I hadn't already listened to all three of Dan Brown's other novels I would have been more intrigued. I was likely to harsh in giving just three stars. If you have a back ground in computer science (or any programming experience) you will findly many errors in the technical aspects...but hey, it's Dan Brown and why let details get in the way of a good story.
This one stinks. The story line has a lot of potential and begins pretty well, but it rapidly goes down hill. I don't mind suspending disbelief if the story is engaging, but this one wasn't. Several critical scenes are entirely implausible. Several more are completely predictable. I found a couple of the "voices" bothersome. If you're thinking adding a couple books to your bookshelf, skip this one. It stinks.
Another of Dan Brown's great stories. Very entertaining with plenty of twists and surpises... Definitely would recommend!
I absolutely loved it. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I wanted to hear more and more.
Fun story, a little predictable but still keeps you wanting to hear more. The narrator has an incredible ability to make every character sound unique and "match" the description of that person.
The story was ok. nothing really exciting and generally just a routine story overall. What really got on my nerves was the voice acting. The actor had a terrible lisp that became unnerving about 5 minutes into the first chapter and continued for 5 long cd's. It seriously took away from the focus of the story and I feel it would have been a slightly better book if I had actually just read it myself.
Excellent story, many interesting parts of this story really make you think.
Not one of my favorites. Too many characters and the story line is kind of lacking in interest.
I enjoyed this one! Very suspensful and believable. Really makes you think about government and computer email technology.
~~tag-text~~