Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Jan 2004, 480 pages
Paperback:
Feb 2005, 496 pages
The Zero Game has everything: risk, reward, mystery, and the thrill of knowing that, just by being invited to play, you've confirmed your status as a true power broker; but the Game is hiding a secret so explosive that it will shake Washington to its core.
Want to play the world's most dangerous game?
With New York Times bestsellers The Millionaires and The First Counsel, Brad Meltzer captivated thriller readers with his breakneck plotting, unforgettable characters, and razor-sharp dialogue. Now the acclaimed author returns to Washington, D.C., taking us behind closed doors and into the clandestine world of...The Zero Game.
Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are playing a mysterious game. It's a game almost no one knows about--not their friends, not their coworkers, and certainly not their bosses, who are some of the most powerful senators and congressmen on Capitol Hill.
It's a game that has everything: risk, reward, mystery, and the thrill of knowing that--just by being invited to play--you've confirmed your status as a true power broker in Washington.
But as Matthew and Harris quickly discover, the Zero Game is hiding a secret so explosive that it will shake Washington to its core. And when someone close to them winds up dead, Harris and Matthew realize this game is far more sinister than they ever imagined. As the bull's-eye turns their way, it's clear they're about to become the game's next victims. In a frenetic chase from the secret tunnels under the Capitol to an abandoned gold mine halfway across the country, the two friends realize they're no longer players in the game--they're pawns. On the run, they turn to the only person they can trust: a sixteen-year-old Senate page who can move around the Capitol undetected. As a ruthless killer creeps closer, this idealistic young page not only holds the key to their safety, but is the one person who can redeem them in the process.
Packed with high-octane suspense and heart-pounding action, The Zero Game is Brad Meltzer at his supercharged best.
Chapter 1
I DON'T BELONG HERE. I haven't for years. When I first came to Capitol Hill to work for Congressman Nelson Cordell, it was different. But even Mario Andretti eventually gets bored driving two hundred miles an hour every single day. Especially when you're going in a circle. I've been going in circles for eight years. Time to finally leave the loop.
"We shouldn't be here," I insist as I stand at the urinal.
"What're you talking about?" Harris asks, unzipping his fly at the urinal next to mine. He has to crane his neck up to see my full lanky frame. At six feet four inches, I'm built like a palm tree and staring straight down at the top of his messy black hair. He knows I'm agitated, but as always, he's the perfect calm in the storm. "C'mon, Matthew, no one cares about the sign out front."
He thinks I'm worried about the bathroom. For once, he's wrong. This may be the rest room right across from the Floor of the ...
If you liked Zero Game, try these:
by Mike Lawson
Published 2006
A Washington conspiracy thriller in which 'the bad guys are sufficiently evil, the plot properly labyrinthine, the solution to the mystery completely satisfying. This is high-level entertainment from a writer who could soon rise to the top of the thriller heap'.
by Brad Meltzer
Published 2001
With trademark surgical plotting, razor-sharp dialogue, and lightning pace, Meltzer explores the charged atmosphere of life inside the White House as it's never been seen.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
