Held for Ransom

The President of Claritiva Software is kidnapped at gunpoint. FBI Special Agent Cliff Knowles is the first to respond when the crime is reported. But the report is suspicious in many ways and the front office is skeptical the kidnapping is real. Knowles must fight his own bureaucracy while trying to rescue the victim and catch the kidnappers. This gripping novel will have you on the edge of your chair from the first chapter.

Also available from Amazon as a Kindle ebook.

Russell Atkinson served as an FBI Special Agent for 25 years, where he specialized in high-technology crimes in Silicon Valley. He was the first to investigate Raj Rajaratnam, the high-tech hedge fund manager who was convicted of massive insider trading in 2011. He was the case agent on the first federal prosecution in California under the Economic Espionage Act. He worked on the Polly Klaas kidnapping case and has arrested murderers and drug dealers. After retiring from the FBI he became a full-time litigating attorney. With degrees in mathematics and law he worked for many high-tech firms in the computer industry including IBM, Fairchild Semiconductor, and Netscape. He served as President of the American Cryptogram Association and has written extensively on cryptographic topics. He was Head Cryptographer for the movie The Red Machine, which was given two thumbs up by Roger Ebert. Now retired, he still serves as a volunteer Temporary Judge in the local court system. He lives with his wife in Silicon Valley and spends time with his interests: running, geocaching, guitar, cryptography, and, of course, writing.