The Hyperion Network by Laura Manning is about a day planned called “The First Cull.” Sophia Borghese is part of a private spy agency called Hyperion. Sophia trained using unconventional methods and has high-quality skills. Hyperion finds a video of a white extremist who plans to kill Muslims and Jews. The goal of this person is white domination in the United States, England, and Germany. Hyperion finds out later that they plan to target three countries, five cities, and ten targets. The police and international security agencies do not offer much support as they see the threat as unimportant. Trey Wilkinson is the mastermind behind the attacks and is an engineering genius like his grandpa. Trey’s grandpa was exploited by Jewish bankers in 1940 and the feud started with the Jews.

The plot of The Hyperion Network brings private intelligence agencies and the threat of white domination to life. Laura Manning developed and executed the plot superbly. The sensitive topic of racism was handled with great care. I was captivated by the story and could not put it down. I did not want to miss anything and just kept reading. It had my attention until the very end. The story was intense and fast-paced. With all the action and suspense, I was in for a nail-biting experience. The characters were well-developed and strong. They were authentic, and I could relate to them. Laura Manning is an excellent writer, and I was part of this world of intelligence and security. The events and surroundings came to life with her descriptive writing. The story had my interest until the last page. I was surprised by the ending.

The Hyperion Network by Laura Manning centers on Sophia Borghese who is an intelligence operative and is the wind beneath the wings of a fledgling private intelligence agency called the Hyperion Network. A white nationalist plot to massacre thousands of Muslims and Jews to start a racial conflict in support of white dominance in the United States, England and Germany dubbed as "The First Cull" has been revealed in a film found on the dark web by Hyperion's night shift team. Unfortunately, the police and security bureaucracies only offer minimal assistance and interest because they just see the threat as propaganda to raise money for this particular group. Sophia knows that the video shows the motivation and pattern that initiated a similar attack in the past, one that murdered her husband and child. Following her instincts, she vows to stop this crime by using Hyperion's enviable cutting-edge technology and field operatives who have been educated by the world's top espionage organizations. But can she and her agency stop a worldwide hate crime organized by a delusional yet determined, able, and anger-filled engineering genius driven to see this human culling succeed at whatever cost?

The Hyperion Network is a well-organized and well-written novel with plenty of surprises and twists. The beginning scene is an attention-getter that promises a riveting and suspenseful adventure ride. Author Laura Manning also has a flair for wit and the creation of memorable, larger-than-life characters and confounding events. But one must not be misled by the novel's sophistication, because despite the makings of a high-tech thriller, the story also has some emotionally gripping drama to tug on your heartstrings or for you to be mildly staggered by a short but heavy-laden scenario. The dramatic moments linger to make the reader grasp a deeper understanding of the nature, mentality, and motivations of the novel's dramatis personae. If you are into captivating storylines that go beyond borders, suspenseful moments, and action, and have a feel for authentic character behavior and some heart-wrenching drama, then The Hyperion Network is worth the read.