Azi Bello navigates the darker reaches of the internet from his shed in East Croydon. He is highly skilled, and on his own terms, ethical. He is driven by a sense of mission, creating false identities in order to draw out racists and haters and use what he learns against them.

Meanwhile, Kabir, another young British man, is in the Islamic Republic, creating click-friendly propaganda out of death and torture.

When Azi gets an appeal for help from an online friend he knows only as Sigma, he dares to come into the real world to fight a shadowy threat they aren’t even sure exists – the dark net site known as Gomorrah.

What follows is the fast-paced political thriller as the links between these disparate elements are revealed. Sigma draws Azi into both real and virtual worlds where no one is what they seem, where technology can be used both by Azi and against him, and where the man who lived his whole life online finds himself grappling with danger, disguise and desire across continents. At the same time Azi’s history and emotional life are gradually revealed.

I really enjoyed the technological elements of the book and the underlying political issues. By coincidence I’ve also been reading PW Singer and Emerson Brooking’s non-fiction LikeWar, on how state hackers and terrorists use social media to further their cause. This Is Gomorrah feels credible and LikeWar confirms that it is.

Author Tom Chatfield is a tech journalist, and he has clearly brought his skills into his fiction. He explains what Azi is doing (and what is being done to him) in a way that is intelligible but not simplistic.

I wasn’t always as absorbed by the plot but I loved the characterisation. Kabir’s actions are shocking but he is drawn in a way that makes him real and understandable. Azi is wry and self-deprecating, with an eye to the absurdities of contemporary culture.

We gradually learn about Azi’s past and how it made him what he is. His relationship with his childhood friend Ad is particularly poignant. Ad is also into tech but has a much more privileged and secure background than Azi and this plays into the complex dynamic between them.

There are lots of twists and reversals and drama and there are hints at the end that some of the characters in this book might live to fight another day. I’d be interested to see where they go next.

Azi is safe in his shed, using pseudonyms and creating whole other identities to navigate the darker side of the web with ease. But when a friend asks for help he has to leave the safety of his shed to face the real world instead.

This is Gomorrah certainly is a fast paced techno-thriller. There’s plenty of action and intrigue and for a sci-fi it’s actually got a nice writing style that made it an easy flowing read that could be finished quickly. I do have an understanding of the technical terms used within the book and didn’t find it hard to follow in that sense, but I can certainly see how other readers may find some aspects confusing by the terminology involved.

For me although initially I found the plot to be easy to follow and straight forward, about half- way through when they get to Greece I found myself getting lost quite a bit. I didn’t really understand the Doctor character or why our wanted protagonist in hiding was suddenly giving lessons to people? I didn’t really understand how Gomorrah linked to the task that Azi is trying to perform. The twists and turns in the plot felt very natural whilst reading them but when you stopped to think back on them in perspective of the plot as a whole it actually made very little sense. I lost what the villains and heroes were trying to achieve – I didn’t understand why it had all been brought to the attention of our main character in the first place. The book has split perspectives between coder Azi and Nabir in the Middle East, but Nabir’s part is actually very small, just needed for one key piece of information before being dropped and not thought about again which seemed a bit of a shame. Azi however, is a very nicely rounded character and his perspective is nicely written and gave a good depth to the story.

Overall although I wasn’t lost in the techno-babble I was lost in the plot from half way through I’m afraid. Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I know very little about computers, I can switch it on and send an email and that is about it. As for hacking I haven't got a clue so I wasn't sure if this was a book for me. From the first page I was hooked.
This is a thriller par excellence also a spy thriller and in my opinion as scary as HELL. The storyline is about a hacker who spends most of his time in his garden shed with his beloved computers. Living quietly until he gets a message from one of his fellow hackers asking for help. His life will never be the same. Neo Nazi 's ,Islamic fundamentalists and the darkest of the dark web. Where anything can be bought and sold. This is one hell of a rollercoaster of a read WOW!!! Packed with tension and suspense. I could not put this book down, finally turning the last page at 1am. I am a very tired and very happy reader. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Azi is a a very talented hacker who knows the dark web inside out, he basically ends up embroiled in a conspiracy involving all sorts including terrorises and ISIS.

I actually really enjoyed the story and I’ve no idea about the dark web or many technical terms so I did get slightly confused sometimes and had to “google” what some meant lol

It’s a high tech thriller which is very fast paced and I liked the premise and storyline, I thought it very apt with this day and age with what’s going on in the world.

Quite enjoyable even though it’s well out of range of my usual type of book!

This is an incredibly complex tale of terrorism, cyber terrorism, hacking and the dark web.
Although slow to get started the pace soon picks up as Azi finds himself getting deeper into trouble as he tries to infiltrate Gomorrah- the darkest of the dark web.
There is a lot of computer and hacker jargon in the start of the book which altered the pace for me as it is not familiar to me, but as you get into the plot and subplots the pace quickens and the jargon becomes less important when compared to the action, although I fear I may have missed the importance of some elements due to my ignorance.
All in all a book that resonates with the world today, the wars being fought mainly online and the horrific marketplaces for illegal activities that we all know exist.

You may need to know a little of what the dark web is to follow this book - persevere for a good story but its one you need to concentrate and focus as it gets quite confusing

Well I will begin by saying, have your head screwed on right for this one, you will need to have your wits about you as this is a complex, detailed, fast paced and very clever novel that can’t fail to entertain you from the first page to the last.

The Dark Web where bad things can be bought and sold by very bad people, where anything goes unregulated and the darkest part of the web is Gomorrah. To gain access to Gomorrah you have to undergo a vetting service and there a rules, a price to be paid. Gomorrah will own you, your life. But who or what is Gomorrah? Exactly what do they want? What are they involved in? Who has the resources and expertise to organise Gomorrah? Who is actually working for them? How can they be stopped?

The story follows Azi,a gifted computer hacker and Nabir, who has been recruited to IS but he wants out and plans to escape through the trafficking routes into Turkey, armed with compromising information.

As the escape they begin to to try to infiltrate Gomorrah to take it down we follow them across the globe trying to avoid detection, this is a full rush of adrenaline right from the get go. As i said earlier you definitely need to have your wits about you reading this book as it is full of details on hacking, the dark web and cyber crime but saying that you don’t need a degree in computer technology to read this book. It is written so complete technology newbies can understand and enjoy it.

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year, a clever, rollercoaster of a ride and I can not wait for the next book in this series.

This is Gomorrah will be published on 11 July 2019 and is available for preorder now
A big thank you to the author Tom Chatfield, publishers Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Wow! This book should be everywhere! It’s so current and modern, it terrified me! Fast paced and full of constant threats and revelations, terrorists and hackers. Amazingly well written and full of layers. A great book that will reel you straight in.

I requested this book when I read the summary. I have little knowledge of what the Dark Web actually is. I enjoyed the story but unfortunately some of the technical details confused me so I was constantly putting the book down and searching for meanings of the technical terms. But the story and plot I enjoyed and I have a better understanding of the technical meanings. I could see the plot working in a film.

This book is different to what I would usually read, maybe just too different. I like to challenge myself, and explore different types of novel when I can. But this was just too technical for my understanding, and I found the exploration of the dark web, terrorism et al made for uncomfortable reading. It is well written, but some of it comes across as a YA theme, and some of it as a technical manual.
Altogether not my kind of book, though I’m sure it will appeal to many with a more technical mind than mine. I wish the author success.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy.

If you want a synopsis, read the back of the book. It is a novel full of promise and potential, and would likely make an excellent tv drama with the help of a sharp editor experienced in translating treatments into thrillers. The book...well it definitely had good intentions, but didn't draw you in to the point that you couldn't put it down. Some parts were too technical, and other technical matters were brushed over too briefly. After a while, there was little suspension of disbelief. I'm sure a good publishing editor could've smoothed over the glitches to make this far more compelling than it is...it obviously wanted to be. It wasn't terrible, but the engagement with one or two characters went from intriguing to unbelievably superficial, which was a shame. I wanted to love it; I only vaguely liked it.

This is the story of a hacker who gets finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy involving the dark web, neo-nazi's and ISIS...
No spoilers here, but the turns the book takes and the state of the world at the moment make the plot reasonably plausible. The computer security and social hacking descriptions are all very interesting and well researched.
The story gets told from various view points, but you find out things as and when the main character, Azi, does. It's written well and ends at a point where it could continue with further books.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.
Really enjoyed this book. Azi is a hacker who gets caught up in a major plot. Wee twists and turns, kept guessing at points. Definitely made me want to keep reading.
I'd recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a suspense thriller with a difference. I was totally caught up in it and would definitely recommend it.


Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The dark web,I had heard about it on the TV mostly and I may be wrong but I think this is one of the first novels written about it. Dark secrets and people with outstanding IT skills and it would appear no moral compass seek out the secrets of others with no moral compass ! It’s quite the tale.

In many ways a classic spy thriller for the 21st century, no need for martini to be shaken or stirred, these spies are much more likely to use Java for their (caffeine) fix

Interesting, frightening read.

Whilst, not something I would usually read, I was gripped throughout and will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future

I'm sure we all know what we think the dark net is and about this book takes a.look into that but if your like me and technology scares you don't be put of this book. You can understand and follow it fairly easy. I enjoyed all the different topics that were.covered and leant a fair bit to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton UK - Michael Joseph for a review copy. This is an unbiased review of the author's work and style. If you want plot lines and spoilers please see the publishers blurb and other reviewers' reports.

"This is Gomorrah" grabs you by the hand and drags you in. In to a world of unfamiliar jargon, sudden death, of strange philosophes and exciting mysterious page turning thrills.
The author's style is crisp, lacks hyperbole, early in the novel I could have done with a thesaurus of terms but I soon got into the mode.
Another night's sleep lost but one which told me more about the internet and its perverse corners than I have know in my whole IT career.
Get it it's worth it.

A complex insight into the intricacies of the dark web with a heavy focus on terrorism, hackers and the ease at which identities can be falsified. Chatfield certainly aims to present the various facets of the dark web, and does so with veritable ease; he clearly has a huge interest in this area, with incredible research shown throughout, or just an obvious underpinning knowledge already. This in itself was the first stumbling block - a large portion of the tech-speak was entirely lost on me, and, despite being explained in some cases there definitely was a need for a baseline understanding of the darknet and some of the language used within this field to really get the most from the dialogue and inner musings of the protagonist.

The plot is straight forward enough, and actually had a number of unexpected turns. AZ (disguised as white supremacist Jim) initially is the key character - a computer hacker infiltrating neo-nazis. His back story is the highlight of this book. I really loved that Chatfield captured how easy it is to be convincing online, to step into a new character and have a huge following who totally buy into it and cause chaos comfortably within that disguise.

AZ acquires a sort of informant in fellow hacker Sigma - a woman who claims she knows the whereabouts of 50 terrorists infiltrating Europe for the Islamic Republic. But Sigma is on the run and AZ is the only one who can help her. Equally, running alongside this story are multiple secondary characters feeding into the primary plot which was a real benefit to the fullness of the world-building. It absolutely felt like a convincing portrayal of such a scenario.

There are some major drawbacks in so far as the explanation of the plot. This isn't a large book, and this doesn't really allow for all of the elements to be very well explained - so not only is the language often difficult to follow, the plot often had holes which largely detract from how well the second portion of the story all pieces together. There just simply wasn't enough detail - or page space to provide it.

Ultimately, despite the general concept being interesting this felt more like a rushed film script than a book of rich world-building.

Striking and beautifully written, the narrative focuses on and is enraging as we work out what's going on. Bravery and just plain patient courage cine c to dominate in this truly moving, noble and unusual work. Everyone should read it.