About the Book

A dead man blackmails a United States senator.

A Russian assassin leaves a trail of bodies.

A cryptic criminal syndicate unleashes financial chaos.

A courageous war hero races to save her family—and her country.

Set amid the turbulence of today’s headlines, this gripping techno-thriller—the second in Bach’s series to feature Tamika Smith—pulses with high-stakes intrigue and razor-edged political drama.

Senator Tamika Smith’s new year begins in shambles. First she receives an email threatening to expose her past—a threat from someone she knows is dead. Then her boyfriend, Johnny Humboldt, is kidnapped in broad daylight after his daughter is wounded in a California school shooting. Someone is desperate to take Tamika down and damage the country she loves. The attacks are professional, the delivery is flawless, and the message unmistakable: America is broken, and someone is determined to fix it their way.

Standing in the eye of the storm, Tamika must navigate a political landscape riddled with betrayal, misinformation, and moral decay to rescue Johnny and uncover the group behind the web of conspiracy. As the country spirals toward financial Armageddon and democracy itself begins to unravel, Tamika must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to save her family and pull the nation back from the brink. With its sharp blend of shadowy villains and morally torn heroes, The Blockchain Syndicate dares you to question everything—right up to the final, breathless moment.

Review

The Blockchain Syndicate is a techno thriller that feels like you are reading something taken straight from one of today’s headlines. Bach features Senator Tamika Smith in his latest installment and as a reader be prepared for an intense, gripping experience that will make you not want to put this book down.

The novel grips you from the start with an opening that just doesn’t allow you to want to put the book down. Bach lays down the framework well with establishing the danger everywhere. He brings Senator Smith right there is the center of it. We are thrust into the action of the kidnapping of her boyfriend and wounding of his daughter while she is pushed in an entanglement of misinformation, betrayal and political corruption. Someone has it out for her. Not only wanting to take her down but the country. There begins a race of time for her to decide what she is willing to give up to save her family and democracy.

The plot of this book was just so brilliant. The attention to detail and the work to support creating a plausible experience was seamless. The way he blends the action, intelligence, political drama and tech elements into a fast paced novel without compromising the character depth made a great read. The tension building towards that unexpected ending really makes you think about a lot of things, especially how far people will go when the lines between truth, power and technology begin to blur.

I’m not sure how much relevance to tell you to read the first book prior because this could be read as a standalone and get the overall picture. Considering what I read and references and understanding of her and things that happened before, I think you might want to read the first installment, The Wilkes Insurrection. If it’s anything like this one then you will not want to miss out.

I thought this book was amazing. You don’t get many amazing heroine protagonists in this type of genre so this was a welcomed and appreciated surpise. If you love thrillers with a great protagonist with an intelligent plot blending tech and politics, this might be one I’d recommend putting on your reading list.

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