The Zero Game

Rating:
Summary: HORRIBLE
Review: Absolutely one of the most boring books of the year. 460 pages of pure crap - a watse of anyone's time.

Rating:
Summary: Not even in your dreams - but fun to read
Review: I was turned off by Metzler in the first book I read of his,The First Counsel. I then read later efforts and adjusted my thinking. This book is fine as long as you suspend belief in the ultimate objective, i.e. believing the plot. However, there is a lot of insight in this book in to the working of the legislative side of the government which is instructive and interesting...and as I have said...if you buy into the plot that he sets, the rest is easy. I did have a problem with how he told this story. In the first person for two of the characters, one of whom is murdered, and then back to the third person. Maybe it works for others...it didn't for me. However this is NOT a bad book. It is just a bit different and if you like the author...go for it.

Rating:
Summary: Meltzer's First Failure
Review: (Beware: plot disclosure). Brad Meltzer is obviously a very smart guy, a former lawyer-turned writer. His books have that "insider" flare that really grabs the reader, at least in his first books. But now he's managed to commit a cardinal sin of novelists: killing off his narrator. In addition, THE ZERO GAME is little more than one big chase sequence, in and out of Washington. He gives very brief glimpses of Congress, and they're fun, but unfortunately they are not enough to sustain the novel. I'll look forward eagerly to Brad Meltzer's next novel, but sadly, this one just doesn't work.

Rating:
Summary: good premise...then boring
Review: Because I hated "The Tenth Justice" so much, I swore I would never read another Meltzer book again. Whoops, I bought it because the blurb seemed intriguing. My mistake. I see it's on the best-seller list...I guess a lot of us made a mistake. I liked the initial premise...a betting game played by Washington
participants. Noone knows who the other players are. But as the game progresses, it just seems a hook to draw us into an "I-don't-care-about-this-mine" plot. OK, learned my lesson...no more Meltzer ever!

Rating:
Summary: Non-Stop Action
Review: Brad Meltzer continues his good work in an excellent thriller. The story features non-stop action with unexpected twists. The plot is well developed, involves current events, and is not predictible, which is always a plus for a true thriller fan. You will find this one difficult to put down!

Rating:
Summary: Easy to read, informative albeit implausible
Review: If you want a sneak peek into the life & work of Capitol Hill staffers and lobbyists, this is an excellent book. It is also a fast read and enjoyable thus making up for the implausibility of the story (one undestands poetic license but there are limits). This is not a sophisticated novel but it is still pleasant to read.

Rating:
Summary: Give me my money back
Review: Meltzer is like a lot of other once-good writers: he's trading on past successes and now just churning out junk to make money. This is one of the worst suspense novels I've read, totally unbelievable, and absolutely the last time I'll spend a dime to read anything he's written. Charging for crap like this ought to be considered unethical.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!!!
Review: Although farfetched, I couldn't put the book down. The action was fast, hardhitting, and suspensful. I just enjoyed it immensely.

Rating:
Summary: Despite What Others Say...
Review: I thought that this was an excellent page turner!! Meltzer has a gift of writing and it is clearly shown here as in his previous works. I'm not going to waste time by disecting the book because I don't like it when book plots are given away, but I do recommend this book if you enjoy legal thrillers!!! Hats Off to Meltzer!!!

Rating:
Summary: stunningly poor performance from Meltzer
Review: The entire book reads like a poorly thought-out movie script. The dialogue made me cringe with every third line, and the ending was nothing short of pathetic. I think the author needs to spend less time in front of the TV and more time reading. Oh yes, and perhaps grow a brain.

Then again, if he makes decent money churning out this drivel, Mr. Meltzer may not be quite as dribbingly stupid as he seems.