Countdown to Terror: New Book 'Murder.net' Delivers Gripping Cyber-Thriller for the Dark Web Era
When murders are livestreamed for paying viewers, every second counts. Murder.net is a chilling thriller about the dark web's deadly side.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, May 30, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- A chilling new thriller pulls readers deep into the darkest corners of the internet. Murder.net - Countdown to The Next Nightmare by author John Colascione is a pulse-pounding ride through a digital nightmare—where a sadistic killer livestreams his murders to the highest bidder, and the countdown to the next victim is always ticking.
When LAPD intern Amanda Curtis joins the Homicide Bureau, she's prepared for crime scenes and long hours—but nothing could prepare her for The Headhunter. This ruthless predator targets young women with promises of fame, only to broadcast their brutal deaths live on a dark-web platform called Murder.net. Each murder is staged with chilling precision. Each broadcast ends in silence, save for a blood-red countdown clock marking the time until the next killing.
As Amanda and her mentor, Detective Michael Peters, chase a killer who's always one step ahead, they must navigate the tangled world of cybercrime, media frenzy, and their own growing personal tensions. Every clue brings them closer—until the killer turns his game on them.
'Murder.net is more than a thriller,' says Colascione. 'It's a warning shot about how easily technology can become a tool for terror—and how the dark web blurs the lines between entertainment and horror.'
Murder.net is available now in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon.
For fans of dark, high-stakes thrillers like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Bone Collector, Murder.net is a must-read exploration of obsession, technology, and the dangerous games played in the digital shadows.
For orders and information: https://murder.net/
For media inquiries, review copies, or interviews, please email [email protected]
About the Author
John Colascione is a digital entrepreneur, author, and founder of SEARCHEN NETWORKS®, a leading digital marketing agency specializing in search engine optimization (SEO) and web marketing solutions. With over two decades of experience navigating the evolving landscape of online technology, Colascione brings a unique insider's perspective to the dark web thriller Murder.net. His work explores the intersection of technology, media, and human behavior—drawing from real-world insights into how digital platforms can both empower and endanger society.
John Colascione
Searchen Networks®
+1 561-370-7366
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grupo Firme Cancel La Onda Performance in Napa Amid U.S. Visa Issues
Grupo Firme will no longer be performing at 2025's La Onda Fest this weekend in Napa due to ongoing visa issues. The Mexican band announced the news in a statement shared to Instagram Stories on Friday evening. 'Grupo Firme and Música VIP's visas are currently in an administrative process at the U.S. embassy, a situation that makes it impossible for Grupo Firme's performance at La Onda Fest to go on as planned,' wrote the band. 'We will share news soon on our return to the U.S. so we can see each other again and sing, dance, and celebrate together.' More from Rolling Stone Shakira Cancels WorldPride Concert Due to 'Complications' With Previous Boston Show Shakira Concert at Boston's Fenway Park Canceled Just Hours Before Showtime Grupo Firme Level Up With Anticipated Album 'Evolucion' The group was set to headline Sunday's lineup at La Onda, which embraces a wide range of genres, from Spanish rock and reggaetón to mariachi and Latin pop. The festival organizers announced that Tito Double P will replace Grupo Firme's appearance on the Verizon Stage. The cancellation arrives roughly two weeks after the Michelada Festival nixed its 2025 event over the escalating volatility around artist visas, which rang the alarm for several other Latin artists scheduled to perform around the country. Along with Grupo Firme, the Michelada fest lineup included Luis R. Conriquez, Los Alegres Del Barranco, and Netón Vega. After Los Alegres' visas were revoked by the State Department over their portrayal of a cartel kingpin at a show in Mexico and the group was replaced by Gabito Ballesteros, event organizers ended up cancelling the fest altogether amid uncertainty around visa statuses for both Ballesteros and Conriquez. Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have made securing work visas incredibly difficult for international artists. Earlier this year, English artist FKA Twigs canceled a U.S. tour over the of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Two men arrested after narcotics raid finds drugs, high-powered rifles in St. Lucie County
FORT PIERCE — Two men have been arrested after drugs and high-powered rifles were found during a narcotics raid, according to St. Lucie County sheriff's officials. Jesus Pozos Pozos, 22, and Jordan Lewis, 20, were arrested May 30 and charged with trafficking cocaine, manufacturing or selling cocaine, possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to officials. Pozos Pozos also was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sheriff's detectives and the sheriff's SWAT team executed a narcotics-related search warrant May 30 in the 700 block of Skylark Drive in Fort Pierce, according to officials. It was part of an ongoing investigation into suspected drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Child death: Autopsy expected to confirm how 6-year-old boy died in St. Lucie County home During the search, detectives found the following guns and drugs: Diamondback .556 rifle equipped with a scope and laser Draco-style AK-47 (7.62 caliber) Multiple magazines for both rifles and a substantial quantity of ammunition About half a kilogram of powdered cocaine About 1 ounce of crack cocaine (one 'cookie' still present in a glass beaker) 437 grams of marijuana 79 Xanax bars 4 oxycodone pills Various items of drug paraphernalia Both Pozos Pozos and Lewis remained at the St. Lucie County Jail on Saturday, according to a jail official. Pozos Pozos was being held without bail after his first appearance, and Lewis was being held on $340,000 bail. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Narcotics raid finds drugs, rifles in Fort Pierce, two men arrested
Forbes
18 minutes ago
- Forbes
AI Talent Pipeline: How Nations Compete In The Global AI Race
The artificial intelligence revolution is often framed as a clash of algorithms and infrastructure, but its true battleground lies in the minds shaping it – the AI talent. While nations vie for technological supremacy, the real contest revolves around human capital-who educates, retains, and ethically deploys the brightest minds. This deeper struggle, unfolding across universities, immigration offices, and corporate labs, beneath the surface of flashy model releases and geopolitical posturing, will determine whether AI becomes a force for equitable progress or a catalyst for deeper global divides. China's educational machinery is producing graduates at an unprecedented scale. In 2024, approximately 11.79 million students graduated from Chinese universities, an increase of 210,000 from the previous year, with around 1.6 million specializing in engineering and technology in 2022. By comparison, the United States produces far fewer graduates (around 4.1 million overall in 2022), with only 112,000 graduating with computer and information science degrees. This numerical advantage is reshaping the global talent landscape. According to MacroPolo's Global AI Talent Tracker, China has expanded its domestic AI talent pool significantly, with the percentage of the world's top AI researchers originating from China (based on undergraduate degrees) rising from 29% in 2019 to 47% in 2022. However, the United States remains "the top destination for top-tier AI talent to work," hosting approximately 60% of top AI institutions. Despite this, America's approach to talent faces structural challenges. The H-1B visa cap, which limits skilled foreign workers, is 'set at 65,000 per fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 visas for those with advanced U.S. degrees'. This constraint affects the tech industry's ability to recruit globally. This self-imposed constraint forces companies like Google and Microsoft to establish research centers in Toronto and London – a technological offshoring driven not by cost but by talent access. Europe's predicament completes this global triangle of talent misallocation. The continent invests heavily in AI education – ETH Zurich and Oxford produce world-class specialists-only to watch a significant number board one-way flights to California, lured by higher salaries and cutting-edge projects. This exodus potentially creates a vicious cycle: fewer AI experts means fewer competitive startups, which means fewer reasons for graduates to stay – a continental brain drain that undermines Europe's digital sovereignty. As AI permeates daily life, a quieter conflict emerges: balancing innovation with ethical guardrails. Europe's GDPR has levied huge fines since 2018 for data misuse, such as the $1.3 billion imposed on Meta for transferring EU citizens' data to the US without adequate safeguards, while China's surveillance networks track citizens through 626 million CCTV cameras. U.S. giant Apple was recently fined $95 million amid claims they were spying on users over a decade-long period. These divergent approaches reflect fundamentally different visions for AI's role in society. 'AI is a tool, and its values are human values. That means we need to be responsible developers as well as governors of this technology-which requires a framework,' argues Fei-Fei Li, Stanford AI pioneer. Her call for ethical ecosystems contrasts sharply with China's state-driven model, where AI development aligns with national objectives like social stability and economic planning. The growing capabilities of AI raise significant questions about the future of work. Andrew Ng, co-founder of Google Brain, observes: 'AI software will be in direct competition with a lot of people for a lot of jobs.' McKinsey estimates that 30% of U.S. jobs could be automated by 2030, but impacts will vary wildly. According to the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025, 'on average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period.' The report goes on to state that, 'the fastest declining roles include various clerical roles, such as cashiers and ticket clerks, alongside administrative assistants and executive secretaries, printing workers, and accountants and auditors.' These changes are accelerated by AI and information processing technologies, as well as an increase in digital access for businesses. The panic that could be caused by these figures is palpable, but some are arguing that the real challenge isn't job loss – it's ensuring that displaced workers can transition to new roles. Countries investing in vocational AI training, like Germany's Industry 4.0 initiative, could potentially achieve smoother workforce transitions. By 2030, China could reverse its brain drain through initiatives like the Thousand Talents Plan, which has already repatriated over 8,000 scientists since 2008. If successful, this repatriation could supercharge domestic innovation while depriving Western labs of critical expertise. Europe's stringent AI Act may inadvertently cede ground to less regulated regions. Businesses could potentially start self-censoring AI projects to avoid EU compliance costs, with complexity, risk governance, data governance and talent listed as the 4 major challenges facing EU organisations in light of this Act, according to McKinsey. They went further to state that only 4% of their survey respondents thought that the requirements of the EU AI Act were even clear. This could create an innovation vacuum, pushing experimental AI development to jurisdictions with less stringent oversight. Breakthroughs in quantum computing could reshape talent flows. IBM's Condor and China's Jiuzhang 3.0 are vying to crack quantum supremacy, with the winner likely attracting a new wave of specialists. 'We need to make the world quantum-ready today by focusing on education and workforce development,' according to Alessandro Curioni, vice-president at IBM Research Europe. A recent WEF report on quantum technologies warns that, 'demand for experts is outpacing available talent and companies are struggling to recruit people in this increasingly competitive and strategic industry.' An IBM quantum data center dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images The focus on human talent suggests a more nuanced understanding of AI development – one that values creative problem-solving and ethical considerations alongside technical progress. "I think the future of global competition is, unambiguously, about creative talent," explains Vivienne Ming, executive chair and co-founder of Socos Labs. 'Everyone will have access to amazing AI. Your vendor on that will not be a huge differentiator. Your creative talent though-that will be who you are.' Similarly, Silvio Savarese, executive vice president and chief scientist at Salesforce AI Research, believes: 'AI is placing tools of unprecedented power, flexibility and even personalisation into everyone's hands, requiring little more than natural language to operate. They'll assist us in many parts of our lives, taking on the role of superpowered collaborators.' The employment landscape for AI talent faces complex challenges. In China, the record graduating class of 11.8 million students in 2024 confronts a difficult job market, with youth unemployment in urban areas at 18.8% in August, the highest for the year. These economic realities are forcing both countries to reconsider how they develop, attract, and retain AI talent. The competition isn't just about who can produce or attract the most talent – it's about who can create environments where that talent can thrive and innovate responsibly. The AI race transcends technical capabilities and infrastructure. While computing power, algorithms, and data remain important, human creativity, ethics, and talent ultimately determine how AI will shape our future. As nations compete for AI dominance, they must recognize that sustainable success requires nurturing not just technical expertise but also creative problem-solving and ethical judgment – skills that remain distinctly human even as AI capabilities expand. In this regard success isn't about which nation develops the smartest algorithms, but which creates environments where human AI talent can flourish alongside increasingly powerful AI systems. This human element may well be the deciding factor in who leads the next phase of the AI revolution.
