MWSA Review

Author J. L. Hancock has given us a fast-paced thriller in his book, The Hawk Enigma. The Chinese and the North Koreans are racing to steal a new secret formula that is predicted to merge a person's mind with existing and future artificial intelligence systems. The formula and necessary vials of serum are kept locked in an American controlled laboratory in Japan. However, that is not enough to keep our antagonists from resorting to murder and theft to get their hands on the formula and serum. Bring in the Yakuza and U.S. military special operators, and the author has created quite the mix for a good read. Even the Russians join in at the exciting climax. I couldn't help but cheer for the good guys in this one, and I encourage anyone who enjoys thrillers to read it.

Review by Bob Doerr (February 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Voodoo, a gifted military technician, struggles with harrowing memories of war and the emptiness that comes with loss. To cope, he's thrown himself into his work for a secretive military research organization, purposefully leaving little time for anything else. Until one night, a familiar voice from Voodoo's past interrupts his recurring nightmares with a cryptic prophecy.

At the same time, across the ocean in Japan, two world-renowned scientists go missing along with the secrets behind a powerful form of artificial intelligence called the "God Algorithm".

To Voodoo's surprise, he soon finds himself on the front lines of an AI arms race with the future of freedom at stake. Will Voodoo find the scientists in time? Or will the "God Algorithm", a piece of code so terrifying it has the potential to shift global power, fall into the wrong hands?

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 472

Word Count: 110,000