When the National Security Agency's invincible code breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls in its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shockwaves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage - not by guns or bombs, but by a code so complex that if released would cripple U.S. intelligence.
Caught in an accelerating tempest of serecy and lies, Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country, but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves.
Synopsis
Susan Fletcher ticks all the right boxes as the beautiful, intelligent and sassy heroine who finds herself fighting to save the NSA (National Security Agency) and its hyper-secret code breaking computer from a code which is threatening US intelligence gathering capabilities.
She finds herself having to reevaluate every person she knows, including herself in order to make some sense of the situation she finds herself in.
Review
Going by the premise above, this sounds like it could be the most incredibly dull book of the century. That is not the case however, this book moves along with all the speed and might of a cloaked Klingon battle cruiser.
Just reading any of Dan Brown's books gives you the impression that he would be a fabulous chess player and would be a great guy to have on your side when you are playing Pictionary.
His books display all the characteristics of such a man. Clear, well defined stories, maddening puzzles and a manner of writing which has you franticly turning pages to find out not just what happenes next, but how it happened as well.
Digital Fortress occasionally displays a couple of failings in research, but nothing terribly major. Its mainly in the details of computer security that he wobbles a little. Most people won't notice any wobbles though, since the story drags you along with more than enough detail that the reader who also happens to be a bit of a nerd will completely forgive the lapses and continue to gulp at the book till its conclusion.
As usual, Brown managed to pack plenty of vast conspiracy into this book and again as usual, he does it in a way in which you are thinking, after you finally close the book, "You know thats kind of possible really".
I hugely enjoyed Digital Fortress and I will read it again, even though I have read it twice already now. Grab a copy.
