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America lives a changed way of life in the aftermath of 9/11 and the death of Osama Bin Laden. But while trying to heal and progress forward, there still exists the real and dangerous threats of terrorism from near and far.
Cade Williams is all too aware of this problem as random bombings begin to sweep across U.S. soil. Cade, a geeky email operations admin for Thoughtstorm, is reluctantly promoted from the sixteenth floor of the company to the elusive seventeenth floor, known as the "federal zone." But Cade suspects his new bosses are not so forthcoming about the strange emails and encrypted codes that flow through the servers. Meanwhile, rookie FBI agent Jana Baker, a member of the counter-terrorism squad, is unexpectedly thrust into an assignment that reveals the existence of an advanced terrorist cell. At the forefront is her main target: Waseem Jarrah. Soon the investigation leads her to Thoughtstorm where she recruits the help of Cade to operate covertly. The two work together to try and stop the escalating violence enacted by the merciless Waseem.
The Fourteenth Protocol is a fast-paced, techno thriller built with plenty of action and solid characters, especially in Jana Baker (who readers will no doubt compare to the fledgling agent Clarice Starling of The Silence of the Lambs) and Cade Williams, your ordinary man facing extraordinary challenges. Goodman's novel is timely and at the heart of it addresses a post-9/11 society and counter-intelligence warfare in a highly complex world where it's hard to know who you can trust. Goodman gives readers a novel that will enthrall and even surprise you, placing him squarely with the likes of Tom Clancy and John le Carre. The Fourteenth Protocol is an exciting and terrific read until the very end.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review