Death in the Kremlin is the fifth book in E. J. Simon’s Michael Nicholas thriller series. Vladimir Putin’s health is failing, but death is not something he will entertain. He’s going to live forever and take full control of the world, but how? Alex Nicholas achieved something Putin covets – an AI duplicate, a virtual Alex Nicholas containing his consciousness. Alex’s duplicate lives in the cloud, and few people know about him, or so Alex and his brother Michael thought. Now, Putin knows about it, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the source codes he needs to give himself everlasting life and make him into the most powerful man in the world. If Putin gets the codes, he’ll also erase Alex from existence. Can Michael and Alex stop Putin before he attacks the world with nuclear missiles?

Death in the Kremlin by E. J. Simon is not just an excellent thriller; it’s also a terrifying look at what could happen. With the world on the brink of chaos and AI fast becoming mainstream, stories like this are not beyond the realms of possibility. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, but I found this easy to read as a standalone. It’s a suspenseful story, the tension rising with each chapter in an action-packed novel that will leave you stunned by the ending. The characters are very realistic, each with their own story to tell, and it’s clear a great deal of thought went into their development. Simon has created what could only be described as the perfect blend of fiction and reality, especially given current world events. It is a tense read, but it’s also fun, and recommended for anyone who wants a great thriller.

One-time gambling kingpin Alex Nicholas dies in an altercation, leaving his younger brother, Michael, to pick up the pieces and run his lucrative business, or so the world believes. In truth, Alex may be dead, but he lives on in the cloud courtesy of a unique source code that has his Artificial Intelligence double roaming cyberspace. Michael has done a solid job of keeping this information to himself, but recent attacks on his computer have made him suspicious that others may be aware of it. He does not know it, but Russian intelligence agents are on Alex's trail and will stop at nothing to get hold of his source code to use for their nefarious plans. Only time will tell if Alex and Michael can stay one step ahead of their stalkers in E.J. Simon's Death in the Kremlin.

E.J. Simon's explanation of the events leading to Alex's demise and of what he has been up to since his unusual transition provides context for new readers while subtly linking this novel to the other books in the Michael Nicholas series. The dialogue goes from serious when Michael talks about running the family business to remarkably technical as the Russian agents discuss how to reverse-engineer Alex's gift, and then downright hilarious when the focus switches to Alex's wife's shenanigans. The author blends comedy with violence in almost every subplot, creating an immersive adventure that feels like a subtle warning about the future of artificial intelligence for the human race. I enjoyed reading Death in the Kremlin, and I believe science fiction enthusiasts will find this novel just as entertaining.

In E. J. Simon’s Death in the Kremlin, Michael Nicholas runs a financial firm in Manhattan. He gains access to a secure program that contains a functioning digital version of his brother Alex, who was killed in a public shooting. Alex retains his memory and awareness, and can observe the physical world through networked systems, putting Michael in control of access to something governments cannot explain. Russian intelligence identifies the program and abducts Michael, using him to make contact with Alex while searching for the code that sustains him. As the pressure intensifies, Alex allies with Heidi, an autonomous artificial intelligence operating through a physical body and global infrastructure. Michael is released under conditions that leave him exposed to further targeting, while the effort to seize control of Alex’s existence continues to expand across multiple countries and systems.

E. J. Simon’s Death in the Kremlin is an absolutely wild ride, and the story never misses a beat. The pacing is brisk, which fares well for the lead, Michael, since he is put into situations that require him to be quick on his feet. Or at least getting to his feet, like when he wakes up after being abducted, next to a woman, and has no idea how he got there. Vladimir Putin is exactly the antagonist we expect; a head of state who is bent on getting the source code behind Alex’s condition, so he can duplicate himself in digital form that cannot be killed in conventional ways. I love the country-hopping from a secure dining room in Moscow, where an interrogation is carried out in the guise of formal hospitality, to a shop in Berlin that is really a concealed base where artificial intelligence develops. This is the fifth book in the Michael Nicholas series, but it reads perfectly well on its own. Readers who adore political thrillers that integrate AI with state power and international conflict are going to really enjoy this book.

Death in the Kremlin by E. J. Simon is a political thriller with an idea that would once have been seen as science fiction, but today, the possibilities seem frighteningly real. Alex Nicholas, a notorious racketeer and criminal, died some three years ago when shot down in a local New York restaurant. His brother Michael, a successful CEO of a Fortune 500 company, as well as Alex’s third wife, are less than convinced of Alex’s demise. Alex, it seems, is still alive and kicking (well, sort of – just in the cloud). Before his death, Alex, with the assistance of some genius AI experts, had managed to recreate a perfect duplicate of himself on the internet, where he now resided. When Michael is kidnapped en route to visit his wife at their beach house, he awakes to find himself in a Russian prison cell, where none other than Vladimir Putin plans to use him as bait to discover the source codes to Alex’s software and therefore guarantee himself immortality. Throw a beautiful, AI-powered mannequin into the mix, and you have a recipe for a frenetic and exciting thriller.

E.J. Simon does an excellent job of fleshing out the principal characters in this non-stop thriller and drops gems of information about their histories to help readers grasp their motivations. I thought the concept of an AI duplicate living in the cloud was irresistible and one that the author does exceptionally well to expand and develop. The author uses the plot and differing story arcs to remind us just what a delicate balance we currently exist in, with the potential to obliterate humanity by one simple mistake, or worse, a deliberate act by a rogue player. It is clear that AI has the potential to push that balance one way or the other if improperly or recklessly used, and this novel highlights the danger. The author’s style is relaxed and, at times, humorous. The offhand comment by Heidi about who her friends were definitely got me chuckling. This is a well-structured and intense story that will capture the imagination. Despite it being fiction, it has the ring of possibility or perhaps even inevitability about it, which is high praise for the author. I thoroughly enjoyed Death in the Kremlin and highly recommend it.