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Lisa Tanchik #1
Black Nowhere
Chasing a cybercriminal into the pitch-black heart of the Dark Web.
Special Agent Lisa Tanchik is the best at taking down cybercriminals. So when the FBI discovers a multibillion-dollar black market online, she’s tasked with finding the creator and bringing him to justice. Donning one of her many digital disguises, Tanchik goes undercover into the network.
Brilliant college student Nate Fallon started his site as an idealistic experiment. But his platform has made illegal trade not only more efficient—but also more dangerous. Now the FBI aren’t the only ones out to get him. As profits soar, a criminal organization casts its monstrous gaze on Fallon, and danger leaps from cyberspace into reality.
Feeling pressure from both sides of the law, Fallon is forced to make a decision with shattering consequences. Can Agent Tanchik find Fallon before his dangerous infrastructure falls into the wrong hands?
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2019
About the author
Reece Hirsch
7 books582 followersReece Hirsch is the author of six thrillers that draw upon his background as a privacy attorney. His first book, The Insider, was a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. His next three books, The Adversary, Intrusion, and Surveillance, all feature former Department of Justice cybercrimes prosecutor Chris Bruen. Hirsch is a partner in the San Francisco office of an international law firm and cochair of its privacy and cybersecurity practice. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation (www.VADFoundation.org). He lives in the Bay Area with his wife. His website is www.reecehirsch.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
August 3, 2019
Described as a thriller, “Black Nowhere” lives up to its advance billing. Reece Hirsch has crafted an excellent story that offers a quick, entertaining read. I found most of the book to be reality-based, without the usual over-the-top gimmicks normally employed by authors in this genre.
The story is told by two people, Lisa Tanchik and Nate Fallon. Lisa is an FBI Agent who has been “exiled” due to an unfortunate event early in her career, but the opportunity arises for her to help with a case involving an illegal ecommerce operation. The website is the brainchild of Nate, a dreamer who created something that he never expected, and he soon finds himself dodging the efforts of both the FBI and a Mexican drug cartel.
I found it very interesting how the story was written. While both Lisa and Nate share the reins of the storyline, Nate is given more of the characterization time. This made sense to me, as the story revolves around his illegal business, and as I read further into the book his actions became darker. Even though I disliked Nate more and more, I still could feel the danger as it crept slowly and surely into his world.
Kudos to Mr. Hirsch for writing an FBI/crime novel without even a hint of the vulgarities that lace most of the books released each year, thus proving that good writing can stand on its own without using f-bombs as a literary crutch. I thoroughly enjoyed “Black Nowhere” and will be looking forward to the next book in the Lisa Tanchik series. Five stars.
The story is told by two people, Lisa Tanchik and Nate Fallon. Lisa is an FBI Agent who has been “exiled” due to an unfortunate event early in her career, but the opportunity arises for her to help with a case involving an illegal ecommerce operation. The website is the brainchild of Nate, a dreamer who created something that he never expected, and he soon finds himself dodging the efforts of both the FBI and a Mexican drug cartel.
I found it very interesting how the story was written. While both Lisa and Nate share the reins of the storyline, Nate is given more of the characterization time. This made sense to me, as the story revolves around his illegal business, and as I read further into the book his actions became darker. Even though I disliked Nate more and more, I still could feel the danger as it crept slowly and surely into his world.
Kudos to Mr. Hirsch for writing an FBI/crime novel without even a hint of the vulgarities that lace most of the books released each year, thus proving that good writing can stand on its own without using f-bombs as a literary crutch. I thoroughly enjoyed “Black Nowhere” and will be looking forward to the next book in the Lisa Tanchik series. Five stars.
August 13, 2019
What started out so amazingly, fell right down midway. Reece Hirsch’s Black Nowhere really does start juicy—we have a twenty five year old man creating a black market for drugs and weapons sales, with a FBI hacker following his every move. Black Nowhere starts off “distant” but it’s interpreted as dark and mysterious, however after halfway through the novel, we still have little to no characterization of the main character. I felt “distant” throughout the story and once the mystery faded, it was hard to care anymore about anything. Give this book a try if the synopsis (in the comments) intrigues you, but just know that you’ll never get really deep into anything. RATING: 3 stars, PUB: 9/1
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August 24, 2019Did you say FBI And cybercriminals? Yes, you did!! If you know anything about me you'll know that with this setup, I'm all in. A multibillion-dollar black market is running online. Special Agent Lisa Tanchik is tasked with trying to find who's running the scheme and shut them down. She's a master of online discuses and personas. She'll have to pose as a criminal to find an even bigger one.
This is a dual POV read and I sincerely enjoyed the back and forth. I found Black Nowhere to be a compelling read for fans of the genre.
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This is a dual POV read and I sincerely enjoyed the back and forth. I found Black Nowhere to be a compelling read for fans of the genre.
Follow us on
Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿BookBabblers✿Instagram
August 18, 2019
Two and half stars
A fictionalized account of the take down of Ross Ulbrict founder of the dark website, Silk Road, this book fails to add anything worthwhile to the mix. Since this is labeled, "Lisa Tanchik #1", presumable this is meant as an introduction to a new series lead. Sadly, Lisa Tanchik is a complete non-entity. We are told at the start that she deals with hereditary depression with pills and alcohol and brags about getting into the FBI anyway because although they knew about the depression they didn't know about her alcohol and drug problem. How she managed to pass a drug screening, we are not told, but then again maybe they don't have those in this fictionalized agency which is desperate for anyone who knows about computers and is staffed by a bunch of clueless morons who would never be able to deal with cyber crime if not for the one woman show that is Lisa.
Lisa mechanically goes through the motions of following the cookie crumbs, pretty much all on her own. If she suffers from her depression or addiction, it is not something that is ever shared with the reader. Her prey, Nate Fallon, is a little bit more nuanced. However his supposed brilliance is hidden away as we never learn how exactly he manages to pull this off all on his own. The existence of his own shipping hubs, was particularly perplexing.
The second half of the book is somewhat amusing with a cat and mouse game aspect to it, but the view is from a hundred miles up. It often came across as disjointed, as all of what would be the most difficult pieces to pull-off are simply skipped over. Characters are randomly introduced as needed for the plot then just as quickly forgotten. It felt rather like reading a series of random newspaper articles about an event and trying to piece together what happened. I couldn't help but feel that the reader is learning about stuff right along with the author who had to take a break at the end of each chapter to check to see what happened in the real world case of Silk Road so that he could try to change it up just enough to not get sued.
The only thing this book sparked in me was a desire to read American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road.
A fictionalized account of the take down of Ross Ulbrict founder of the dark website, Silk Road, this book fails to add anything worthwhile to the mix. Since this is labeled, "Lisa Tanchik #1", presumable this is meant as an introduction to a new series lead. Sadly, Lisa Tanchik is a complete non-entity. We are told at the start that she deals with hereditary depression with pills and alcohol and brags about getting into the FBI anyway because although they knew about the depression they didn't know about her alcohol and drug problem. How she managed to pass a drug screening, we are not told, but then again maybe they don't have those in this fictionalized agency which is desperate for anyone who knows about computers and is staffed by a bunch of clueless morons who would never be able to deal with cyber crime if not for the one woman show that is Lisa.
Lisa mechanically goes through the motions of following the cookie crumbs, pretty much all on her own. If she suffers from her depression or addiction, it is not something that is ever shared with the reader. Her prey, Nate Fallon, is a little bit more nuanced. However his supposed brilliance is hidden away as we never learn how exactly he manages to pull this off all on his own. The existence of his own shipping hubs, was particularly perplexing.
The second half of the book is somewhat amusing with a cat and mouse game aspect to it, but the view is from a hundred miles up. It often came across as disjointed, as all of what would be the most difficult pieces to pull-off are simply skipped over. Characters are randomly introduced as needed for the plot then just as quickly forgotten. It felt rather like reading a series of random newspaper articles about an event and trying to piece together what happened. I couldn't help but feel that the reader is learning about stuff right along with the author who had to take a break at the end of each chapter to check to see what happened in the real world case of Silk Road so that he could try to change it up just enough to not get sued.
The only thing this book sparked in me was a desire to read American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road.
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October 6, 2020Don't waste your time on this fictionalized version of "American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road" by Nick Bilton. The real life story is far more captivating and enjoyable.
September 3, 2019
Nate Fallon is an idealist who believes everyone is entitled to buy drugs without government interference. To that end he has set up Kyte, an experimental marketplace on the Dark Web, where illegal drugs are bought and sold. Kyte is well planned and has made drug sales very cost effective. Nate is making a lot of money, but the FBI are on to him and so are the big cartels.
FBI special agent Lisa Tanchik is an expert in cybercrime with a detailed knowledge of the Dark Web. An anonymous message on one of the boards leads her to a link for Kyte and as she scrolls through, the scale of the operation and incredible amount of money changing hands begins to register. Using her online alter ego, Rodrigo, she signs up.
The story is told from the perspectives of Lisa and Nate, as she works to infiltrate Kyte and Nate realises his foray into the dangerous world of drug dealing is getting out of hand in more ways than one. Libertarianism and the prospect of unimaginable wealth can make a person do things they wouldn’t have believed themselves capable of. A lengthy prison sentence becomes the least of Nate’s worries.
Black Nowhere is well written and the technical aspect isn’t too confusing although I know next to nothing about the Dark Web, except that it exists. The pace is steady as we follow Lisa’s attempts to gain Nate’s trust through their online personas, leading to more action in the second half of the book. Nate has an inflated ego, not recognising or accepting what he’s doing is harmful to others, and not only those who buy the drugs. His character seems to be more developed than Lisa.
I didn’t really feel I got to know Lisa, except for the fact she’s passionate about her job. She suffered a devastating personal loss and her ‘black dog’ is clinical depression. She relies on alcohol to cope and keeps a water bottle filled with vodka with her. I’m not sure how she’d get away with that … Perhaps her character will reveal more depth as the series progresses.
Quite a few reviewers have labelled this book as a fictionalised version of the true story of Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Road—the first Dark Web platform for selling illegal drugs. For those of us who weren’t aware of Silk Road (and perhaps some who were) I think the story stands on its own merits. It’s a chilling insight into something that will, in all probability, only expand and become more insidious.
I chose to read and review Black Nowhere based on an advance reader digital copy, courtesy of Katie Olsen (Little Bird Publicity) and NetGalley
FBI special agent Lisa Tanchik is an expert in cybercrime with a detailed knowledge of the Dark Web. An anonymous message on one of the boards leads her to a link for Kyte and as she scrolls through, the scale of the operation and incredible amount of money changing hands begins to register. Using her online alter ego, Rodrigo, she signs up.
The story is told from the perspectives of Lisa and Nate, as she works to infiltrate Kyte and Nate realises his foray into the dangerous world of drug dealing is getting out of hand in more ways than one. Libertarianism and the prospect of unimaginable wealth can make a person do things they wouldn’t have believed themselves capable of. A lengthy prison sentence becomes the least of Nate’s worries.
Black Nowhere is well written and the technical aspect isn’t too confusing although I know next to nothing about the Dark Web, except that it exists. The pace is steady as we follow Lisa’s attempts to gain Nate’s trust through their online personas, leading to more action in the second half of the book. Nate has an inflated ego, not recognising or accepting what he’s doing is harmful to others, and not only those who buy the drugs. His character seems to be more developed than Lisa.
I didn’t really feel I got to know Lisa, except for the fact she’s passionate about her job. She suffered a devastating personal loss and her ‘black dog’ is clinical depression. She relies on alcohol to cope and keeps a water bottle filled with vodka with her. I’m not sure how she’d get away with that … Perhaps her character will reveal more depth as the series progresses.
Quite a few reviewers have labelled this book as a fictionalised version of the true story of Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Road—the first Dark Web platform for selling illegal drugs. For those of us who weren’t aware of Silk Road (and perhaps some who were) I think the story stands on its own merits. It’s a chilling insight into something that will, in all probability, only expand and become more insidious.
I chose to read and review Black Nowhere based on an advance reader digital copy, courtesy of Katie Olsen (Little Bird Publicity) and NetGalley
October 11, 2019
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this suspenseful read featuring the FBI, coding, and the Dark Web. Thank you Goodreads First Reads for awarding me this kindle book. I had a blast reading it and I highly recommend it. The main character, Special Agent Lisa Tanchik, is a strong, intelligent, and fascinating character; I look forward to learning more about her as the series proceeds. I can hardly wait to read the next book in the series. I’m also going to check out more books by Reece Hirsch.
November 24, 2019
Interesting story of Nate, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur running a narcotics business on the "Dark Web" and Lisa, the young FBI agent assigned to find and stop him. Entertaining but too much Nate and not enough Lisa.
June 11, 2020
Engrossing cybercrime thriller pitting a young female FBI agent against the founder of a dark web commerce site. Both lead characters are well-defined and based on reality, not superheroes or super villains, and their plot moves actually make sense. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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September 11, 2019Not Bad At All
I read a lot of mystery and crime novels and admittedly this was my first cyber-crime novel. It was quite good.
I only have two things I would have liked to have seen more of. I feel Nate's character was developed more than Lisa's. considering this series is about Lisa I would have liked to have seen more of her internal struggle, and her character more developed in this story and less of Nate. Honestly it was hard for me to root for her because she was just underdeveloped.
Nate was certainly an interesting dynamic villain/anti-hero. Because there was so much of him present, it's almost as if the author was using him as a social commentary about libertarian beliefs but I'm not sure.
Also the way the FBI handled matters where civilians were involved seemed a little unrealistic to me, but all in all, this was a fast-paced page turning novel. I'll definitely give the second book in the series a go!
I read a lot of mystery and crime novels and admittedly this was my first cyber-crime novel. It was quite good.
I only have two things I would have liked to have seen more of. I feel Nate's character was developed more than Lisa's. considering this series is about Lisa I would have liked to have seen more of her internal struggle, and her character more developed in this story and less of Nate. Honestly it was hard for me to root for her because she was just underdeveloped.
Nate was certainly an interesting dynamic villain/anti-hero. Because there was so much of him present, it's almost as if the author was using him as a social commentary about libertarian beliefs but I'm not sure.
Also the way the FBI handled matters where civilians were involved seemed a little unrealistic to me, but all in all, this was a fast-paced page turning novel. I'll definitely give the second book in the series a go!
August 5, 2019
Well written, very readable, but...
It appeared to be a fictionalised account of the Silk Road investigation, which I am already familiar with, therefore I found my interest flagging quite early. Because the true SR story is so fascinating, this account came across to me as a pale imitation and it became a DNF @ 20%.
I guess the plot may fork from reality later on in the book, but I'm afraid it didn't hold my attention long enough to find out.
It appeared to be a fictionalised account of the Silk Road investigation, which I am already familiar with, therefore I found my interest flagging quite early. Because the true SR story is so fascinating, this account came across to me as a pale imitation and it became a DNF @ 20%.
I guess the plot may fork from reality later on in the book, but I'm afraid it didn't hold my attention long enough to find out.
December 29, 2019
This story of a young libertarian creating a platform on the dark web for unencumbered commerce, and the young agent chasing him, is a fast paced technical crime thriller that held my attention throughout. The villain was given some depth and conflicting morals and motives, which was interesting but also felt incongruous at times. The techie stuff seemed genuine and accessible, a nice feat with this kind of fiction.
I didn't realize until the afterword that this was inspired by the Silk Road downfall, and now I'm interested in reading more about that.
I didn't realize until the afterword that this was inspired by the Silk Road downfall, and now I'm interested in reading more about that.
September 13, 2019
A police-procedural with dark undertones that is told from dual perspectives. Hirsch did well to develop and maintain characters within the narrative, each lending individual support to the plot. Ironically, each character was also burdened with traits or nuances that made them unappealing. It is here that the reader is offered a unique perspective and able to appreciate the author’s true intent. Highly character driven. Recommended to crime/procedural fans everywhere! 4 stars.
October 5, 2019
It took me a bit to hooked by the story and characters but once I did I couldn't put it down. Lisa, the young FBI agent has so much going against her. Between her personal demons and hard-nosed superiors, both male and female, you wonder how she will survive. Nate, the cybercrime genius isn't cast as the ugly typical nerd. There is depth to his character. There is suspense and violence but it is not overdone, going on for pages and pages like in some books.
I won this as a Goodreads giveaway which I appreciate. I highly recommend this book.
I won this as a Goodreads giveaway which I appreciate. I highly recommend this book.
May 6, 2020
This was such a quick and straight forward book, the plot was nice and solid and the build up was quick but still logical.
The female lead has a good logical thinking abilities but she is not without faults so when you see her resists and try her best to over come them, you can't help but root for her and wish that she will succeed in what she is doing.
Therefore If you like stories about cyber crimes then i recommend this book to you, i know for sure am gonna read the following up book that comes out in a week ^^
The female lead has a good logical thinking abilities but she is not without faults so when you see her resists and try her best to over come them, you can't help but root for her and wish that she will succeed in what she is doing.
Therefore If you like stories about cyber crimes then i recommend this book to you, i know for sure am gonna read the following up book that comes out in a week ^^
September 25, 2019
A great read where you feel for the villain Nate who is IMO the main character of the book. Lisa and the Cartel are hot on his trial while he's trying to juggle school and a girlfriend.
I won this this in a giveaway so thanks to the publisher and author.
I won this this in a giveaway so thanks to the publisher and author.
May 19, 2020
I loved BLACK NOWHERE! Lisa Tanchik is a super FBI special agent and Nate Fallon is a brilliant student who you almost feel sorry for. With a dark web business that Nate feels will make him will make him a ton of money causes a death, dark forces cause him to live more dangerously. It is only a matter of time. I guarantee this novel will make you think as you read!
August 17, 2019
This book was not a good fit for me.
This was probably a better book than I am giving it credit for. I just don’t follow all of the internet “happenings” and don’t understand it when I try. The criminal procedural part was interesting and I did like the main character. This book was not a good fit for me.
This was probably a better book than I am giving it credit for. I just don’t follow all of the internet “happenings” and don’t understand it when I try. The criminal procedural part was interesting and I did like the main character. This book was not a good fit for me.
August 14, 2019
This is more like 1.5 stars. The .5 star is simply because I feel like the author is skilled at writing...but the story and characters were not good.
This book follows both an FBI agent and a cyber drug criminal. We go through the investigation and also get to see how things play out from the criminal side of things, which is a great concept. However, I did not get attached to either character. I did not root for either one to "win" in the end, because I honestly did not care.
Overall, this was a struggle to get through.
This book follows both an FBI agent and a cyber drug criminal. We go through the investigation and also get to see how things play out from the criminal side of things, which is a great concept. However, I did not get attached to either character. I did not root for either one to "win" in the end, because I honestly did not care.
Overall, this was a struggle to get through.
August 14, 2019
Amazon free book. Totally boring.
August 5, 2019
Didn’t make it very far before giving up on this novel. Would have scored it zero stars if that were an option. The free books on Amazon are seldom great, this experience will make me more cautious about what I download in the future.
August 29, 2019
Excellent Plot that was inspired by true events!
August 10, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
I realized, very quickly that Black Nowhere was inspired by the real Silk Road saga and it's incredible run on the dark web, as a place where EVERYTHING illegal was being bought and sold anonymously. The brighter it burned, the more government resources were applied to ensure it was taken down. Like Silk Road, the incredible success of the fictional KYTE, is also what brings it the wrong kind of attention from multiple government agencies, and the ruthless Zeta cartel, who sees it competition in a turf war.
Nate, is an interesting character who suddenly finds himself heading up an organization that is trading $3 million dollars a day in illegal goods. The success is beyond his wildest dreams, but he also receives none of the recognition he craves because no one can know the true identity of the man behind Kyte's curtain, who interacts with his buyers under a pseudonym, promoting Libertarian ideals. This is a much more dangerous game than he realizes. By the time he realizes, he is already in way over his head. Suddenly there is more at stake than just a life sentence in Federal Prison.
There are numerous characters in the book; most are not very developed and we get to know them hardly at all. The two main players, Nate and FBI, agent, Lisa are interesting because they each have two different personas, as they meet and interact in the dark web as shadowy people, who never really know each other. You get to know their personas better than their actual personalities. This is particularly true of Nate who is still a bit of an enigma, even on the last page. Lisa, in her real life is a young , FBI Agent, who has already suffered one widely known humiliating career set back on her first case. She gets little respect, brings vodka to work in her sports bottles and suffers from profound depression that focussing on a case helps her to keep at bay. Until I finished, I thought the writer was female, because of the way he wrote Lisa's character. HE is ery insightful.
BLACK NOWHERE a very good book. The technology is easily understood and quite sophisticated -- not an easy thing for many authors to accomplish. Lisa herself is in the cyber crimes unit and almost everyone in the book has some geek in them. Enough action takes place offline to keep it balanced enough for everyone who likes thrillers and police procedurals, as well as high level technology. It is quite a smart book. I enjoyed it and I recommend it.
BLACK NOWHERE is one of those stories that draws you in slowly and keeps getting better and better. I will say that my first couple chapters or so, I had a first impression that It wasn't going to be as good as I had hoped, or as it actually turned out to be. The very beginning made me feel like it was intended for a YA audience and the writing seemed a little awkward , which doesn't make for smooth reading.
I've had that thought about other books before, and, as is sometimes the case, the writer has a style that takes a bit to slip into, before you are so absorbed by the story, the writing style is either no longer choppy, or you no longer even notice what early on, felt like an awkward turn of phrase or two. I'm all about the plot. A great plot trumps everything else, in my opinion. BLACK NOWHERE has a great plot and is a really interesting story.
August 10, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
I realized, very quickly that Black Nowhere was inspired by the real Silk Road saga and it's incredible run on the dark web, as a place where EVERYTHING illegal was being bought and sold anonymously. The brighter it burned, the more government resources were applied to ensure it was taken down. Like Silk Road, the incredible success of the fictional KYTE, is also what brings it the wrong kind of attention from multiple government agencies, and the ruthless Zeta cartel, who sees it competition in a turf war.
Nate, is an interesting character who suddenly finds himself heading up an organization that is trading $3 million dollars a day in illegal goods. The success is beyond his wildest dreams, but he also receives none of the recognition he craves because no one can know the true identity of the man behind Kyte's curtain, who interacts with his buyers under a pseudonym, promoting Libertarian ideals. This is a much more dangerous game than he realizes. By the time he realizes, he is already in way over his head. Suddenly there is more at stake than just a life sentence in Federal Prison.
There are numerous characters in the book; most are not very developed and we get to know them hardly at all. The two main players, Nate and FBI, agent, Lisa are interesting because they each have two different personas, as they meet and interact in the dark web as shadowy people, who never really know each other. You get to know their personas better than their actual personalities. This is particularly true of Nate who is still a bit of an enigma, even on the last page. Lisa, in her real life is a young , FBI Agent, who has already suffered one widely known humiliating career set back on her first case. She gets little respect, brings vodka to work in her sports bottles and suffers from profound depression that focussing on a case helps her to keep at bay. Until I finished, I thought the writer was female, because of the way he wrote Lisa's character. HE is ery insightful.
BLACK NOWHERE a very good book. The technology is easily understood and quite sophisticated -- not an easy thing for many authors to accomplish. Lisa herself is in the cyber crimes unit and almost everyone in the book has some geek in them. Enough action takes place offline to keep it balanced enough for everyone who likes thrillers and police procedurals, as well as high level technology. It is quite a smart book. I enjoyed it and I recommend it.
BLACK NOWHERE is one of those stories that draws you in slowly and keeps getting better and better. I will say that my first couple chapters or so, I had a first impression that It wasn't going to be as good as I had hoped, or as it actually turned out to be. The very beginning made me feel like it was intended for a YA audience and the writing seemed a little awkward , which doesn't make for smooth reading.
I've had that thought about other books before, and, as is sometimes the case, the writer has a style that takes a bit to slip into, before you are so absorbed by the story, the writing style is either no longer choppy, or you no longer even notice what early on, felt like an awkward turn of phrase or two. I'm all about the plot. A great plot trumps everything else, in my opinion. BLACK NOWHERE has a great plot and is a really interesting story.
September 5, 2019
She’s smart. She’s devious. And she’s the best at what she does. When someone creates a vast online network of crime and vice, she will do everything she can to hunt down the Internet’s latest criminal mastermind, even if it means searching the deepest recesses of the dark web. Enter Reece Hirsch’s mind bending thriller, Black Nowhere.
Special Agent Lisa Tanchik has a knack for catching bad guys, especially those who try to get away with bad deeds in the nethermost shadows of the Web. When she comes across a site that’s like the eBay of illegal merchandise she knows this case could make her career, especially since it sells everything from computer viruses to prescription drugs, and other exotic substances not available to the masses.
But finding the creator of such a technologically advanced website is going to be tricky, especially in a world populated by brilliant hackers and devious techies who know a billion ways to keep their true identities hidden. The thing is, Tanchik is pretty slick herself, and has a talent for creating digital disguises that get her into places other law enforcement officers can’t access. Besides, she likes wearing these masks. They indulge the part of her personality that likes the anonymity of it all.
On the other side of the case is Nate Fallon, a college student who began his site as an idealistic experiment. Because his new platform has made illegal activity more efficient, it has also put him in danger. Not only do the Feds want to shut him down, but another organization, one with monstrous criminal intent, climbs out of the depths of cyberspace and into the real world to haunt his every move.
Caught in the middle, Nate must make a decision which will forever change the course of his life. Can Tanchick find him before his site falls into the wrong hands?
With Black Nowhere, Reece Hirsch has delivered a novel that is addictive, fascinating, and utterly terrifying. Since Hirsch has a background in both law and cybersecurity, I can only imagine that the premise of this story is altogether real, or at the very least, quite possible. As such, it makes us as readers sit up and take notice, and pray that there are plenty of law enforcement agents in the wings watching all the dark web channels most of us aren’t even aware are there.
Tanchik herself is flawed, definitely, and she has her share of inadequacies. But she is also shrewd, intelligent, and driven. She is a federal agent that is persuasive and likable, yet is a woman who has more moxie than fear, with a dash of charisma thrown in for good measure. She’s not afraid to break down walls, stand up to authority, and fight for what she wants. In this case, it’s the criminal she’s pursuing.
Black Nowhere is a novel that is ripe to become a Hollywood thriller. With it’s strong female protagonist and its cloak-and-dagger storyline, it is a tale of our modern age, and is one which leaves us wanting to unplug. Because according to Hirsch, the online world is a big bad place where danger lurks behind every corner and everyone is watching, waiting to do wrong behind a curtain of code, and ultimately cash in on our ill-gained information.
As originally published at JathanandHeather.com.
Special Agent Lisa Tanchik has a knack for catching bad guys, especially those who try to get away with bad deeds in the nethermost shadows of the Web. When she comes across a site that’s like the eBay of illegal merchandise she knows this case could make her career, especially since it sells everything from computer viruses to prescription drugs, and other exotic substances not available to the masses.
But finding the creator of such a technologically advanced website is going to be tricky, especially in a world populated by brilliant hackers and devious techies who know a billion ways to keep their true identities hidden. The thing is, Tanchik is pretty slick herself, and has a talent for creating digital disguises that get her into places other law enforcement officers can’t access. Besides, she likes wearing these masks. They indulge the part of her personality that likes the anonymity of it all.
On the other side of the case is Nate Fallon, a college student who began his site as an idealistic experiment. Because his new platform has made illegal activity more efficient, it has also put him in danger. Not only do the Feds want to shut him down, but another organization, one with monstrous criminal intent, climbs out of the depths of cyberspace and into the real world to haunt his every move.
Caught in the middle, Nate must make a decision which will forever change the course of his life. Can Tanchick find him before his site falls into the wrong hands?
With Black Nowhere, Reece Hirsch has delivered a novel that is addictive, fascinating, and utterly terrifying. Since Hirsch has a background in both law and cybersecurity, I can only imagine that the premise of this story is altogether real, or at the very least, quite possible. As such, it makes us as readers sit up and take notice, and pray that there are plenty of law enforcement agents in the wings watching all the dark web channels most of us aren’t even aware are there.
Tanchik herself is flawed, definitely, and she has her share of inadequacies. But she is also shrewd, intelligent, and driven. She is a federal agent that is persuasive and likable, yet is a woman who has more moxie than fear, with a dash of charisma thrown in for good measure. She’s not afraid to break down walls, stand up to authority, and fight for what she wants. In this case, it’s the criminal she’s pursuing.
Black Nowhere is a novel that is ripe to become a Hollywood thriller. With it’s strong female protagonist and its cloak-and-dagger storyline, it is a tale of our modern age, and is one which leaves us wanting to unplug. Because according to Hirsch, the online world is a big bad place where danger lurks behind every corner and everyone is watching, waiting to do wrong behind a curtain of code, and ultimately cash in on our ill-gained information.
As originally published at JathanandHeather.com.
September 29, 2023
For my first cybercrime mystery novel, Black Nowhere was a fun, witty, and entertaining read. It deals with online and offline/AFK personas and I liked the integration of online chat dialogue included in the story to tell the readers another subset of language and story can lie in chat logs. Told in third-person perspective, Black Nowhere tells the story of FBI Agent Lisa Tanchik and college student and rising e-commerce kingpin Nate Fallon through duo perspectives. I felt like the chase was on once Lisa Tanchik got a whiff on her first case being apart of the "geek squad" in the FBI unit to chase down a dark web site called Kyte and Nate. Nate felling the pressure to keep up the site and appearances, would give a bait and chase to his followers, clientele, and pursuers.
As I mentioned above, it was fun and witty in voice, but personally, I think there was some balance issues. I don't mind having the criminal be the more active voice or the more like-able between the two main characters, but Nate Fallon as a character just had so much more depth and flaws in comparison to Lisa. Agent Lisa Tanchik has her set of problems, such as depression and alcoholism, but I felt that some of these aspects to her history and personality didn't play much into her character as the story went on. There was references to it once our twice, but as the investigation went on, she seemed cured of these issues. On the other hand, Nate was basically a bored Silicon Valley boy who felt pressure from his father, pressure to succeed, held libertarian ideas, and had an ego but it was webbed into every action he did for Kyte. As a reader, I was sucked more into the manic nature of Nate Fallon and his hubris, but got bored with Agent Lisa Tanchik as she just appeared as a blank slate that just took everything in front of her. Her problem with alcohol and depression didn't seem to blunder her in any way shape or form in her investigation. In fact, the investigation, went easy for her and I wish she blundered like Nate did.
The story, and Hirsch pays knowledge to this, of Nate Fallon and his illegal black market website Kyte, is closely modeled after Ross Ulbricht and his illegal website Silk Road. There's one thing to have been inspired by the story, but the characteristics of Nate Fallon is copy + paste of Ross's entire background and the story of how Silk Road and Ross got taken down. I just wish there was some more discrepancy between the fictional Nate Fallon and Ross Ulbricht personality and lore wise. This is another reason why I think Lisa Tanchik's character fell short due to how Nate's was based on such a charismatic and controversial figure.
Agent Lisa Tanchik also makes some questionable decisions, such as using her neighbors on the spot to go undercover to meet up with Nate Fallon. Or near the end of the book she and the DEA have to deal with a hostage situation, but she is more focused on the cartel, rather than the safety of a hostage. While I like how her subtle ruthlessness to climb her career is there and it mirrors Nate's viciousness to keep Kyte moving, her decisions as an FBI agent were questionable and unbelievable at times.
As I mentioned above, it was fun and witty in voice, but personally, I think there was some balance issues. I don't mind having the criminal be the more active voice or the more like-able between the two main characters, but Nate Fallon as a character just had so much more depth and flaws in comparison to Lisa. Agent Lisa Tanchik has her set of problems, such as depression and alcoholism, but I felt that some of these aspects to her history and personality didn't play much into her character as the story went on. There was references to it once our twice, but as the investigation went on, she seemed cured of these issues. On the other hand, Nate was basically a bored Silicon Valley boy who felt pressure from his father, pressure to succeed, held libertarian ideas, and had an ego but it was webbed into every action he did for Kyte. As a reader, I was sucked more into the manic nature of Nate Fallon and his hubris, but got bored with Agent Lisa Tanchik as she just appeared as a blank slate that just took everything in front of her. Her problem with alcohol and depression didn't seem to blunder her in any way shape or form in her investigation. In fact, the investigation, went easy for her and I wish she blundered like Nate did.
The story, and Hirsch pays knowledge to this, of Nate Fallon and his illegal black market website Kyte, is closely modeled after Ross Ulbricht and his illegal website Silk Road. There's one thing to have been inspired by the story, but the characteristics of Nate Fallon is copy + paste of Ross's entire background and the story of how Silk Road and Ross got taken down. I just wish there was some more discrepancy between the fictional Nate Fallon and Ross Ulbricht personality and lore wise. This is another reason why I think Lisa Tanchik's character fell short due to how Nate's was based on such a charismatic and controversial figure.
Agent Lisa Tanchik also makes some questionable decisions, such as using her neighbors on the spot to go undercover to meet up with Nate Fallon. Or near the end of the book she and the DEA have to deal with a hostage situation, but she is more focused on the cartel, rather than the safety of a hostage. While I like how her subtle ruthlessness to climb her career is there and it mirrors Nate's viciousness to keep Kyte moving, her decisions as an FBI agent were questionable and unbelievable at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2020
I think the author wasted Nate's character by ending his story in one book. He was much more interesting than Lisa, who is pretty much one of a dozen hardass female FBI agents you can read a series about these days. I wasn't even surprised to see the author was an old white dude, because Lisa was a cardboard cutout, and not even one in the shape of a realistic woman, honestly. And paying lip service a pithy depression metaphor doesn't equate to a personality. This book could've been the start of cyber Breaking Bad, but instead it's a forgettable episode of Criminal Minds after all the best cast left.
I also think the author didn't give Nate's side of the drug argument a fair shake. I'm not sure if I completely agree with it, and I don't think I'm a full libertarian, but the legal drug argument is much richer and more interesting than it was portrayed here, and not so easily defeated by a rookie agent bellowing "it's the law" over and over from the dubious high ground of "my sister died from drugs," which strangely was an argument he only implicitly made in the book, as though it goes without saying.
He barely touched on the fact that there are prescription drugs that are chemically indistinguishable from heroin, meth, and so on, aside from the fact that they're regulated and safer and don't involve street corners and guns, or gasoline-soaked tires in this case. He tries to argue that Nate's way of selling drugs causes more cartel violence and more overdose deaths by invoking "the children," but doesn't realize that he's defeated his own argument, because the reason for the cartel violence is because the drugs are illegal, which gives the cartels their place, and regulated drugs could be consumed in safe environments where medical professionals could ensure safe practices to prevent overdoses and deaths. This has been done to an extent in other countries besides the US(which is notably not the physical or moral center of the world) and has produced significant results.
The author also didn't touch on the racial motivations behind the enforcement of drug laws, which I guess makes sense considering I don't think there was a single black person in the book. There were a couple of Latinos who weren't in the cartel, so, yay for broken stereotypes, I guess? They showed up for like three pages though, so... Mr. Hirsch doesn't seem so great at writing people who aren't upper class white dudes, which is an interesting problem when much of the book takes place in San Francisco.
The more I think about this book, the more I find wrong with it, so I'll stop before I find another topic the author mismanaged that i could debunk with basic google skills. It was a fun story while I was reading, but it just ended up disappointing me.
I also think the author didn't give Nate's side of the drug argument a fair shake. I'm not sure if I completely agree with it, and I don't think I'm a full libertarian, but the legal drug argument is much richer and more interesting than it was portrayed here, and not so easily defeated by a rookie agent bellowing "it's the law" over and over from the dubious high ground of "my sister died from drugs," which strangely was an argument he only implicitly made in the book, as though it goes without saying.
He barely touched on the fact that there are prescription drugs that are chemically indistinguishable from heroin, meth, and so on, aside from the fact that they're regulated and safer and don't involve street corners and guns, or gasoline-soaked tires in this case. He tries to argue that Nate's way of selling drugs causes more cartel violence and more overdose deaths by invoking "the children," but doesn't realize that he's defeated his own argument, because the reason for the cartel violence is because the drugs are illegal, which gives the cartels their place, and regulated drugs could be consumed in safe environments where medical professionals could ensure safe practices to prevent overdoses and deaths. This has been done to an extent in other countries besides the US(which is notably not the physical or moral center of the world) and has produced significant results.
The author also didn't touch on the racial motivations behind the enforcement of drug laws, which I guess makes sense considering I don't think there was a single black person in the book. There were a couple of Latinos who weren't in the cartel, so, yay for broken stereotypes, I guess? They showed up for like three pages though, so... Mr. Hirsch doesn't seem so great at writing people who aren't upper class white dudes, which is an interesting problem when much of the book takes place in San Francisco.
The more I think about this book, the more I find wrong with it, so I'll stop before I find another topic the author mismanaged that i could debunk with basic google skills. It was a fun story while I was reading, but it just ended up disappointing me.
April 29, 2021
I enjoyed this first installment in the Lisa Tanchik series by Reece Hirsch which I obtained as a FREE selection via the Amazon First Reads program. The plot development is logical, fast-paced, and includes some clever and intriguing detective work by Lisa who, for all practical purposes, is a rookie FBI agent on her first important case. The Mexican cartel drug characters were predictably horrific and the action scene of the FBI attempting a takedown was riveting. I thought the text interchanges between Nate and Rodrigo (Lisa's impersonation trolling the site) were believable; but, ultimately, it did not make sense that Nate would so willingly trust a completely unknown individual to contract a murder especially when he was otherwise so intentionally reticent and careful. In essence, "Black Nowhere" is a high stakes cat and mouse game between two intelligent and crafty individuals. Despite being sheltered behind the "impenetrable" dark web, it felt to me as though Nate was in the more vulnerable position (hunted vs. hunter) as both good forces (law enforcement) and evil ones (cartel) remained in persistent pursuit. It would be only be a matter of time before a mistake occurred (not necessarily Nate's own) leading to a fissure and eventual capture. That seems to be a feature of most, if not all, criminal apprehensions. I found it amusing how autocratic, bureaucratic, and generally inept the author portrays the FBI brass in stark contrast to Lisa's improvisationally naive, but effective, "git 'er done" approach. On a philosophical note, I appreciated that the author left the reader to stew on the moral, if not legal, nuances and complexities pitting libertarian freedom of adult choice versus the selling/distribution of illicit drugs through the dark web. I look forward to continuing this series and am placing #2 on my "To Read" list.
May 20, 2020
Honestly from a pure entertainment standpoint, I enjoyed this just fine. It's like average pop music—it hits a lot of familiar notes and wraps up quickly. And that's really a lot of what I look for in a book like this, so I was preparing to give this a three or a four.
But it's apparently some kind of love letter to libertarianism by the end?
This is Lisa Tanchik book one, but it's Nate Fallon's book and despite Lisa having lost a sister to drugs, it spends zero time examining Fallon's bullshit justifications, and ends with a little Rand-ian soliloquy offering one final justification for his actions. It's a bummer because it's a moderately fun cyber-thriller that could have had something interesting to say without much effort.
Fallon didn't have to be a cartoon villain; taking apart the things that at first made the character sympathetic would've been more interesting than simply making him bad, but the book opts for neither.
Obviously, there are moments that the book realizes (and quickly sweeps aside) the real, negative consequences of his actions. And at times I think the author intended to go further there? A few conversations he has weakly imply a deeper criticism. But it never goes anywhere, and on the balance, the book appears to be more reverent than anything.
And also Lisa Tanchik is in this book for some length of time, I guess?
I read this book because Charlie Jane Anders, whose work I've really enjoyed, recommended its sequel. And to be truthful, I still might pick that up at some point. But I'm kind of surprised at the recommendation, in retrospect.
But it's apparently some kind of love letter to libertarianism by the end?
This is Lisa Tanchik book one, but it's Nate Fallon's book and despite Lisa having lost a sister to drugs, it spends zero time examining Fallon's bullshit justifications, and ends with a little Rand-ian soliloquy offering one final justification for his actions. It's a bummer because it's a moderately fun cyber-thriller that could have had something interesting to say without much effort.
Fallon didn't have to be a cartoon villain; taking apart the things that at first made the character sympathetic would've been more interesting than simply making him bad, but the book opts for neither.
Obviously, there are moments that the book realizes (and quickly sweeps aside) the real, negative consequences of his actions. And at times I think the author intended to go further there? A few conversations he has weakly imply a deeper criticism. But it never goes anywhere, and on the balance, the book appears to be more reverent than anything.
And also Lisa Tanchik is in this book for some length of time, I guess?
I read this book because Charlie Jane Anders, whose work I've really enjoyed, recommended its sequel. And to be truthful, I still might pick that up at some point. But I'm kind of surprised at the recommendation, in retrospect.
September 8, 2019
Nate Fallon creates KYTE, a website on the dark web that offers illegal products, like drugs, for sale. Nate considers KYTE “an experiment in a violence-free, coercion-free economy”. All of a sudden it’s making $1 million a day in sales. Nate discovers that the growth is due to an online article “Dark Web’s Online Drug Bazaar” with screen shots of available products and prices.
FBI Special Agent Lisa Tanchik brings the growing presence of KYTE to her supervisor SAC Pam Gilbertson and finds herself on a multi-agency task force to find out who’s behind the website and bring them down.
In short order, Nate (aka CaptainMal) and Lisa (aka Rodrigo) are communicating online. Nate is wrestling with the need to add more distributors and Lisa is trying to get closer to who owns KYTE. Author Reece Hirsch fabricates a compelling cat and mouse read as the two protagonists work through their efforts to succeed in their mission. Distractions: a drug cartel threatens Nate, a top distributor blackmails Nate and close friends drop away as Nate’s business keeps him occupied.
Hirsch’s shifts in perspective between Nate and Lisa provide meaningful background into motives and decisions. Black Nowhere is a fascinating story offering interesting descriptions of the internet, the dark web and illegal websites. Apparently this is the first in a new series featuring Special FBI Agent Lisa Tanchik, with a masters’ degree in computer science, who specializes in cybercrime. Looking forward to the next installment.
FBI Special Agent Lisa Tanchik brings the growing presence of KYTE to her supervisor SAC Pam Gilbertson and finds herself on a multi-agency task force to find out who’s behind the website and bring them down.
In short order, Nate (aka CaptainMal) and Lisa (aka Rodrigo) are communicating online. Nate is wrestling with the need to add more distributors and Lisa is trying to get closer to who owns KYTE. Author Reece Hirsch fabricates a compelling cat and mouse read as the two protagonists work through their efforts to succeed in their mission. Distractions: a drug cartel threatens Nate, a top distributor blackmails Nate and close friends drop away as Nate’s business keeps him occupied.
Hirsch’s shifts in perspective between Nate and Lisa provide meaningful background into motives and decisions. Black Nowhere is a fascinating story offering interesting descriptions of the internet, the dark web and illegal websites. Apparently this is the first in a new series featuring Special FBI Agent Lisa Tanchik, with a masters’ degree in computer science, who specializes in cybercrime. Looking forward to the next installment.
August 26, 2019
The problem with writing novels based on current events is that, by the time the book is published, the events are no longer current. Black Nowhere features a Darknet site called Kyte. The author has clearly copied the real Silk Road Marketplace, a Darknet site launched in 2011 and shut down by the FBI in 2013. In this fictionalized story, the FBI is clueless about this sort of site existing on the Darknet, and so everything that happens in the story feels dated. If you don't know anything about the Darknet, you might be interested in this loosely fictionalized version of Silk Road. I was mostly annoyed by the similarities of the sites and the ignorance of the FBI.
Still, I persevered, hoping the story would surprise me. But the characters are flat and dull and stereotypical. Our heroine is a young woman who suffers from clinical depression. She self-medicates with various drugs and large amounts of alcohol kept in her water bottle. She's treated like crap by the FBI because she's young and female, but she somehow manages to put them all to shame while battling depression and addiction. The male lead is a college student based on Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road Marketplace. His character is childish and wholly unlikable.
The dialogue doesn't sound at all like that of twentysomething tech nerds. The interactions are stilted and dull.
I gave up at 35% on my Kindle.
*I received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.*
Still, I persevered, hoping the story would surprise me. But the characters are flat and dull and stereotypical. Our heroine is a young woman who suffers from clinical depression. She self-medicates with various drugs and large amounts of alcohol kept in her water bottle. She's treated like crap by the FBI because she's young and female, but she somehow manages to put them all to shame while battling depression and addiction. The male lead is a college student based on Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road Marketplace. His character is childish and wholly unlikable.
The dialogue doesn't sound at all like that of twentysomething tech nerds. The interactions are stilted and dull.
I gave up at 35% on my Kindle.
*I received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.*
September 3, 2019
Nate Fallon starts a marketplace called Kyte on the dark web to provide drugs to users. He is quickly successful and is quickly making lots of money. But the more money he makes the more people he attracts. The FBI are watching him along with some cartel people that are not very happy with Nate. Lisa Tanchik is a FBI agent that has issues and a past and is given this case. She has some personal demons but is determined to catch Nate before the cartel does.
This was an interesting read. I admit that I have heard about the dark web and don’t really want to think about everything that goes on there. Nate was a greedy jerk that only focused on the money, like a regular drug dealer. But he had a chip on his shoulder since he couldn’t really get any fame from what he was accomplishing with Kyte.
Lisa as some serious issues and I can’t believe the things she did, drinking vodka out of a sports bottle at work and diagnosed depression. I understand things you can get away with in the workplace but you would think the FBI has a bit higher standards than that.
Overall I thought this was a good read that kept my attention and I was curious about how the story was going to end. I have not heard of Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Road and could see how this story would come from the real life events. Now I’m curious to see what happened in real life and compare to Black Nowhere.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
This was an interesting read. I admit that I have heard about the dark web and don’t really want to think about everything that goes on there. Nate was a greedy jerk that only focused on the money, like a regular drug dealer. But he had a chip on his shoulder since he couldn’t really get any fame from what he was accomplishing with Kyte.
Lisa as some serious issues and I can’t believe the things she did, drinking vodka out of a sports bottle at work and diagnosed depression. I understand things you can get away with in the workplace but you would think the FBI has a bit higher standards than that.
Overall I thought this was a good read that kept my attention and I was curious about how the story was going to end. I have not heard of Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Road and could see how this story would come from the real life events. Now I’m curious to see what happened in real life and compare to Black Nowhere.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
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