Kill Switch

By: William Hertling

Narrated by: Jane Cramer

Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

Igloo and Angie are the co-founders of a new social network, Tapestry, based on the principles of privacy and data ownership. Two years later, with Tapestry poised to become the world’s largest social network, their rapid growth puts them under government scrutiny.   

Tapestry’s privacy and security is so effective that it impedes the government’s ability to monitor routine communications. Fearing Tapestry will spread to encompass the whole of the Internet, threatening America’s surveillance abilities around the globe, the government swoops in to stop Angie and company - by any means possible.  

Under the constant threat of exposure - of Angie’s criminal past, of Igloo’s secret life in the underground kink scene, and of their actions to subvert a FISA court order - they must hatch a plan to ensure the success of Tapestry no matter what pressures the government brings to bear.  

Not knowing whom to trust, or if they can even trust each other, Igloo and Angie must risk everything in the ultimate battle for control of the Internet.

©2018 William Hertling (P)2018 William Hertling

WTF! What a letdown from Hertling's previous work

What a letdown from Hertling's previous work - DON'T BUY WITHOUT READING THE REVIEWS

I would like to think that I am considerably more open-minded than average, but Igloos distracting side story killed this book. I only made it halfway through, I can't finish it. Insecure lesbian dom/sub BDSM sex scenes Sure, whatever, that's all fine if it didn't distract from the story I thought I was buying. I kinda want my money back.

Update: Ok, I did finish the book and I get what the writer was trying to do. That being said I bought this book because of the authors other books (which are awesome!) I wasn't trying to buy a 50 Shades of Grey ripoff. Nothing in the book description implied this one was any different than the others. I truly feel like I got catfished.

Jane Cramer was excellent with the delivery but the that did not help a terrible book

Too much kinky going on

Great second book. Great suspense, well written and well performed. But too much sex, bondage and kinky play. Could have done with less.

Not like the first

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but I could not get into this at all. It was pure pornography and no story at all I could not finish it. Certainly don't read this if you have not read the first in the series or you will have no idea of who the characters are or what the (minimal) story is about. If it got better after I quit listening, so be it. It is not for me. This is no reflection on the reader who was very good.

SMUT!! Gay bondage sex went on and on. No thanks!

I believe I owe all this authors books and enjoyed them very much I listened to them twice. I dozed off in bed listing to this book and woke up to hearing about Gay bondage Sex act going on. I was horrified and it seemed to take a long time to finish up I just turned it off and decided to return the book, its unfortunate I am sure the tec story was good but not worth the smut.

What the heck?

The first book in the series was enjoyable and refreshing. This second one in the series takes a 180°; the founder goes against the principles on which the company was formed. Worst of all are the frequent, lengthy and explicit sex scenes of a character’s S&M activities.

Good Except for the First Few Hours of 50 Shades

If I wanted porn, I'd go watch porn. I don't know why books/tv shows/movies can't have a great plot void of graphic, skin-slapping sex anymore, but there's nothing worse than being blindsided by it (e.g. Having your mother and granny watching said show/movie with you, or in the car with you, supposedly listening to the sequel of a "highly-acclaimed tech thriller.").

This book begins with a long, drawn-out introduction into Igloo's secret BDSM life. Hertling could've easily covered that world without going into 30-min long segments of descriptive detail, but apparently, he's fallen susceptible to the wave of influence that thinks they need sex to hold our attention.

I listened to those hours of Igloo's soap opera at just a little under the highest speed where I could keep an ear out for anything pertinent to the actual plot line. Rest assured, you can safely skip it and miss nothing! The only thing slightly expositional is when Igloo remembers the first time she and her girlfriend "did a scene." Again, if you want to jump ahead you won't miss a thing.

The story only picks up a bit when Angie re-enters, but unfortunately it's short-lived, as this book focuses more on Igloo and her relationship drama. Once Angie becomes more involved near the middle, things are finally into a good technological swing. While the tech in this story isn't presented in the well-crafted manner of "Kill Process" -- Hertling probably used-up all of his prowess contending with E.L. James -- it is there, even if only blurted out by characters in passing or as a solution with little to no further explanation. I think the tech in this book would be tough for non-software/network types to follow; perhaps that's why he embraced the explicit sex angle.

Regardless of its foibles, it's still a pretty good story and kept me wondering how the characters would surmount the different obstacles they faced. I'm definitely looking forward to his next Kill Chain novel, but hope he gets refocused on the tech. Again, there's plenty of porn already out here, but he's currently all we have in the tech thriller arena (since Russinovich doesn't seem to be releasing anymore novels).

Different but great

The first half of the book has a significantly different vibe than the clever fast passed cyberpunk thriller you may be expecting. In the second half it becomes clear why the author chose to explore the human relationship angle. Great book overall and possibly the authors best and most relevant work so far.

good story

once past the D.S. sub plot the technology thriller portion took off. a nice plan forward.

What was Hertiling Thinking!!

I have read 5 of his books. I enjoyed them greatly. I liked Kill Process, but he ran off the rails with Kill Switch. OK fine a character is gay. I just do not want to know anything about there kinky sex habits or activities. This ruined the book completely for me.

too much LGBTQ.. p.c. bs.

I enjoyed the story the performance and the series in general, but this second book is just way too PC for me.