In this action-packed techno-thriller, a routine computer cleanup sets off an electrifying quest for an enigmatic—and deadly—treasure.
After selling his dorm-room startup for millions and effectively retiring at the age of twenty-five, Alex Fife is eager for a new challenge. When he agrees to clean up an old PC as a favor, he never expects to find the adventure of a lifetime waiting for him inside the machine. But as he rummages through old emails, Alex stumbles upon a startling discovery: The previous owner, a shady antiques smuggler, had been trying to unload a mysterious object known as the Florentine on the black market. And with the dealer’s untimely passing, the Florentine is now unaccounted for and ripe for the taking. Alex dives headfirst into a hunt for the priceless object.
What starts out as a seemingly innocuous pursuit quickly devolves into a nightmare when Alex discovers the true technological nature of the Florentine. Not just a lost treasure, it’s something far more insidious: a weapon that could bring the developed world to its knees. Alex races through subterranean grottos, freezing morgues, and hidden cellars in the dark underbelly of Los Angeles, desperate to find the Florentine before it falls into the wrong hands. Because if nefarious forces find it first, there’ll be nothing Alex—or anyone else—can do to prevent a catastrophic attack.
Leading security specialist Carey Nachenberg delivers expert technical details in this gripping, highly entertaining cyber thrill ride—perfect for fans of Neal Stephenson and William Gibson.
You never know what secrets you'll find buried inside an old computer. On a whim, twenty-something cyber-security expert Alex Fife engages in a bit of voyeuristic digital snooping while cleaning up an old PC for a charity. To his surprise, Alex learns that the computer's deceased owner, a shady antiquities smuggler, had been trying to unload a priceless object known as the Florentine on the black market. But with the dealer's death, the Florentine is unaccounted for and potentially ripe for the taking. Hooked by the prospect of solving a mystery, Alex embarks upon a quest through subterranean grottos, freezing morgues, and hidden cellars in search of the Florentine. But what starts out as a seemingly innocuous pursuit quickly turns into a nightmare, as Alex discovers that the Florentine may not be a lost treasure after all, but something far more insidious. A weapon that, in the wrong hands, could bring the developed world to its knees--one that Alex's adversaries will do anything to acquire.
“[Carey Nachenberg’s] novel boasts equal servings of excitement, suspense and humor. . . . [He] tackles multiple genres—thriller, action, comedy—and champions each one with panache.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A combination of up-to-the-minute computer hacking and hard-hitting action make The Florentine Deception a grippingly plausible tale of modern cyber-terrorism.” —Neil Rubenking, lead security analyst for PC Magazine
“Finally, a Techno Thriller that gets the details right!” —Mikko Hypponen, international computer security expert
“[Nachenberg] has a writing style that will leave readers hanging at the end of every chapter, daring you to try to put it down.” — RT Book Reviews
“It is a great read, a real thriller.” —Stephen Northcutt, former CEO of the SANS Institute
