Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F MEL
Genres
Collection
Publication
Grand Central Publishing (2011), 480 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:The New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaires and The First Counsel returns to Washington, 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.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
Average grade mystery / thriller set in Washington DC. Good book for business traveling: it's entertaining, but if you lose it along the way, it's no great loss.
LibraryThing member bell96
Strange start, poor concept, exciting middle and strange ending. Not Melyzer's best by any means...
LibraryThing member armysparkey
THis book started slowly and at one point I was thinking of putting it away and then WHAM!! what a plot turn !There were part of the book that were a little unbelievable but overall good the blurb on the back of the book did not resemble the story at all .One wonders who writes them and when
LibraryThing member jenspeaks
Very good. Took a turn that I did not expect.
LibraryThing member losloper
Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are bored and disillusioned after a decade as Washington senior staffers, and the clandestine Zero Game sounds like good fun. But when someone close to them ends up dead, they realise the game is far more sinister, and soon they're running for their lives.
LibraryThing member Jarratt
The Zero Game refers to a game where Capitol Hill staffers try to put pieces of legislation into law. The person who bets the most, must then make that happen. So when a harmless, tapped gold mine is put into play, Harris’ friend Matthew, who’s Rep. is on the Appropriations committee, bets
“The Zero Game” started off intriguingly, went off in a rather odd tangent, then came back and finished pretty strongly. Unfortunately, a good bit of it was pretty implausible. The relationship between Harris and Viv was quite unbelievable. And the chases within the Capitol itself…I mean, c’mon. There’s no security cameras in parts of the Capitol? Really?
In the hands of someone like Crichton (RIP) this would have been a much better book. Not that this is bad, it’s just not that great.
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everything he’s got—then is killed. Harris decides he must figure out what’s going on. So Harris gets Viv, a 17-year-old Capitol page, involved and before you know it, they’re flying cross country in a Gulfstream (claiming to be on a trip for a Senator) to enter this mine 1.5 miles deep. They don’t understand what they discover, but end up making an appointment back in DC with a scientist with the NSF. All the while, they’re being chased by a highly skilled killer (but not highly skilled enough to kill our two main characters, of course).“The Zero Game” started off intriguingly, went off in a rather odd tangent, then came back and finished pretty strongly. Unfortunately, a good bit of it was pretty implausible. The relationship between Harris and Viv was quite unbelievable. And the chases within the Capitol itself…I mean, c’mon. There’s no security cameras in parts of the Capitol? Really?
In the hands of someone like Crichton (RIP) this would have been a much better book. Not that this is bad, it’s just not that great.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
This was a "Buddy" read that my husband and I read together. I hate to admit it, but this is my first Brad Meltzer novel. I had this book on my shelf for quite awhile.
This was a take no prisoners thrill ride. From the beginning to the shocking end, the twist, turns, and action never slowed
Matthew and Harry play what they think is a harmless little game on Capitol Hill. But, the stakes in the game suddenly take on a more serious tone. As a result, Matthew begins to feel a little nervous and decides watch the situation a little closer. But, someone doesn't like Matthew's snooping.
From the very beginning, we were hooked on this book. We both couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.
The inside knowledge of the Capitol, pages, interns, and lobbyist gave the novel a feel of authenticity. The charcters were likable and we found ourselves rooting for them all the way. Be sure to stay with the book until the very end. There is a surprise twist at the end. I love that stuff!
Overall an A-
This was a take no prisoners thrill ride. From the beginning to the shocking end, the twist, turns, and action never slowed
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down.Matthew and Harry play what they think is a harmless little game on Capitol Hill. But, the stakes in the game suddenly take on a more serious tone. As a result, Matthew begins to feel a little nervous and decides watch the situation a little closer. But, someone doesn't like Matthew's snooping.
From the very beginning, we were hooked on this book. We both couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.
The inside knowledge of the Capitol, pages, interns, and lobbyist gave the novel a feel of authenticity. The charcters were likable and we found ourselves rooting for them all the way. Be sure to stay with the book until the very end. There is a surprise twist at the end. I love that stuff!
Overall an A-
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LibraryThing member buffalogr
Fun reading story with a twist at the end. This was my first Meltzer, I'll read another.
LibraryThing member brucemmoyer
Not great, but good enough to keep you interested. Deals with a few minor insiders playing with the legislative system of our country. Unlikely story evolves into an an unbelievable story but manages to keep your interest
LibraryThing member JBD1
I must have bought this while waiting in an airport or something. Utterly forgettable.
LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
I usually can't put Meltzer's work down once I pick it up, and I felt that way about this one as I went through the last half, but the pacing and the structure of this one threw me off a bit. Structurally, it felt like some odd choices were made. Chapters focusing on the protagonists were in first
That said, I understand that twist had to happen, and made sense, even if I didn't at the time and even if it did slow things down a bit. And, all told, Meltzer swept me back into the plot before much time had passed.
For readers who haven't read Meltzer before, I probably wouldn't suggest starting with this one--I don't think it's nearly the best--but I did really enjoy it, and it was certainly a good piece of entertainment.
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person present, and the few chapters focused elsewhere were in third person past, and so jumping between chapters sometimes felt fairly jarring. The plot also lagged some, about a fourth of the way in. There's a plot twist there that causes the lag, directly--or, it did for me, at least--but there's no way to speak of it more directly without giving away a piece of the plot.That said, I understand that twist had to happen, and made sense, even if I didn't at the time and even if it did slow things down a bit. And, all told, Meltzer swept me back into the plot before much time had passed.
For readers who haven't read Meltzer before, I probably wouldn't suggest starting with this one--I don't think it's nearly the best--but I did really enjoy it, and it was certainly a good piece of entertainment.
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LibraryThing member JanicsEblen
First time reader - probably will not read any other books by this author.
LibraryThing member FerneMysteryReader
In my review of "The First Counsel" I wrote: "I think Brad Meltzer definitely knows how to use the setting of Washington, D.C. to fullest advantage as a setting to his legal thrillers. His characters captivate your attention as each is introduced and as they begin to interact, the adrenaline starts
If you naively believe there are no games behind-the-scenes in Washington, D.C. perhaps this novel will open your mind to the possibilities of the many facets of "what if?" in the hallowed halls of government.
Any list of legal thrillers is not complete if Brad Meltzer's name is missing. He's definitely my #1 suggestion!
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pumping and doesn't stop until the riveting conclusion." Without a doubt, this description is even of higher intensity for "The Zero Game." WoW!If you naively believe there are no games behind-the-scenes in Washington, D.C. perhaps this novel will open your mind to the possibilities of the many facets of "what if?" in the hallowed halls of government.
Any list of legal thrillers is not complete if Brad Meltzer's name is missing. He's definitely my #1 suggestion!
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LibraryThing member Carol420
I didn't think it was one of Brad Meltzer's best but certainly an entertaining story. The "game" turned out to not really be what the reader was lead to think it was...but it was none the less "deadly". The book does give the reader a very god insight of just what is more than likely happening on
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"The Hill". Show Less
LibraryThing member susandennis
It is still January but I can guarantee you that this one will be on my top ten for 2004. Capital Hill staffers join in a game of wits and gambling - played under the table until one day when it all turns deadly. The plot of this book is excellent but the telling of it is what kept me glued to the
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book. Show Less
LibraryThing member breic
I enjoy dumb thrillers, so this initially seemed promising. But the plot was Swiss cheese.
LibraryThing member Castlelass
Political suspense-thriller set mostly in Washington D.C. in the late 1990s or early 2000s. Two Capitol Hill staffers are playing a game involving betting on Congressional voting outcomes for minor legislation. The game turns deadly, a teenage page becomes involved, and the protagonists search for
The positives:
• The beginning included some interesting information about how legislation gets passed.
• One of the protagonists was a young black female. She was written as a strong character, and it was easy to root for her. It was nice to see a young woman of color featured prominently in a book published in the early 2000s.
• The friendship between two protagonists was refreshing, as there are few novels that include friendships between a two people of the opposite sex without throwing in a romance.
• It did the job in terms of keeping my brain occupied during the trip, which made the drive seem shorter.
• Flashing back to the time of widespread use of Blackberries and pagers was amusing.
The negatives:
• The plot contained many holes, which were never adequately explained.
• There seemed to be lots of filler in the form of long stretches of narrative that didn’t lead anywhere or move the plot forward.
• The narrative shifted from one character to another unnecessarily.
• The ending proved unsatisfying.
The audio book was read by Scott Brick. He did a good job of giving different voices to the characters, both male and female. He was easy to understand and follow.
Contains graphic violence and profanity.
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explanations while evading a hired assassin. While thrillers are not my normal fare, I selected this audio book to pass the time while traveling. I enjoyed a portion of the book, but had some issues with other parts. The positives:
• The beginning included some interesting information about how legislation gets passed.
• One of the protagonists was a young black female. She was written as a strong character, and it was easy to root for her. It was nice to see a young woman of color featured prominently in a book published in the early 2000s.
• The friendship between two protagonists was refreshing, as there are few novels that include friendships between a two people of the opposite sex without throwing in a romance.
• It did the job in terms of keeping my brain occupied during the trip, which made the drive seem shorter.
• Flashing back to the time of widespread use of Blackberries and pagers was amusing.
The negatives:
• The plot contained many holes, which were never adequately explained.
• There seemed to be lots of filler in the form of long stretches of narrative that didn’t lead anywhere or move the plot forward.
• The narrative shifted from one character to another unnecessarily.
• The ending proved unsatisfying.
The audio book was read by Scott Brick. He did a good job of giving different voices to the characters, both male and female. He was easy to understand and follow.
Contains graphic violence and profanity.
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Pages
480