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Andrew Updegrove

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The Turing Test: a Tale of Artificial Intelligence and Malevolence (Frank Adversego Thrillers Book 4) Kindle Edition

by Andrew Updegrove (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 349 ratings

Book 4 of 6: Frank Adversego Thrillers

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Will artificial intelligence save the world - or enslave it? Someone - or something - is destroying the energy system in an effort to stop climate change by whatever means necessary. As cybersecurity super-sleuth Frank Adversego zeroes in on the attacker, his opponent closes in on him in a race to the finish only one of them can survive. "Scary. REALLY scary."

Andrew Updegrove brings a rare combination of drama, satire and technical accuracy to his writing. The result is a book you can't put down that tells you things you might wish you didn't know.

- Admiral James G. Stavridis, retired Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and current Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Editorial Reviews

Review

Andrew Updegrove brings a rare combination of drama,satire and technical accuracy to his writing. The result is a book you can'tput down that tells you things you might wish you didn't know.
- Admiral James G. Stavridis, retired Commander, U.S.European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and current Dean ofthe Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Andy Updegrove's Frank Adversego thrillers are realisticpage-turners, making it clear that if you're not worried about cybersecurityyou're not paying attention.
- Bruce Schneier, of Schneier on Security

Andrew Updegrove has done it again - delivered an impossibleto put down thriller while exposing a dire cyber vulnerability that until nowhas gone unnoticed.
- "World's greatest hacker"Kevin Mitnick

About the Author

I've been representing technology companies for more than forty years, and work with many of the organizations that thwart cyber-attacks before they occur. When I'm not writing or predicting the next cyber-disaster, I'm likely roaming the back country of the American southwest in my Jeep, scouting out settings for his next book. I spend summers on an island off the coast of Maine and winters in southwest Florida.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B073X7RY86
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Starboard Rock Press; 1st edition (July 12, 2017)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 12, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4379 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,092,125 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,864 in Technothrillers (Kindle Store)
- #2,128 in Terrorism Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #2,433 in Political Thrillers & Suspense

Customer Reviews:
4.3 349 ratings

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Andrew Updegrove

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Andrew Updegrove, an attorney, has been representing entrepreneurs, technology companies, and cyber-defenders for more than thirty years. When he isn't writing or predicting the next cybersecurity disaster, he's likely to be roaming the back country of the American southwest in his Jeep, scouting out settings for his next book. A graduate of Yale University and the Cornell University Law School, he spends his summers on an island off the coast of Maine and his winters in Naples, Florida.

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4.3 out of 5

349 global ratings

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Doug Norton

Intriguing, Entertaining, and Thought-Provoking

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2017

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Ever read Stephen King late at night, alone, and find yourself casting anxious glances toward the shadows? I’m not going to give away plot, but The Turing Test will have you glancing at your internet-connected devices with the same apprehension.

It’s rare when I get so involved with a book that I forget to do something important. But the morning after losing myself past bedtime in the suspense and surprises of this one’s conclusion, I awoke to find I had failed to set up the coffee pot for my essential caffeine eye-opener. Fair warning: reserve this one for when you have freedom to lose track of time and duties.

I’m drawn to the adventures of Frank Adversego by Updegrove’s suspenseful tale-spinning and his subtle humor. But there’s more. The series offers wake-up calls to real dangers that prowl the digital universe, probing for opportunities to burst into our lives. Without pounding on the table, the series warns that mankind seems headed for huge social and economic disruptions caused by advanced societies’ reliance on physically vulnerable cloud computing and on poorly protected connections to a Darwinian internet. And next? Artificial Intelligence.

In each of his novels, Updegrove has raised the alarm, but not the volume. He’s able to make serious points while often having tongue in cheek. He’s willing to wrestle with moral issues: How much bad is justified to accomplish a great good? Who should bear the burden of that bad? Plus an unexpected treat: he plays a shrewd, bittersweet riff on the state of American politics. Who’d have expected that in a cyber-thriller?

With the Frank Adversego series, Andrew Updegrove has created a sub-genre: the teaching thriller. I’m looking forward to the next one! And I’m going to keep my computer and my phone turned off if I’m not actually using them.

Really!

6 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Creative and varied subject matter

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2017

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There are interesting topics to read about in the book as th he plot develops. One that is explained in length is Artificial Intelligence. While it is a complex subject matter, the author does a great job explaining it so that the reader can understand what is happening. However, after a while, the AI explanations get weary, in that it moved from a good story to too much AI.

One person found this helpful

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Andrew Oliver

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017

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After reading The Turing Test (twice) I was driven to reread Updegrove’s “The Alexandria Project” and “The Doodlebug War” (next up is “The Lafayette Campaign”).
What strikes me about all the books is the way they appeal equally to the technology savvy and those of us with less whose knowledge is more basic. And importantly for all readers, the books are very well written.
While readers like me may start thinking “that could never happen”, it does not take long to recognize that the events in all the books are only too plausible. And scary. REALLY scary.
The books combine an enthralling and gripping story line with the idiosyncratic character Frank Adversego, who in this fourth book emerges from a very solitary private life to…..well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out.

One person found this helpful

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Lexie

Entertaining but....

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2020

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Ninety percent or more of this book is dialog. Not the easy give and take of conversation, but the lengthy droning on of information being relayed. While the geek in me enjoyed that, I was really struggling after the halfway point, and not because I didn't understand what I was reading. No, it was because I had "word fatigue." Big huge blocks of words words words wore me out. The editing could have been tighter, too. I got tired of seeing "So," "Well," and "Okay" starting nearly every paragraph of dialog, I was cringing by the end. People talk like this in real life, but don't force me to "listen" to it in a book. The story was solid, however; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2 people found this helpful

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JonathanSimon

A great read, closer and closer to home!

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017

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I first "met" Frank Adversego, Andrew Updegrove's Information-Age Sam Spade, when he was at work on The Lafayette Campaign, two books back in the series. Lafayette was about computerized election theft and that is the work I do (trying to prevent or detect it) as an election forensics specialist in the real world, so I was impressed not just with Frank but with Updegrove's command of detail in a complex and often arcane field.

Now, in The Turing Test, Frank is back--better than ever!--and walking (with Shannon, his moll) the even twistier streets of AI and climate change, which here intersect in a plot so fantastic and yet close-to-home that you'll want to ditch your smartphone and move to higher ground before the end of the week.

Don't worry though, for now its just a book. And, with Updegrove's dry wit and chapter titles like "Sorry, Gotta Split" (that would be an ice shelf) and "A Really Bad Case of Gas" (the natural kind), a fun book from which, apart from being highly entertained, you will learn more than you probably ever wanted to know about the ins and outs of artificial intelligence, climate science, and the mixed bag of human stupidity and heroism.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A real thriller

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2017

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This book, like the author's previous books*, is based in an all too realistic world-- all too similar to the one in which we live. Using his deep knowledge of the various real-world technologies each book uses to threaten our future existence, the author takes us into the realm of a global technology infused crisis that hasn't happened yet while making the reader believe it can and will.

This book is an easy read with characters and plot you can appreciate, understand and relate to, if you have any understanding of technology. Yes, this book is a thriller. And yes, it is fiction. We hope it stays that way, despite it being convincingly real.

* I've bought and read most or all of them

2 people found this helpful

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Carlo K Piana

Excellent near-sci-fi novel

Reviewed in Italy on January 15, 2019

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Frank Adversego is once again immersed in a parallel reality where the worst techno-nightmares are about to become true -- or are they already?

In this fast-paced, intriguing, captivating novel, Andy Updegrove, builds up pressure and the reader's interest from the beginning. The story evolves in the midst of romantic encounters (!) lessons learned on AI and a few other things that I don't mention lest the juice is spoiled.

It's a must-read for all techno-enthusiasts and technophobes alike. There are some references to current events, but never too obvious. But eventually the readers will be asking themselves deep questions on where self-enriching and self-developing technology will lead us, much in the vein of some classic literature (how can one miss references to 2001: a Space Odyssey and Asimov's "I-robot" -- as well as the entire robot series?), with some quirkier and hidden references to R. Munroe's works...

That nerd guy is a hero! (once again!)

Marcus Case

A Worthy Addition to the Frank Adversego Series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2017

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With Updegrove's magnificent 'The Alexandria Project', 'The Lafayette Campaign' and 'The Doodlebug War' under my belt I've always thought that his excellent cyberthrillers consistently deliver high-class thrills with such an eerily contemporary (and scaring) edge. Beyond any shadow of doubt, 'The Turing Test' is a worthy addition to the Frank Adversego series and more than satisfied my every expectation.
Prior to reading this book I possessed little knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and absolutely no understanding of the darker dangers it brings into our world. This wasn't a problem because, just as he has done so ably in every novel so far, without overloading Updegrove is careful to offer his readers the necessary information along the way. But I sensed that the complexities of AI gave Updegrove more than his fair share of challenges in this respect. He clearly knows a great deal about the subject, yet manages to keep the relevant theoretical explanations within the dialogue and comprehensible to an uninitiated reader such as myself. That must be such a hard thing to do and I'd say he pulls it off with considerable aplomb.
I was also struck by the different style that Updegrove uses in the writing of this novel. For instance, I think there's a great deal more dialogue. Overall, the pace is slower and Updegrove keeps a fairly tight rein on the upbeat tone that's apparent in his earlier works (and I'd say used to such dramatic effect when contrasted with those novels' darker moments). For me, 'The Turing Test' is a stealthier creature. It packs its punches in a different but equally effective manner, delivering a terrific tension and suspense that ebbs and flows throughout a lengthy narrative peppered with twists, turns and shocking surprises. And the breathtaking build-up to the unforgettable climax is nothing short of masterful (I thought it was absolutely terrific).
There also seem to be some subtle differences in Frank Adversego's characterisation. Again, not so upbeat, and I'd say possibly slightly more serious and less socially awkward. The risk of spoilers necessitates brevity at this point but Frank's relationships take a very interesting turn in this novel and I was delighted by this. I also found it very satisfying to witness once again his poignant relationship with his father (and I'd urge those unfamiliar with 'The Alexandria Project' to read that novel first, in order to fully enjoy the marvellous but sparse exchanges between father and son that take place in 'The Turing Test').
Once again, Updegrove has given us a substantial and highly-polished professional novel, with crisp interior presentation and eye-catching relevant cover artwork, produced to a far higher standard than is often found in mainstream publications. Our reading world is all the better for his magnificent contributions.

Anne

Excitng Read

Reviewed in Australia on December 17, 2018

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What a complex and exciting story. I was so hooked I couldn't put it down. I've always had a bit of a thing about runaway AIs and this one sure runs away. Is this what's in store for us when the super computer goes rogue?

R. Coulson

Highly recommended cyber thriller.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2017

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Frank Adversego is a private detective with a difference. He’s hopeless with women, runs a knackered old car, is deeply into the cyber world, and is good at his job. When a mysterious attack takes out three electricity generating plants worldwide, he suspects someone, possibly a super power, has hacked into the plants’ computer systems. His professional interest peaked, he offers his services to the NSA, the national security service, but finding out who is behind the attacks and why is more difficult than he first thought.
I’m not computer savvy, and programming is a closed book to me, but ‘The Turing Test’ opened my eyes to the very real dangers I already suspected existed with letting computers control much of our world. What happens when things go wrong, when someone gets just a bit too clever and programmes something they can’t control?
I loved this story. The characters are flawed and real, the scientific knowledge convincing, the pace never flags, and the plot kept me interested and engaged from beginning to end.
If you enjoy books about the cyber world and artificial intelligence with a strongly relevant twist, I highly recommend this one.

RoderickGI

It's okay, but could be lots better.

Reviewed in Australia on September 22, 2019

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This is the only book in the series that I have read. It seems to be written for people who don't know much about technology, and seems to be a bit "look at me, I know lots of stuff about AI" in its writing style. Lots of references to the history of AI, or should I say lectures on the topic.

The reader is lead through the discovery process a little too obviously. Frank is fighting an AI. He is going to sit in a room that contains only some servers, with electronic door locks, has a separate air conditioning system including ventilation. He relies on a server setting that has disabled internet access on those servers. He thinks he is safe. He does nothing to ensure he is safe in there. He nearly gets killed. I predicted almost all of that as soon as the conditions were described. No surprises, except Halon gas was used instead of simply freezing, overheating, or shutting off the air supply and suffocating him.

He has a pet wild crow which he feeds, but it likes to collect pretty stuff. He has the core AI intelligence on a USB drive. He puts it down on the table on his balcony and turns away. The crow steals it. Entirely predictable.

There were lots of other examples. Sometimes authors don't share enough information and leave readers guessing. This book went too far in the other direction, for me.

All in all, I only read the book because it was free, and I like to read myself to sleep. Thanks for that Andrew. :)

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The Turing Test: a Tale of Artificial Intelligence and Malevolence (Frank Adversego Thrillers Book 4) Kindle Edition

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