The Enigma Factor

By: Charles V Breakfield, Roxanne E Burkey

Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rogue cyber-criminals want Jacob Michaels, a brilliant young programmer, to join them. He just doesn't know it yet. Jacob has the brains, expertise, and programming methods to get them what they want without discovery. With his best friend, Buzz, and a distractingly beautiful encryptionist in tow, Jacob enters the world of the Dark Internet here in the 21st century where the computer is the weapon of choice! With the cyber criminals engaged in international hacking, it's easy to have your identity slip through your fingers. No one, including Jacob, believes it when he learns he has been targeted. Jacob finds the space between cyber good and cyber evil difficult to navigate as well as highly deadly.

Jacob has settled into a quiet routine of a techno geek after his mother dies. The plans he made are disrupted when he discovers his life is in danger. He sets off on a mission that takes him into new technology views and exposes to him the inner-workings of unknown global technologists. Jacob learns that safeguards for technology are always evolving and being exploited. His challenge becomes how to keep ahead of the criminals and identify who to trust.

Book one of The Enigma Series brings relevant technology elements of programming, encryption, crypto-currency, identity theft, and hacking to highlight the professional excellence of Jacob, more so perhaps due to his sheltered upbringing. Explore the horrific damage cyber criminals can inflict as the award-winning authors, Breakfield and Burkey, weave a complex tale of danger, intrigue, and international cyber combat in their debut thriller, The Enigma Factor.

©2013 Enigma Series, LLC (P)2017 Enigma Series, LLC

Interesting start to a new series

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

You would need to be a bit of a geeky/conspiracy theory type, but sure. Fits the mold well.

Would you recommend The Enigma Factor to your friends? Why or why not?

As noted above.

What does Steven Jay Cohen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Solid, consistent performance that sets the groundwork for what promises to be a rather interesting series.

Did The Enigma Factor inspire you to do anything?

Do some research into topics raised.

Any additional comments?

I did receive my copy of this offering in exchange for this review. So here we go. Well researched, almost to a fault, but on balance a solid start with reliable characters and a story arc that promises to move along quickly. Recommended!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A great cyber thriller...

This novel illustrates how vulnerable our society is to cyber attacks and cyber warfare by turning factual information into a thrilling piece of fiction. The authors did an amazing job of storyline and character development and I could see this book becoming a major motion picture.

The narrator did an excellent job in his portrayals of all characters, regardless of gender, race, etc... I feel like he brought the characters to life which helped bring me into the story.

I definitely recommend this novel to everyone looking for an exciting twist on thriller type novels.

*This audiobook was provided to me at no cost in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fun read!

I found this book to be a fun read. A technology, hacking, and crime novel does best if it can keep the attention of both types of people. Those with and without the tech knowledge and I think this book did pretty well at that. I was always eager to know what was going to happen next. There was a budding romance which may continue in the series but it is not too sappy. There is some pretty graphic sexual moments which were not expected, but not bad, just seemed kinda out of place. overall I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book. I was given a free copy of this book and have left this unbiased review voluntarily.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

complicated

I liked The Enigma Factor by authors:Charles V Breakfield , Roxanne E Burkey and will probably follow up with any subsequent offerings but.... there is a lot going on and at times I found my concentration waning. My fault not the story's but at times I felt like I was spinning too many plates in the air. I like longish and this book certainly is that. Steven Jay Cohen is superb and I hope that he is at the helm of the next Enigma Series, Book. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Truly exciting tecno-centric suspense/thriller

This was a wonderfully researched and written tech-centric thriller, rounded out with a steamy bit of romance. You won't need a degree in computer programming to understand and enjoy book one of The Enigma Factor. I have only the most casual, passing interest in computer networking and security protocols, yet still I became thoroughly engrossed in main character Jacob's projects and adventures. I followed Jacob into the world of white-hat hacking, where he soon flirts with crossing that ambiguous line between "doing good" and "doing bad as a means to a good end." He uncovers a secret about his past after joining an underground group of mysterious individuals who all possess extraordinary talents. But can he really trust who these people say they are? What is their true motive? Why must he abandon his old life to join this elite group? I highly recommend this title, especially the audiobook read by Steven Jay Cohen. He gives each character a truly unique voice that only enhances a novel that's already fabulous from beginning to end. Well done! I do agree with other reviewers that this could easily be translated into an exciting TV mini-series or serial show.

I was provided a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review. Many thanks for this opportunity!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Interesting story that gets a little wordy

The premise to the story is awesome but carried out a little awkwardly. While I enjoy technology on an intermediate level, I had to zone out while it was being discussed. Rather than a believable inclusion of technology, the writers go on and on. I imagine not many will be impressed and a little editing would allow you to enjoy the adventure more!

Jacob is a great guy (maybe a little too good) with amazing skills and cyber security is a hot topic. Steven Jay Cohen lent his voice well to many characters, his international voices were outstanding! The authors can probably pull off a good series if they let go of going into so much depth.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fascinating and Compelling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I enjoyed the story. It was gripping and fascinating.

What about Steven Jay Cohen’s performance did you like?

Strong, Powerful, and Inviting.

Any additional comments?

This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Could have dialed back the tech but not a bad book

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was an OK book. The "technology" in this book is overdone and, at times, it seemed as though they were just tossing in any technology words they could find on Google. I really think the use of tech terms could have been dialed way back and the story wouldn't have lost it's appeal to the IT crowd (of which I am one). The narrator was pretty good too, which is what helped get me through the buzzword laden dialog. All in all, the story was good, the characters were interesting and the plot kept my interest. It is the first in a series, and the only one on Audible at the time I wrote this review, so keep that in mind.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The Beginning

This book was quite interesting in its scope of computers, programming and cyber security. I understood some of the technical jargon, but definitely not all of it. However, it did fascinate me as I tried to wrap my head around the overall plot of the book. Jacob, young programmer and his relationship with a mysterious European encryptionist named Petra was one of the highlights. Jacob's life is turned upside down when he's caught in the middle of an international game of rogue hackers.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Great Find!

The Enigma Factor was a wonderful listen. Fast paced tech drama. Part of the pleasure when reading about cyber crime is how fast the players move. There is lots of tension considering much of it take place online.

Narrator Steven Jay Cohen was a perfect choice for this one. He reads well, with just-right pacing, and good variation in characters. I I'll be listening to more of the series. Whether you love or hate computers you will be caught up in the plot.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review. You can read my full review at Mystery Suspense Reviews.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Confusing

Any additional comments?

was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The characters were really good. I enjoyed learning about these people, especially Jacob and Otto, though I suspected Petra of being a turncoat the entire novel. I thought they were written really well and I really liked the friendship between Jacob and Buzz.

However, there was a lot of conversation, so it wasn’t exactly fast paced, and the plot itself was quite confusing. It was a bit weird because the plot tried to be fast but the topic itself slowed it down and with all of the exposition talking, it felt really strange. The hacking aspects of the book sounded interesting but they felt rather overdone. I say sounded, because it was quite difficult to follow because it didn’t make much sense to me. However, I am a complete computer novice.

I didn’t like the sex scenes. They weren’t particularly good, so either they needed more attention, or they needed removing.

The group itself confused me. Are they a stealth group? Because it seems like everybody knows they exist and can request their services.

So I was confused by most of this novel, but I really liked the characters, character development and the writing style.

A very modern and relevant cyber thriller

Well written and excellently narrated, 'The Enigma Factor is a modern and extremely relevant story about IT professionals and the organizations they are contracted to protect from the real world thread of hackers and crackers.

The story relates the tales of cyber security and the threats exposed in the complex world of hackers and the chaos they can cause.

The main characters of Jacob, Buzz, and Petra have the reader / listener rooting for the heretofore unloved technology geeks and the intertwining love and technology interests of the main characters is compelling. The characters grow quickly on the listener and the writer's attention to detail leads to a captivating and 'want to continue listening until the end' story line.

The book has it all - adventure, technology, romance, betrayal and suspense - all rolled into an intriguing and compelling story that leaves the listener wanting more (and the rest of the series undoubtedly delivers on that promise!) .

I just hope that the subsequent movie will be as good!

",You are not done until you get away."

Any additional comments?

This is not a fast paced, action thriller. Just the opposite. It moves slowly, densely filling the pages with conversations, stories, descriptions and explanations of aspects of computer workings. Not for everyone, perhaps, but for this near computer illiterate user, these explanations were fascinating: it felt almost like receiving mini tutorials. Once underway the story is gripping, the characters steadily gaining real personally and presence, and the compulsion to find our what would happen to each one was almost as powerful as pondering the futures of real life acquaintances.

This excellently written characterisation is further enhanced by the narrator, who gives each one of the numerous people involved their own distinctive style of speech, complete with appropriate accent. Although written in the third person, the majority of the book is viewed from the point of view of the young, meticulous pen tester, Jacob. Initially, although fluent and clear, Steven Cohen's pleasantly soft spoken voice is slightly halting, with a indecision that many people express when unused to conversation. But as the book progresses, and Jacob, the main protagonist, becomes increasingly part of a team and used to expressing his ideas, this slight hesitancy gradually disappears: a very effective way of further breathing life, and confidence, into these cleverly crafted characters.

I received my copy of The Enigma Factor as a freely given gift from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. My thanks as, in addition to being an enjoyable read, it has opened up for me a tiny crack through which to peek into a world about which I knew almost nothing. And what a frightening world it is! Far more scary than gun rights and chases, quietly, mostly out of sight, this is the underlying foundation of our entire society which is being held to ransome. As previously mentioned, this is not a book for everyone but for those enjoying well read, thoughtful, character driven stories plus the bonus of possibly learning something new mixed in with their thriller, this could be just the book.

Looking forward to the series

What made the experience of listening to The Enigma Factor the most enjoyable?

This was the first time I used Audible - and it was the first in the Enigma series... I found both experiences good!

What other book might you compare The Enigma Factor to, and why?

Reminiscent of James Patterson - but with a techno-twist. There's intrigue, tech-talk and personal relationships.

What about Steven Jay Cohen’s performance did you like?

I liked how he worked to 'become' the character... Nice inflection and tempered cadence... Seems to have enhanced the story...

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I can't say there was a moment... I got wrapped into the storytelling during the prologue...

Any additional comments?

Really looking forward to the series. Well Done, Charles and Roxanne!!!

Intresting story brought down by the performance

The story follows Jacob as he tries to discover a mysterious benefactor, prevent cyber attacks and fall in love. The beginning is very promising as we start to come into the world of Jacob and cyber security. The pace is good and the suspense is there. The middle of the book is dragging on a bit but not enough to put me off and it does get faster near the end which I though was good and will leave you with a taste for more.

Unfortunately, I found the female characters to be written more as a male fantasy. No real complexity but a lot of long descriptions of how they look and how pretty they are. Male-Female romance is never my favourite part of the book as the tend to be invariably patriarchal clichés and thus quite boring. What made it even worse (and the worst part for me) was the performance. Those female voices, ugh! So sweet and sultry and utterly annoying. The accents borderline on insulting and very little differentiation between persons.

Saying that, I though overall the book was quite entertaining and i'm glad I read it. Being a woman, I could not identify with any of the female characters and I feel that books with badly written characters (especially female) are not worth my time, so I won't be reading the next one. But that's just me.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Intelligent, engaging, awesome

Where does The Enigma Factor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely worth taking the time to get into this! Cool twists and turns. A really good techno thriller. I loved it.

What other book might you compare The Enigma Factor to, and why?

I do not want to spoil the story so lets jump to authors instead of comparing the story to another and making people start to think about what I'm comparing it to. Authors; Tom Clancy, Crichton, Patterson maybe for the twists and turns.

What does Steven Jay Cohen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Great narration. I loved the pace of the narrator. The character differentiation was good and the story itself comes out well with the narrators voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I listened to it in two days. I've been on the road for work so that was my intention, but I have plenty of other audio books with me so if I didn't really like it I could have gone elsewhere. I didn't. I did start to finish and really enjoyed it all!

Any additional comments?

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.