In a murdered woman’s email, Ted Hara discovers the plan for a terrorist attack. When Ted hacks into the email of his girlfriend’s best friend, he’s shocked by what he finds—the last email she read moments before she was shot warned of a terrorist plot. But without her password, Ted is unable to open the attached document containing the terrorists’ plans. The murdered woman, Joy Miyazaki, was the daughter of the congressman from Silicon Valley's Japantown. Although the police believe her murder was a home invasion robbery gone awry, Ted is certain her death is connected to the terrorist warning. But when Ted alerts the police to the evidence he uncovered, they accuse him of murdering Joy and planting the file himself. With the FBI unable to decrypt the document, Ted enlists the computers of millions of people worldwide to crack the password. While his software churns through billions of passwords in a race against time, searching for the combination that will unlock the file, a pair of Joy’s colleagues seek out Ted at her funeral, whispering that Joy’s boyfriend is connected with the terrorists. But as Ted unravels the truth about this mysterious pair, it sets in motion a fight that could shake the American government to its core while putting Ted’s life in danger. The clock is ticking. Can Ted decrypt the file before the bombs begin exploding? "A spicy blend of hacker know-how, Japanese-American culture, a puzzle of a murder, and a looming attack on American from a resurgent terrorist group. A heart-pounding romp. Read it." —Barry Lancet, author of Japantown and The Spy Across the Table DC Palter is an author destined to break out with this cleverly written novel. Melding the humor of Silicon Valley with the fast-paced action of a John Grisham thriller, it's a uniquely told tale with an equally unique sleuth—a hapless Japanese-American programmer trying to solve the mystery of the murder of his girlfriend's best friend. —Iris Yamashita, author of City Under One Roof and Village in the Dark Ted Hara is dropped into a mind-bending conspiracy involving terrorism, murder and domestic spying. Palter shows off his deep knowledge of Japanese and Silicon Valley culture in this high-wire act of a novel that delivers on thrills, authenticity and romance. Don't miss it." —Mark Coggins, author of Geisha Confidential Amidst a hail of bits and bytes comes another thrilling tale from Japantown. Palter's latest offering is witty, wry, and Chandleresque—and deadly satisfying. —Simon Rowe, author of Mami Suzuki: Private Eye Ted Hara is back! Palter weaves a tight tale of murder, money and cyber-deception. All the stops are pulled out to decrypt a computer file that contains details of an impending terrorist attack. Speed counts in this taut thriller, where deception and lies permeate the high levels of U.S. intelligence agencies. —Ross Carley, author of the Wolf Ruger Murder Mysteries and the Lance Garrett Assassin Thrillers DC Palter has done it again with COUNTDOWN TO DECRYPTION! This thrilling mystery plunges readers into the electrifying world of beloved hacker, Ted "Teddybear" Hara. Ted embarks on a riveting journey through the shadowy depths of the dark web, propelled by the urgent need to solve a murder and redeem his reputation. His daring escapades will keep you perched on the edge of your seat, even eliciting bursts of incredulous laughter. As Ted inches perilously close to the realities of cybercrime and terrorism, you can't help but cheer him on, hoping he'll crack the code—and in doing so, illuminate understanding for us all. —Rebecca Copeland, author of The Kimono Tattoo Deftly written with humorous overtones, COUNTDOWN TO DECRYPTION is a pacy, high-stakes thriller that is immensely entertaining. Ted is a well-drawn protagonist who finds himself in the crosshairs of a terrorist conspiracy thanks to his hacking skills. The detailed references to Japanese culture and Ted's sardonic voice soften the edges of the hi-tech-driven plot. Looking forward to more installments featuring Ted and his girlfriend, Sumire. —Christina Hoag, author of Skin of Tattoos and The Blood Room Programmer extraordinaire, Ted Hara, must find his friend's killer and prevent a terrorist attack, while staying a step ahead of a shadowy government agency framing him for the murder. This high-stakes game mixes political intrigue, cryptocurrency, and computer hacking with Japanese sake and tea ceremony that will keep you up all night as you race with Ted to find the key to stopping a terrorist plot. —Tony Ollivier, author of The Tokyo Diversion COUNTDOWN TO DECRYPTION is a deep-dive into the world of computer hacking, an intelligent portrayal of Japanese culture imported into Silicon Valley, and a compelling love story between a reckless computer geek and a by-the-rules, beautiful, brave young lawyer, Palter's hacker-geek protagonist narrates with a strong and often hilarious voice that readers will root for and remember long a