Publication Date: September 15, 2022
They call themselves The Settlement Bureau. A faceless, soulless organization coercing individuals with threats to expose their improprieties and vulnerabilities. Inhumanely persistent, they’ve secretly driven hundreds of victims into bankruptcy, despair – and several even to suicide.
But when this organization tries to blackmail IT expert Terry Reynolds, they make a serious mistake. Terry is down on his luck. He is penniless, divorced and in a dead-end job. Yet, the abuse of his personal information stirs Terry out of his lethargy and he fights back. He embarks on a digital game of cat-and-mouse with the cold, calculating minds behind The Settlement Bureau – and in doing so, uncovers a sprawling criminal conspiracy.
Under The Cloud is a chillingly plausible new thriller by B.R. Erlank. With a plot ripped straight from the headlines, advance readers warn, “this book delivers a roller coaster ride right up to the final pages.”
Seemingly unrelated storylines are deftly woven together into a thriller by author B.R. Erlank.
Under the Cloud takes on an all-too-real scenario featuring data analytics: the concept that someone is analyzing information about consumers and then selling it to the highest bidder.
When an entity called the Settlement Bureau uses the data in a blackmail attempt against a computer specialist, Terry Reynolds is determined to fight back. How is the Church of Holy Redemption and its Renaissance Institute connected to massive data servers pumping out algorithms and personal information?
It’s an intense story that takes readers to the fringes of this technology without getting too technical. When used properly, it can be beneficial, but it has destructive capabilities. The author illustrates the negative impact in Lily’s fate.
The young characters at the Renaissance Institute—Danny, Gerald, and Tommy—were especially well-developed. It was interesting to see how they fit into the bigger picture.
Under the Cloud delivers a cyber-thriller full of twists and turns, leaving the reader pondering the fine line between fact and fiction.
Boris Erlank grew up in Southern Africa. He has lived and worked in places as diverse as Luanda, Cape Town, Singapore and San Francisco. Boris recently gave up his job as Global Privacy Manager with a Fortune 100 company to focus on writing full-time.
He has an extensive background in IT, data privacy and cybersecurity, and has drawn on that experience to craft his latest novel, Under the Cloud. His previous novel, Catch You Later, is a murder mystery set in Cape Town.
Boris lives with his family and two dogs in the foothills of Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco. He likes to cycle and hike. “Those solitary pursuits give me time to dream up the characters and plots for my novels,” he says. Boris also enjoys choir singing, travel, and listening to audiobooks.
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Thanks for reviewing!
Thank you so much for the review. And I love what you’ve done in terms of graphics.
Whenever I speak to audiences about data privacy I ask them, “What do you fear more, having your identity stolen or getting root canal treatment?” I wonder how some of your followers would answer that question.