The Zero Game » (Reprint)

No stodgy legal thrillers here: Brad Meltzer s exhaustively researched, swiftly paced, enormously inventive novels feature young, whip-smart characters who find themselves in high places -- which means they have a long way to fall. The mix, and the suspense, make for an intoxicating read.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaires and The First Counsel returns to Wash-ington, D.C., with the story of an insider's game that turns deadly. Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are best friends who have plum jobs as senior staffers to well-respected congressmen. But after a decade in Washington, idealism has faded to disillusionment, and they're bored. Then one of them finds out about the clandestine Zero Game. It starts out as good fun-a simple wager between friends. But when someone close to them ends up dead, Harris and Matthew realize the game is far more sinister than they ever imagined-and that they're about to be the game's next victims. On the run, they turn to the only person they can trust: a 16-year-old Senate page who can move around the Capitol undetected. As a ruthless killer creeps closer, this idealistic page not only holds the key to saving their lives, but is also determined to redeem them in the process. Come play The Zero Game-you can bet your life on it.

Publishers Weekly

After just a few chapters, Meltzer's latest (after The Millionaires) completely throws the listener for a loop when the main character and narrator, Capitol Hill staffer Matthew Mercer, is murdered. Harris Sandler, his best friend and fellow senior staffer, picks up the narrator's reins as he launches into an investigation of his friend's death. The two had been involved in a secret and, until now, harmless game of placing wagers on congressional votes, but Matthew's murder reveals a conspiracy so entrenched in Sandler's world that the only person he can trust is Viv Parker, a young page that he has just met. Pursued by a professional killer almost as relentless as the Terminator, the two race to stop a plot that literally threatens the planet. In an interview with Crackerbarrel.com, veteran audiobook reader Brick states that Meltzer concocted the radical change in narrative voice just "because he couldn't wait to hear how different I would make the two characters sound." Brick does not disappoint. His acumen for subtle nuance and his obvious comfort with the demands of Meltzer's pace allows this Shakespearean actor to provide the listener with the highest level of audio suspense and entertainment. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover (Forecasts, Jan. 12). (Jan.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.