Review: Malicious by James Raven
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 15, 2014
James Raven’s novel, Malicious, portrays women who are unwittingly allowing online predators to virtually enter their homes during their most personal moments via an instrument they may never even consider: the webcam that is built into their laptop computers.The mysterious villain of Malicious has enslaved numerous women by remotely gaining access to their webcams and spying on them. He is watching them when they think they’re alone, even invading their computer files and emails, searching for anything that might be incriminating. When he hits pay dirt, he strikes, making his presence known and placing demands on his prey. If they choose not to comply, they will face his damning consequences.Enter Detective Robyn Tate who is by all accounts an upstanding officer and an asset to the Houston Police Department. But Robyn’s personal life, the secret one she thinks no one else knows about, manages to ensnare her in the slave driver’s malicious plot. Despite her job title, Robyn is unfortunately mostly ignorant in the ways of internet crime, and her position makes her especially vulnerable.The characters of Malicious are interesting, while the riveting story is full of unexpected twists and turns. One of the most compelling aspects of the book is that it could happen to anyone who leaves herself open to an intrusion due to simple ignorance. Reading Malicious is sure to be an eye-opening experience, as it serves as an important reminder that privacy is a relative term in the digital age.