1st Case

by James Patterson

First published 2020

Angela Hoot's programming talents land her in trouble at MIT graduate school. Her unorthodox methods get her expelled, but the FBI's cyber-forensics unit wants exactly those skills. A new messaging app appears with advanced tracking features. Young women test the beta version. They start turning up dead in their bedrooms. Angela must break the killer's digital encryption before more victims die. The murderer matches her technical abilities step for step. Each move Angela makes, the killer counters with equal sophistication. The chase becomes personal as the killer tries to penetrate Angela's private world. She fights to keep her own life separate from the investigation. The internet's dark corners hide a predator who uses technology as a weapon. Angela races against time and a brilliant adversary who knows her every digital move.

Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: cat-and-mouse, high-stakes, personal-stakes

Setting: MIT, United States

Period: 21st Century

323 pages · Hardcover · Little, Brown and Company

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