The Blurb:
Jacob Michaels, computer network security-tester extraordinaire, tries to settle into a quiet life of work to polish his technology skills after the death of his mother.
Cyber-criminals are hunting for new victims when they target the brilliant programmer to try to seduce into joining their cause. More people are hunting him than just the Russian cyber kingpin.
As Jacob sets off to find those who target him, he discovers other technologists’ views which puts him in direct contact with previously unknown global experts.
Buzz, when looking for the easy way inadvertently crosses the line to the dark side then begs his best friend Jacob for help. Jacob, brilliant as he is may not have enough experience to win this on his own. Of course, having your identity erased makes helping anybody else secondary to your problems.
Jacob battles against global cyber masterminds using his knowledge of programming, identity theft, and hacking, but learns more about security and encryption when he connects with the distractingly beautiful encryptionist Petra.
Jacob’s challenge is how to keep ahead of the criminals and identify who to trust.
In their debut TechnoThriller, The Enigma Factor, award-winning authors Breakfield and Burkey weave a complex tale of danger, intrigue, and international cyber combat. They use a relevant technology foundation, then layer on travel, romance, humor and mystery
Like rust, the cat and mouse game of the new cyber warfare age never sleeps.
My Thoughts:
I’m not the most tech-savvy humanoid on this blue marble, lucky for me that my oldest daughter is into coding, so at first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the lingo. There is a glossary of terms at the end of the book, so you might want to read through that first.
That being said, I soon found myself intrigued and completely immersed in the world of cyberwarfare and the unseen forces at work in this world. A wonderful ‘cloak and dagger’ mystery in binary code.
There are more plot twists than a rogue power cord, each one a pleasure to unravel. I loved the challenge!
I’m not naïve, but the technical expertise possessed by these authors, opened my eyes to the vulnerability of the general population. The skilled hacker can erase and/or steal an identity in a few keystrokes.
There was also an emotional and human side to the story. Our brilliant main character, Jacob Michaels, struggles with everyday desires and hurts.
This is the first in a series and you can bet I’ll be filling my Amazon cart with the next book, The Enigma Rising.
Five Stars!
Meet Charles V. Breakfield:

Great review, Mark. I’m not very techy either, so it’s good the authors included a glossary. And I like twists and turns for sure. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Sounds like a wonderful writing partnership! Great review:-)
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Thank you! It was a great read.
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This was a great review, Mark! I look forward to reading it. 🙂
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Thanks, Yvette. 🙂
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A great review to an interesting book, Mark. I’m grateful to the technology was it’s proven in times like this. As much as I love to learn. I can’t even keep up with the upgrade of the software I use regularly. When it comes to hardware, I usually rely on my hubby. Thank you for this review!
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I hear you, Miriam, technology never stops evolving. Thanks for visiting today!
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Exactly, Mark. I got a good laugh when reading Steve Jobs’ bio when he (very early on) and his friend hacked into the phone to call the White House. He surely was a genius in technology!
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Wow, never heard about THAT. :0
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It was way before he started even the Apple 2e!
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Interesting timing for me to read your review after listening to a webinar on cybersecurity for an hour and a half yesterday. Scary stuff and rife with possibilities for fiction!
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So true, Liz. I think alot of the incidents that are written in this book happen in real life. Thanks for stopping by!
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My pleasure, Mark!
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Excellent review, Mark. These guys should be pleased with your comments.
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Thank you, John.
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This is on my kindle. I’ve been very curious about it and will have to move it up.
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I think you’ll find it an interesting read, Denise. Thanks for dropping by!
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I also have to call on my sons to solve techie problems. An interesting review, Mark.
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Thanks Robbie. 🙂
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Oooh, this sounds good! I like the idea of so many plot threads and mysteries to unravel. Tech stuff in cyber mysteries sometimes leaves me mind boggled, but also amazed by—as you said–how vulnerable we are. Very scary!
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It was a great read, Mae, yes a bit techy, bt I enjoyed learning more about it. As I mentioned, there is a glossary at the back, so it makes the reading easier. Quite frightening and very real.
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A great review, Mark. I too, was more than a little overwhelmed by the techie lingo in the story, but the authors were genius to put the glossary in the back. I enjoyed the story and the fact that they threw in a little romance along with it all.
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Yes, it was very well done and I appreciated the glossary! I usually have to call upon my oldest daughter to help solve computer problems. 🙂
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