Zero Option

by P.T. Deutermann, Dick Hill

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service sends David Stafford on a low-profile assignment: look into an Atlanta base where someone is running a scam involving public auctions of military surplus. But when he arrives in Georgia, Stafford stumbles on a dangerous secret. Soon he realizes that problems on the base run much deeper than he thought and could threaten national security. A cylinder of Wet Eye, a hazardous biological weapon with gruesome consequences, is missing, maybe stolen. But no one will admit it's gone. Stafford's suspicions lead him to Wendell Carson, a manager on the Atlanta base who has disturbing secrets of his own. As he hunts for answers, Stafford befriends an unusual, troubled young girl and her guardian, who live in a remote Georgia mountain town. What the girl knows about Carson and how she came by that knowledge trap Stafford between an unstable weapon with deadly power and a military bureaucracy desperate to cover its mistakes, no matter what the cost.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Military Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook

Audio Cassette

First published August 28, 1998

About the author

P. T. Deutermann is a retired Navy captain and has served in the joint Chiefs of Staff as an arms control specialist. He is the author of eighteen novels, and lives in North Carolina. His World War II adventure novel Pacific Glory won the W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction, administered by the American Library Association; his other World War II novels are Ghosts of Bungo Suido and Sentinels of Fire. His most recent novel is Cold Frame, a contemporary thriller set in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Darcee]

This is an excellent author if you like thrillers. I found him quite by accident and have loved everything I have read of his. Some military based, some otherwise.

Here we have former cop, NIS agent, now DCIS agent, who is sent to an Army materials reutilization and destruction base on a mundane assignment. He pissed off the wrong people in a previous assignment, did the right thing with the wrong political results, and this mundane investigation was his punishment. However, he uncovers something quite unexpected and terrifying, and pursues it to the chagrin of his superiors who just want to bury the whole thing. Add in a psychic element, and follow to the finale in the final moments.

[Glyn Evans]

Second book read by p t deutermann and i must say he does write exciting thrillers( firefly /first).We have a chemical weapon theft and we have army, fbi and one davod stafford to sort out the crime (no spoilers ). This author is very engaging to read you should try him sometime, so onto (hunting season) to read and don,t forget go out and BUY this book , you will not disappointed.

[Mark]

So-so Deutermann about a whistleblowing DCI investigator sent "out in the cold" to Atlanta to investigate scamming military surplus supplies when he stumbles across efforts to sell a weapons grade biochemical weapon...twists & turns & a little paranormal activity...maybe 3.5 stars!

[Dale Taylor]

Excellent Read

Deutermann is one of my favorites. Whether writing about naval warfare of civilian thrillers he get the details right and never lapses into the lazy cliches too many writers use.

[Woody James]

Deutermann writes well thought out thrillers. Very enjoyable read.

[Jim]

At least 100 pages too long. Started out okay but fell off a cliff half way through. Leave this dud on shelf.

[Richard Balassaitis]

I'm a P.T. Deutermann fan but this was an annoying and unbelievable read.

[Sydney]

Good story with a consistent flow. It painted government officials in a very bad light. The ending was a little anti-climatic and with an odd twist.

[Aaron Oakley]

For a thriller, the book wasn’t entirely thrilling. It only got exciting in the last chapter. The majority of the book just seemed to go on and on.

[Cindy Stark]

This was a well crafted fun read.

[Swan Bender]

This was an interesting enough read but it didn't resonate enough on the character development level for me. There wasn't any character I really believed in or wanted to keep knowing after the story ended. I ended the story with a shrug, happy it had fulfilled my need for a "Z" in the alphabet challenge.

[Gina]

I enjoy reading this author's work. "Scorpion of the Sea" was my first favorite, then "The Dark Side". This was an audio book. It took me away from my troubles and helped make that boring I-95 drive enjoyable. PT has a way with plots, character development and points of view. All the time he's weaving in current issues and current military situations.

[Brian]

This book was surprisingly good to me. I didn't expect it to be bad, but I thought it would provide me a few thrills here and there to help me get through my kinda dull summer break. Instead, it was something of a mystery movie, combined with a thriller movie, the good type that came out in the 90s. A very good book, with a lot of action in the last act.

[Elwood Blues]

Non stop

Again,PT Deuterman puts one out of the park. This book was great. It never stopped...loaded with action and details of a chemical and biological nightmare. As usual as...tons of twists.

[Hal]

passed the time

[Ruth]

good. interesting story, liked hero.

[Chuck]

The Army loses a tube of chemical/biological weapons material. It's not
really lost because we, the readers, know where it is; in the hands of a
bad guy.

[Matthew]

Good story line, wasn't quite expecting the paranormal aspect, but it was pretty well done. Fast paced.

[John Machata]

Too Army jargon. Fun enough.

[Garbageman]

The book was very good, though a little drawn out in places. Without wanting to spoil anything, there was one track that could have been left out.

[Toesnorth's mom]

too far out, started out ok but ending was silly

[Bob Spiridigliozzi]

Very good book, enjoyable read.

[Dan Smith]

Great story of government coverup between agencies.

[Izzy Krause]

I read Zero Option and Official Privilege back to back and distinguishing them from one another is hard looking back. These are written in the same style, and could easily be considered sequels, but they are not written as such. Robert Ludlum, author of the Bourne series, wrote many stand alone novels in a similar manner before Bourne became so popular and serialized. These Deutermann novels are in the same "world", but are different characters and aspects of that world. Two more books that I couldn't put down.