First Line Friday: Zero Sum

Happy Friday reader friends! It’s time for First Line Friday hosted by Hoarding Books. Grab the book nearest to you and share the first line! Today I’m sharing the first line from Zero Sum by Jan Thompson.

And the first line is…

“This better pay off, Kel,” Cayson Yang said when his employee and friend came back to their booth at a corner of the noisy convention center.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Publisher’s Note: Zero Sum debuted in the Kill Zone anthology that was published on October 3, 2017.

She opens a case she cannot close.
If he helps her solve it, he will die.

From USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson comes Binary Hackers, an inspirational Christian romantic suspense technothriller collection, featuring hackers and cybercrime specialists at Binary Systems, Inc. Binary Hackers begins with the trials and tribulations of Cayson Yang, the fearful leader of the struggling Binary Systems, Inc.

FBI Special Agent Stella Evans finds the last surviving computer consultant who holds the key to destroying a terrorist organization’s global network, but poor Cayson may not live long enough to dismantle the computer system.

The Chaos…

Computer network specialist Cayson Yang’s struggling network infrastructure company has received a rash of new clients lately, the total income of which finally puts Binary Systems, Inc., in the black for the first time ever.

He is now able to give pay raises to himself and his business partner and cousin, Leland Yang-Joule, and bonuses to his employees. Cayson dreams of a bigger office space for them all.

Somewhere between two dollars in his bank account and a two-million-dollar computer network contract, Cayson finds himself in the crosshairs of the world’s most notorious terrorist organization, now coming after him, his business partner, and his family.

Ignoring repeated warning lights might have been Cayson’s downfall, but it’s too late for him to backtrack now that his enemies have implanted a cybernetic kill switch in his head.

The Crime…

Assigned to the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, FBI Special Agent Stella Evans finishes assisting her colleagues from the Counterterrorism Division to apprehend a notorious terrorist.

On trial in Europe for war crimes too numerous to list, Molyneux refuses to help the authorities dismantle her sophisticated international computer network. The only alternative is to find the architects of this network and hope they will cooperate.

Shutting down Molyneux’s underground computer network is the best way to destroy those mercenary terrorists for hire. However, the terrorist organization doesn’t want to be outdone. A successor is named, and they begin to kill off anyone who has worked on the underground network in the past.

The Crisis…

By the time Stella reaches the Binary Systems global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, most of the original computer specialists who worked for Molyneux are either dead or have disappeared—except their fearful leader, Cayson Yang, the final link, kept alive for reasons unknown.

Stella finds herself at a crossroad between duty and following Cayson and the cybernetic implants in his head. She stands to lose not only her carefully cultivated career but, more dangerously, her closely guarded heart as she decides what to do with the Pandora’s box she has opened…

Binary Hackers

  • Book 1: Zero Sum
  • Book 2: Zero Day
  • Book 3: Zero Base

AMAZON | GOODREADS


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with elements of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with an air of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance.

Jan’s books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER


Post by contributor Allyson Anthony

Book Review: Zero Sum

Happy Monday reader friends! Today’s book review is of Zero Sum by Jan Thompson. Have you read this series?


ABOUT THE BOOK

Publisher’s Note: Zero Sum debuted in the Kill Zone anthology that was published on October 3, 2017.

She opens a case she cannot close.
If he helps her solve it, he will die.


From USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson comes Binary Hackers, an inspirational Christian romantic suspense technothriller collection, featuring hackers and cybercrime specialists at Binary Systems, Inc. Binary Hackers begins with the trials and tribulations of Cayson Yang, the fearful leader of the struggling Binary Systems, Inc.

FBI Special Agent Stella Evans finds the last surviving computer consultant who holds the key to destroying a terrorist organization’s global network, but poor Cayson may not live long enough to dismantle the computer system.

The Chaos…

Computer network specialist Cayson Yang’s struggling network infrastructure company has received a rash of new clients lately, the total income of which finally puts Binary Systems, Inc., in the black for the first time ever.

He is now able to give pay raises to himself and his business partner and cousin, Leland Yang-Joule, and bonuses to his employees. Cayson dreams of a bigger office space for them all.

Somewhere between two dollars in his bank account and a two-million-dollar computer network contract, Cayson finds himself in the crosshairs of the world’s most notorious terrorist organization, now coming after him, his business partner, and his family.

Ignoring repeated warning lights might have been Cayson’s downfall, but it’s too late for him to backtrack now that his enemies have implanted a cybernetic kill switch in his head.

The Crime…

Assigned to the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, FBI Special Agent Stella Evans finishes assisting her colleagues from the Counterterrorism Division to apprehend a notorious terrorist.

On trial in Europe for war crimes too numerous to list, Molyneux refuses to help the authorities dismantle her sophisticated international computer network. The only alternative is to find the architects of this network and hope they will cooperate.

Shutting down Molyneux’s underground computer network is the best way to destroy those mercenary terrorists for hire. However, the terrorist organization doesn’t want to be outdone. A successor is named, and they begin to kill off anyone who has worked on the underground network in the past.

The Crisis…

By the time Stella reaches the Binary Systems global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, most of the original computer specialists who worked for Molyneux are either dead or have disappeared—except their fearful leader, Cayson Yang, the final link, kept alive for reasons unknown.

Stella finds herself at a crossroad between duty and following Cayson and the cybernetic implants in his head. She stands to lose not only her carefully cultivated career but, more dangerously, her closely guarded heart as she decides what to do with the Pandora’s box she has opened…

Binary Hackers

  • Book 1: Zero Sum
  • Book 2: Zero Day
  • Book 3: Zero Base

AMAZON | GOODREADS


MY THOUGHTS

This is a wild ride. Lots of action, mystery, and intrigue in this romantic suspense novel. Cayson is a hacker who got implants in his head without his knowledge. Cayson and Stella make a great team. Cayson works with other hackers to remove the implants before the bad guys get to him and detonates him while Stella protects him. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with elements of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with an air of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance.

Jan’s books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER


Post by contributor Allyson Anthony