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Rating: 
Summary: A Quick Paced Roller Coaster Ride With A Bad Ending
Review: Having read this novel sometime ago, I made myself go back and re-read it before attempting to critique it. Now, after going through it a second time my impressions of "The Zero Hour" have not changed. Joseph Finder captures the reader's attention with a daring jail brake from a South African Prison. If this novel was a chess game I would say this opening was to the point. I was hooked. Add a rather inventive plot concerning the revenge of an incredibly wealthy man by the destruction of a clandestine computer system which practically runs our planet, and this story picked up steam in a hurry. Where it did run into a snag was in the character of Sarah Cahill, the FBI agent that ultimately saves the day. Her character seems too weak and hardly at all a match for "The Prince of Darkness". It would be nice if a female characters in Sarah's position could be portrayed as strong and confident. The fact that she is able to foil, perhaps the greatest professional terrorist of all time is a fluke at best. The ending of this novel ruined all the good work that had gone before. This one looks like it was made for television. The truth of the matter is that professional operatives are rarely stopped, and when they are, it is by law enforcement individuals that are equally as brilliant. Two evenly matched oponents in a real life game of chess, that is what makes novels in this genre work
Rating: 
Summary: Pre 9/11 Thriller Still Worth a Look
Review: It's unfortunate that this book is out of print-- I suppose that to some it might seem that the events of 9/11 have rendered this tale of a terrorist attack on NYC moot. Not so. Finder's story, set after the first attack on the WTC, is a bit spooky in how it manages to anticipate some of what did occur years later. Details about the world of terrorism and counter-terrorism that may have seemed merely nice detail work originally now have a special kind of resonance. For that reason alone, this book would be worth a look. But that's not all it has to offer. Finder combines the tech-savvy detail of Clancy with the personal drama and driving suspense of Ludlum. We get a whole cast of characters that are drawn well enough to engage us in the story without stopping the narrative push. Action, surprises, twists and a grippingly real premise-- the book manages to entertain and give you something to think about when it's over. A great read. I can only hope that the release of Finder's new novel Paranoia will fuel interest in his earlier works so that this sees print again, because it deserves to be out there.
Rating:
Summary: Very Fast Paced
Review: This book is a lot of fun. I was reading along and thinking it may not be bad to have this happen to my place of work. This fast-paced book and the speed of the story helps to increase the tension and suspense. I hate to sound like a dust jacket, but this book really is an action-packed thriller. You have prison breaks, terrorists, low down scummy business tycoons, the CIA, and a good smattering of Joe everyday cops. An interesting and exciting mix that keeps the book fast paced. I have read other books by this author and he is getting better by the book. More of his books will make there way to the big screen if he keeps up his history of quality writing.
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