
Blackquest 40
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Natalie Duke
-
By:
-
Jeff Bond
About this listen
Big Tech meets Die Hard in this techno-thriller Kirkus Reviews calls "a clever, spirited tale with a brainy, nimble heroine at the helm".
From IndieReader's 5 star (highest rating) review: "Bond weaves an entertaining story filled with deceit, robots, Russians, and tech entrepreneurs that all combine to give the reader a reason to flip pages furiously to find out what might happen next."
Deb Bollinger has no time for corporate training.
Her company’s top engineer at just 27, Deb has blocked off her day for the one project she truly cares about: the launch of Carebnb, an app that finds spare beds for the homeless. When she’s told all employees must drop everything for some busywork exercise called Blackquest 40, it’s an easy no.
Trouble is, her bosses aren’t really asking.
Blackquest 40 is the mother of all corporate trainings. A near-impossible project to be completed in 40 straight hours. No phones. No internet. Sleeping on cots. Nobody in, nobody out. Deb finds the whole setup creepy and authoritarian. When a Carebnb issue necessitates her leaving the office, she heads for the door.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Armed commandos, HVAC-duct chases, a catastrophic master plan that gets darker by the hour - Blackquest 40 is a fresh take on the Die Hard formula, layering smart-drones and a modern heroine onto the classic action tale.
©2019 Jeff Bond (P)2019 Jeff BondListeners also enjoyed...
-
Perilous Obsession
- Brad Parker and Karen Richmond Medical Thrillers
- By: Geoffrey M. Cooper
- Narrated by: Eric Priessman
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A tragic overdose, an institutional cover-up, and human trafficking. When Dr. Brad Parker helps investigate the death of a patient at a Portland, Maine cancer center, he senses a cover-up to protect the responsible physician.
-
-
Keeps you on the edge of your seat!
- By Erika Calvert on 09-15-24
-
Instant Karma
- By: David Michie
- Narrated by: David Michie
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if we all woke one day to discover that every act of generosity was followed, soon after, by an unexpected windfall? If theft or betrayal led to rapid calamity? Within minutes, the effects of instant karma would be felt by each one of us. Within hours it wouldn’t just be ordinary folks trying to figure out the new order—it would be everyone from the President down. Instant Karma is the story of that day. An extraordinary vision, and early adopters are quick to capitalise on the new dynamics while karma change deniers vehemently dig in their heels.
-
-
A book to recommend to everyone
- By K. Martens on 11-09-22
By: David Michie
-
Night Terror
- A Genetics Investigation Team Thriller
- By: Russ Tilton
- Narrated by: Sam Graham
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It had been a rough five years for Memphis Police Officer Jake Jessup. Blaming himself for the death of two partners, a divorce, and almost losing his job, the three-day canoe and kayak trip in the Ozarks sounded like the perfect way to reconnect with family and friends, and to put old demons to rest. What he found instead were a new set of demons, only these were real...and deadly. A float turns tragic for a group of boaters when a secret military project escapes into the Ozark Mountains of West Arkansas.
-
-
Why I don't go camping any more
- By Old Man Parker on 03-08-24
By: Russ Tilton
-
Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer
- By: Michael Stockham
- Narrated by: Brian Cade
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Battling against a Texas prison, a young lawyer fights for a fair trial in a prison-friendly town as witnesses and evidence evaporate. Scarred physically and emotionally by a botched delivery, his wife struggles to realize their dream of a healthy baby and a happy family.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Aly on 10-09-23
By: Michael Stockham
-
The Peyton Brooks' Mysteries Box Set
- By: M.L. Hamilton
- Narrated by: Kelley Hazen Storyteller Productions
- Length: 76 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now available in one volume! The original Peyton Brooks mystery series box set! Get all eight of the popular Peyton Brooks' Mysteries in a single box set, including the prequel, Murder in the Painted Lady. The Peyton Brooks' Mystery series follows the career of San Francisco Homicide Detective Peyton Brooks and her partner Marco D'Angelo as they fight crime in the City by the Bay.
-
-
KICKASS MYSTERY SET
- By dbk on 07-11-17
By: M.L. Hamilton
-
The First Harm
- By: Steven Piskula
- Narrated by: Sara Van Beckum
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tanna Christensen spent countless hours planning for her first gross anatomy dissection, but nothing could have prepared her for what she’s found. Beneath her scalpel lies a cadaver riddled with disturbing genetic abnormalities—evidence pointing to an unthinkable crime.
-
-
Great modern thriller!
- By Todd Loewenstein on 10-08-23
By: Steven Piskula
-
Perilous Obsession
- Brad Parker and Karen Richmond Medical Thrillers
- By: Geoffrey M. Cooper
- Narrated by: Eric Priessman
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A tragic overdose, an institutional cover-up, and human trafficking. When Dr. Brad Parker helps investigate the death of a patient at a Portland, Maine cancer center, he senses a cover-up to protect the responsible physician.
-
-
Keeps you on the edge of your seat!
- By Erika Calvert on 09-15-24
-
Instant Karma
- By: David Michie
- Narrated by: David Michie
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if we all woke one day to discover that every act of generosity was followed, soon after, by an unexpected windfall? If theft or betrayal led to rapid calamity? Within minutes, the effects of instant karma would be felt by each one of us. Within hours it wouldn’t just be ordinary folks trying to figure out the new order—it would be everyone from the President down. Instant Karma is the story of that day. An extraordinary vision, and early adopters are quick to capitalise on the new dynamics while karma change deniers vehemently dig in their heels.
-
-
A book to recommend to everyone
- By K. Martens on 11-09-22
By: David Michie
-
Night Terror
- A Genetics Investigation Team Thriller
- By: Russ Tilton
- Narrated by: Sam Graham
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It had been a rough five years for Memphis Police Officer Jake Jessup. Blaming himself for the death of two partners, a divorce, and almost losing his job, the three-day canoe and kayak trip in the Ozarks sounded like the perfect way to reconnect with family and friends, and to put old demons to rest. What he found instead were a new set of demons, only these were real...and deadly. A float turns tragic for a group of boaters when a secret military project escapes into the Ozark Mountains of West Arkansas.
-
-
Why I don't go camping any more
- By Old Man Parker on 03-08-24
By: Russ Tilton
-
Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer
- By: Michael Stockham
- Narrated by: Brian Cade
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Battling against a Texas prison, a young lawyer fights for a fair trial in a prison-friendly town as witnesses and evidence evaporate. Scarred physically and emotionally by a botched delivery, his wife struggles to realize their dream of a healthy baby and a happy family.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Aly on 10-09-23
By: Michael Stockham
-
The Peyton Brooks' Mysteries Box Set
- By: M.L. Hamilton
- Narrated by: Kelley Hazen Storyteller Productions
- Length: 76 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now available in one volume! The original Peyton Brooks mystery series box set! Get all eight of the popular Peyton Brooks' Mysteries in a single box set, including the prequel, Murder in the Painted Lady. The Peyton Brooks' Mystery series follows the career of San Francisco Homicide Detective Peyton Brooks and her partner Marco D'Angelo as they fight crime in the City by the Bay.
-
-
KICKASS MYSTERY SET
- By dbk on 07-11-17
By: M.L. Hamilton
-
The First Harm
- By: Steven Piskula
- Narrated by: Sara Van Beckum
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tanna Christensen spent countless hours planning for her first gross anatomy dissection, but nothing could have prepared her for what she’s found. Beneath her scalpel lies a cadaver riddled with disturbing genetic abnormalities—evidence pointing to an unthinkable crime.
-
-
Great modern thriller!
- By Todd Loewenstein on 10-08-23
By: Steven Piskula
-
Absolute Vengeance: The Alex Shepherd Story
- By: C.W. Lemoine
- Narrated by: Nicholas P Dunker
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the first day of school in a New Orleans suburb, terrorists hijack a school bus full of children. Corporal Alex Shepherd, decorated sheriff’s deputy and SWAT sniper, is critically injured trying to stop the attack and save his wife and daughter. Waking from a month-long coma, Shepherd finds his girls are gone and the world has moved on. With no arrests made, his frustration at the system’s failures forces him to take matters into his own hands. His thirst for vengeance takes him from New Orleans to the brutal battlefields of Syria, where he gains fame as a ruthless sniper.
-
-
FANTASTIC
- By mikie on 01-23-19
By: C.W. Lemoine
-
The SHTF Omnibus Series, Books 1-4
- By: L.L. Akers
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 23 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While he sat back and watched the United States rattle swords with Korea, play chicken with Russia, and strong-arm China, he felt sure if the lights went out that he and his family would be ready and safe—whether it was due to a natural disaster or a man-made event. They had everything they needed at their homestead.
-
-
Good listen
- By Holly on 08-10-23
By: L.L. Akers
-
The Shadow of What Was Lost
- Licanius, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 25 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It has been 20 years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs, once thought of almost as gods, were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets.
-
-
Atrocious. Almost abusive.
- By Captain Spanky Of Nazareth on 06-10-20
By: James Islington
-
Fated
- Alex Verus Series, Book 1
- By: Benedict Jacka
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex Verus is part of a world hidden in plain sight, running a magic shop in London. And while Alex's own powers aren't as showy as some mages, he does have the advantage of foreseeing the possible future-allowing him to pull off operations that have a million-to-one-chance of success. But when Alex is approached by multiple factions to crack open a relic from a long-ago mage war, he knows that whatever's inside must be beyond powerful.
-
-
Harry Dresden meets the Temple of Doom
- By Jessica on 05-15-14
By: Benedict Jacka
-
Forging Hephaestus
- Villains' Code Series, Book 1
- By: Drew Hayes
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 26 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gifted with meta-human powers, Tori Rivas kept away from the limelight, preferring to work as a thief in the shadows. But when she's captured trying to rob a vault that belongs to a secret guild of villains, she's offered a hard choice: prove she has what it takes to join them or be eliminated. Apprenticed to one of the world's most powerful (and supposedly dead) villains, she is thrust into a strange world where the lines that divide superheroes and criminals are more complex than they seem.
-
-
A Nice Surprise with some Really Fun Characters
- By Small Mountain on 09-29-17
By: Drew Hayes
-
Stolen Thoughts
- By: Tim Tigner
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s been a breakthrough on the campus of Caltech. A discovery. An invention. One so startling and surprisingly sinister that the inventor can’t tell a soul. Precariously poised at the center of the action is Victoria Pixler, a bioengineering student with a tragic past, a passionate quest, and a brilliant mind. After a decade of dedication, she’s just completed her life’s work only to have her dream shattered and her career terminated - by the least likely suspect.
-
-
Backstory!
- By jim on 08-02-21
By: Tim Tigner
-
Reset
- By: Brian Andrews
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep in the Afghan mountains, Sergeant Michael Pitcher discovers an object with powers that defy explanation. After interacting with it, he suffers a traumatic seizure and is flown home for evaluation. Cleared by the doctors, Michael goes home to his relieved wife, Josie. But he’s a changed man. The once-loving husband is now coldly withdrawn. When a team of scientists connected to Sergeant Pitcher vanishes without a trace, CIA agent Dean Ninemeyer comes to him for insight - only to find that the recovering soldier has also disappeared.
-
-
You'll never see it coming
- By Angela M Bacon on 05-02-18
By: Brian Andrews
-
Paradox P.I.: Books 1-3
- By: Nathan Van Coops
- Narrated by: Stacy Carolan
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Yesterday’s mystery requires the detective of tomorrow. Fans of hard-boiled, tough-as-nails detectives have a new hero in this action-packed three-book mystery collection from Nathan Van Coops. Snappy dialogue, mind-bending time travel, and laugh-out-loud humor will keep you up late solving this series of electrifying whodunits.
-
-
Better than I expected
- By Jaime C. Mantel on 10-07-22
By: Nathan Van Coops
-
The Millionaires
- By: Brad Meltzer
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Charlie and Oliver Caruso are brothers who work at Greene & Greene, a private bank so exclusive you need two million dollars just to be a client. But when the door of success slams in their faces, they're faced with an offer they can't refuse: three million dollars in an abandoned account. No one knows it exists, and even better, it doesn't belong to anyone.
-
-
Possibly the best Meltzer to date
- By Snoodely on 07-27-12
By: Brad Meltzer
-
They're Watching
- By: Gregg Hurwitz
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Patrick Davis is a man with troubles. First his Hollywood dreams crumble, then his storybook marriage hits a snag. Finally, DVDs start being delivered to his house – DVDs which show that someone is watching him and his wife, that the two of them are being stalked and recorded by cameras hidden around and within their house. Then the e-mails start, and someone offers to fix everything, to take the mess his life has become and make it all right. Patrick figures it's the offer of a lifetime.
-
-
Buzz-z-z-z-z-z-z
- By Mel on 05-16-12
By: Gregg Hurwitz
-
Dungeon World Series Complete Box Set: Books 1 Through 5
- By: Jonathan Brooks
- Narrated by: Miles Meili
- Length: 54 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millions of dungeons inhabit the planet, utilizing the Human people as a source of much-needed Mana to facilitate their own growth; in turn, the humans delve into the dungeons to acquire their own power in the form of Essence, which allows them to develop and enhance themselves in a multitude of different ways. It is a symbiotic relationship that has lasted thousands of years and has brought about a measure of peace.
-
-
Let me save you the time Trash
- By Marlon on 11-16-21
By: Jonathan Brooks
-
Code Jumper: A GameLit Novel
- By: Zachariah Dracoulis
- Narrated by: Michael Norman Johnson
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Code Jumpers...skilled hackers who meet strict criteria, are the traffickers of the new world. Guns, drugs, just about anything else you might need or want in the heavily moderated base game world of Re.Generation, the Code Jumpers can get it for you. As one of the very few people in the US who can dive into Re.Generation without getting stuck, Eddie is one such Code Jumper.
-
-
Jump around
- By timj26 on 05-18-19
Imagine your company providing you and your colleagues with training only to find out that when you digitally signed to accept, you agreed that for 40 hours you will be sequestered in your office, relinquishing your cell phone and that even your pay will be affected by how well you pass the training. This is the setting for this book.
I was given the opportunity to request this book from the author in exchange for reviewing it. To my delight, seeing that I am a software engineer, this is the type of company that is having this "training."
The main character is one you can sympathize with, although she is much more brilliant than I.
The narration is really good too. it added to the enjoyment of this audiobook.
I should add that, although this involves a technical company and character, the author does not get caught up in nitty gritty technical details but, at the same time, provides enough to keep me(a technical person) entertained.
One of the best I've read in some time
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A clever, entertaining and suspenseful story. I was pulled in from the very beginning and was so interested in the plot that I ended up listening to this book in one day. I loved the main character, Deb, who is feisty and opinionated. She is an asset to her company and she takes advantage of that status. Her moniker of a fellow employee who frequents McDonalds as "Sausage McGriddle Man" made me chuckle and quickly conveys Deb's character. I completely bought into her character and while there were a couple of times I thought the story stretched the believeability factor - but, the story quickly got back on track and I was willing to overlook those moments. I loved that throughout the story as new characters were introduced, you were never sure whether or not they could be trusted - which keeps you guessing until the end.
The narrator, Natalie Duke, had the perfect tone for Deb [as the story is from her POV] - at times snarky, brash, likeable and smart.
Clever, Entertaining and Suspenseful
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Techie but good
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Natalie Duke perfectly captures the tenacity and attitude of Deb! She was the perfect choice for narrator.
Listen to this story!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
A totally amazing story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Narrator delivers a wonderful performance and enhances the story for anyone who listens to the entire book.
This Book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Good entertainmant
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
The good: Jeff Bond’s world-building was spot on, immersing me in the storyline immediately. Natalie Duke’s performance was stellar and I feel like she captured Deb’s snarkiness, Paul’s shyness, and Susan’s haute attitude perfectly.
The only thing that bothered me about the story was Deb’s continual meddling (and her involvement with those 3 things, you know, the ones that would get her arrested at the very least), then the Elite staff allowing her to return with little to no repercussions. Just didn’t seem plausible.
However, overall, I heartily recommend this book!
I was given the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Great book, by a new (to me) author
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
The narrator was a good choice; she fit the mental picture that I had for the heroine (although for personal preference I increased the playback speed slightly to match the pace of the tension).
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
suspend disbelief and enjoy the suspense
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
BlackQuest 40
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
Bond did a really nice job creating a character that was likable and, from the start, we understood that she was a bit of a rebel. This comes into play nicely later in the story – but it was set up without feeling too “set-up-like” if that makes any sense.
Right away Bond dives into the story – within a few chapters we’ve already met most of the main players in the story – and we’re thrown into the thrilling parts of the story within a few minutes. I wasn’t sure just how far the story or the characters would go but I knew I wanted to find out what happened.
Overall, I thought that Blackquest 40 was a unique and interesting take in a genre that I love. Bond was able to create a memorable experience without it feeling overdone or done before.
One of the complaints that I had while reading was that he continued to use the word “repository”. I work as a product manager for a tech company – I understand code to some extent and what a repository is. What I don’t ever hear is the full word repository. Everyone I’ve ever worked with has called it a “repo”. I think that Bond could have used the full word once and then switched over. I guess technically someone could argue that the group of “trainers” might not know that, but from other scenes (trying not to spoil anything) they’ve worked with tech companies before. It’s small and probably wouldn’t bother the average person – but it was in the book enough times that it got to me personally.
An Interesting Technothriller
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
I love the way Deb expressed herself in the first person narrative. For example, “it’s not like I need to rewrite iTunes, which, by the way, someone needs to do.“
I thought the “action” started a bit too early in story; before I knew enough about Deb. But the plot was good and after the initial confusion caused by the early action, things settled in.
The plot was suspenseful and the action well paced. I wish the author had found a way to make the technical aspects a little more understandable to those of use who don’t know “coding” jargon. Even though I am quite tech savvy, I know little about coding and most of the tech lingo went right over my head.
Overall though I enjoyed the book and it is definitely worth a listen simply for the enjoyment of meeting this delightfully flawed character.
The reader had the perfect voice for Deb's personality. This is the first book I’ve listened to read by Natalie Duke, and I would definitely choose another one.
I requested and received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Delightfully Flawed Heroine with Enjoyable Sarcasm
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.