Just a terrific story!

Joseph Cox's *Dark Wire* is an absolute must-read for anyone fascinated by true crime, technology, and the intricate workings of law enforcement. This gripping narrative delves into the largest sting operation in history, a meticulously planned and executed operation that exposed a global criminal network. Cox masterfully weaves together the intricate details of the operation, from the conception of the encrypted messaging app Anom to the dramatic arrests of high-profile criminals. The author's deep understanding of both technology and law enforcement allows him to provide a comprehensive and insightful look into the world of organized crime. What sets *Dark Wire* apart is its ability to maintain a high level of suspense throughout. Each chapter reveals new twists and turns, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. The book also offers a fascinating glimpse into the innovative techniques used by law enforcement to combat modern crime. *Dark Wire* is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and the unwavering dedication of those who fight against injustice. It is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that will leave a lasting impression.

Strange how little interesting stuff there is in this book. It just grinds along the timeline. Weird to feel so meh about such a big worldwide operation. It is intelligible.

A really interesting story, but the writing itself held it back a little. Too matter of fact. Almost read like a crime blotter. Entertaining though

Very interesting story and the author does a good job piecing it all together. It left me trying to find more information on Google after but there doesn't appear to be much info on it outside of the book

Very well written! Kept me captivated and also concerned about what the gov’t is willing to do.

I bought this book after reading an online review stating it read like a novel. It's all true, which makes the content utterly fascinating and mind boggling BUT it's a bit hard to follow if you put the book down and return to it later. I almost need a glossary of main character names and position/timing in this story. A good read with some rough sentences that could have been helped by a stronger copyeditor, but all in all a really interesting read and very strongly researched and annotated.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's a true story about a multi-year FBI operation in which they literally set up an international company ("Anom") that marketed encrypted phones to criminals all over the world, which allowed them to monitor their communications in near real time. It's an excellent ad intriguing story, exceptionally well written, that looks at "Anom" from both the law enforcement and criminal perspectives. Two items of note. First, although the FBI headed up the operation and passed information to Europol and other cooperating police agencies, which resulted in the seizure of massive amounts of drugs as well as the prevention of multiple murders, US wiretap laws prevented them from monitoring Anom communications within our own country. Second, despite thousands of arrests associated with Anom, everyone involved recognized that they were only seeing the tip of the iceberg as it concerned organized crime and drug trafficking. In that light, here's a very profound quote from the epilogue: “More than anything, Anom pierced the veil of what organized crime looks like today. Anom and the parallel investigations into Encrochat and Sky showed how organized criminals are infinitely resourceful, able to adapt to any obstacle in their way; inseparable from the global system of trade, with tentacles throughout the world’s logistics systems; and imbued with an overwhelming power to corrupt officials in positions of power to their own ends. The scale of crime surprised the very law enforcement officials tasked with combating it, causing them in some cases to completely reassess how colossal an issue it really was.” — Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever by Joseph Cox