cover image Rogue Code

Rogue Code

Mark Russinovich. St. Martin's/Dunne, $25.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-03537-0

In Russinovich's well-crafted third Jeff Aiken novel (after 2012's Trojan Horse), the cyber security specialist must contend with insider trading, long cons, and multimillion-dollar thefts. Aiken is no stranger to tragedy. His parents and brother perished in a car accident when he was a child, his wife died in one of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and he has recently broken up with his fellow professional computer whiz, Daryl Haugen. However, nothing can prepare him for the trouble accompanying his latest assignment, as he uncovers a major hacking scheme targeting the New York Stock Exchange's complex web of cyber protections, implicating some of the exchange's most powerful officials in the process. When the incriminated executives turn on Aiken and the colleague who's assisting him, Frank Renkin, he has to not only reconsider his position but also race against the clock to expose the criminals responsible for this grand scheme%E2%80%94or risk being erroneously blamed for these same crimes. Readers should be prepared for lots of technical jargon and an excess of subplots amid the thrilling storyline. (May)