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Nina Zero #1
Shooting Elvis
After delivering a package to Los Angeles International Airport and, in the process, accidentally blowing it up, Mary Alice Baker finds herself wanted by the FBI as a psychotic terrorist and pursued by a mysterious pair of sadistic thugs.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
14 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Robert Eversz
15 books12 followersA graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz and UCLA's MFA Program in Film, Television, and Digital Media, ROBERT EVERSZ pounded the mean streets of Hollywood for a decade before fleeing to Europe to write Gypsy Hearts, an expatriate novel set in Prague and Budapest, and his five novels about Nina Zero and the American Obsession with celebrity culture.
Among other distinctions, his novels have been translated into 15 languages and have appeared on the critical best-of-year lists of The Washington Post, Oslo Aftenposten, Bookpage, the Manchester Guardian, and January Magazine.
At least a part-time resident of Prague since 1992, he helped found the Prague Summer Writer's Workshop, now the Prague Summer Program, and serves on its permanent faculty. He has also lived, at various times, in San Pol de Mar, Spain, Morelia, Mexico, and Silvi Marina, Italy. In 2007, he judged the Association of Writers and Writing Programs' Award Series In the Novel, and is currently Writer in Residence at Western Michigan University.
Among other distinctions, his novels have been translated into 15 languages and have appeared on the critical best-of-year lists of The Washington Post, Oslo Aftenposten, Bookpage, the Manchester Guardian, and January Magazine.
At least a part-time resident of Prague since 1992, he helped found the Prague Summer Writer's Workshop, now the Prague Summer Program, and serves on its permanent faculty. He has also lived, at various times, in San Pol de Mar, Spain, Morelia, Mexico, and Silvi Marina, Italy. In 2007, he judged the Association of Writers and Writing Programs' Award Series In the Novel, and is currently Writer in Residence at Western Michigan University.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 21, 2011
But it was the most generous thing anybody has ever done for me outside of my mother giving me birth, and even that I think of as a mixed gift
This is book is Girl with the Dragon Tattoo set in LA and wrapped in a gauze of modern cool. This is a serious page turner but apart from that the author, R.M Eversz has such a unique grasp of language that you can't help but halt your roller coaster ride and take in some of his unique descriptions. On the cover it says "reads like The Catcher in the Rye with high explosives". I'm not sure about The Catcher in the Rye part, I can't really see the similarities there but the high explosives? Hell yeah!
It all starts when Mary caves into her good for nothing boyfriend and takes a briefcase into the airport. Soon enough she's in a bit of a pickle, the bomb has exploded in the terminal and a bunch of killer dudes are on the hunt for her. She chops her hair, dyes it black, pierces her nose and immersers herself in an artsy corner of LA. Not such a stretch for her seeing as she's an avid photographer. From this point on you've got to buckle up for a joy ride of car chases, kidnapping, spying and a bit of sex. There are points in the book where you go...hmm yeah sure (for example when she slides off her motorbike beneath a speeding truck) but then again this chick is pretty bad ass. Give it a read.
This is book is Girl with the Dragon Tattoo set in LA and wrapped in a gauze of modern cool. This is a serious page turner but apart from that the author, R.M Eversz has such a unique grasp of language that you can't help but halt your roller coaster ride and take in some of his unique descriptions. On the cover it says "reads like The Catcher in the Rye with high explosives". I'm not sure about The Catcher in the Rye part, I can't really see the similarities there but the high explosives? Hell yeah!
It all starts when Mary caves into her good for nothing boyfriend and takes a briefcase into the airport. Soon enough she's in a bit of a pickle, the bomb has exploded in the terminal and a bunch of killer dudes are on the hunt for her. She chops her hair, dyes it black, pierces her nose and immersers herself in an artsy corner of LA. Not such a stretch for her seeing as she's an avid photographer. From this point on you've got to buckle up for a joy ride of car chases, kidnapping, spying and a bit of sex. There are points in the book where you go...hmm yeah sure (for example when she slides off her motorbike beneath a speeding truck) but then again this chick is pretty bad ass. Give it a read.
May 23, 2022
(Strong start - medium middle - medium/strong end)
September 3, 2007
SHOOTING ELVIS (Action Thriller-LA-Cont) – G+
Eversz, Robert M. – 1st in series
Grove Press, 1996- Hardcover
Mary Alice Baker lives in an abusive family, takes photographs of children and has a boyfriend who convinces her to deliver a package to a stranger at LAX. But when she accidentally causes a bomb to go off in the airport, Mary transforms herself into Nina Zero in order to survive and find out who was behind it.
*** Mary/Nina is a product of her environment and the company she keeps. But she's also a tough survivor with a wry outlook on life. You can't help but like her. The action is fast-paced and certainly depicts the unglamorous side of Los Angeles. I shall keep following the trials and tribulations of Nina.
Eversz, Robert M. – 1st in series
Grove Press, 1996- Hardcover
Mary Alice Baker lives in an abusive family, takes photographs of children and has a boyfriend who convinces her to deliver a package to a stranger at LAX. But when she accidentally causes a bomb to go off in the airport, Mary transforms herself into Nina Zero in order to survive and find out who was behind it.
*** Mary/Nina is a product of her environment and the company she keeps. But she's also a tough survivor with a wry outlook on life. You can't help but like her. The action is fast-paced and certainly depicts the unglamorous side of Los Angeles. I shall keep following the trials and tribulations of Nina.
October 12, 2021
One of the few fiction books in my collection.
This is modern L.A. Noir recommended from L.A. Weekly.
They did not disappoint. Amazing adventure taking place in the towns, streets and freeways of Los Angeles during the 90's. I recognize most of the geography and places mentioned creating a strange sense of "being there". Of course, I had to continue reading the subsequent 3 books in this series. Read on.
This is modern L.A. Noir recommended from L.A. Weekly.
They did not disappoint. Amazing adventure taking place in the towns, streets and freeways of Los Angeles during the 90's. I recognize most of the geography and places mentioned creating a strange sense of "being there". Of course, I had to continue reading the subsequent 3 books in this series. Read on.
November 15, 2011
This was a rather ridiculous book, the "sweet" little girl from a small town suddenly becomes some kind of wiz at hiding from the cops and becomes a bad ass? Ya that's a believable story.
Thankfully it wasn't a very long story so I didn't waste a lot of time on it.
Thankfully it wasn't a very long story so I didn't waste a lot of time on it.
March 30, 2012
I don't usually read genre fiction...
but when I do, I want it to be sexy and engaging. Straight up no-nonsense narrative. This is that.
but when I do, I want it to be sexy and engaging. Straight up no-nonsense narrative. This is that.
October 4, 2021
A random event turns a supposedly "good girl" (with a broken past and bad family history) into a total badass. This is one of those books that would probably make a very entertaining action movie, especially if directed by someone like Tarantino. I still haven't actually figured out what was in the case though...
February 19, 2019
Closer to 1.5 stars but giving it 1 seemed mean... Anyway, the story may have been going somewhere interesting but the writing was honestly just embarrassing and I had to stop at around 100 pages in because it seemed to be getting worse the further it went.
June 27, 2024
I really enjoyed the beginning and the middle. Couldn’t put it down. Unfortunately I felt like the end was messy and it dragged on.
I enjoyed Nina as a character but I felt like I missed some depth from her.
I enjoyed Nina as a character but I felt like I missed some depth from her.
September 10, 2019
I remember the cover of this book and absolutely nothing else about it. Thanks college years!
March 14, 2022
Best word to describe is So-So. Never really engaged with the central character and was indifferent to her fate . OK at best.
April 29, 2022
Kinda cool kinda weird
October 18, 2025
Sped through this thriller. Good main character. Improbable but fun plot. Good redemption scene with violent father.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2013
RATING: 4.5
When you hear the name “Mary Alice Baker”, what image do you conjure up in your mind? Something like a sweet girl living in a small town wearing fuzzy pink sweaters? That’s exactly who Mary Alice Baker is, a 24-year-old with very few ambitions other than to keep peace in her family, which is admittedly difficult with her hotheaded and physically abusive father. Mary Alice has her own place and works as a photographer’s assistant at Hansel & Gretel, a kids’ photo specialty shop. Mary Alice is actually a talented photographer who views life through her camera lens, but she doesn’t even know that she has talent.
Life changes dramatically one day when her worthless boyfriend, Wrex, asks her to exchange a package at LAX airport. Even though he is perpetually broke, he is willing to give her $200 to make the swap which convinces her in spite of her reservations about possibly being involved in a drug deal or worse. She’s to meet a guy with a cigar and give him a briefcase and take whatever he gives her in return. What he gives her is a huge case on wheels. What she gives him is an exploding briefcase that blows up part of the airport. In just a few short seconds, Mary Alice becomes a terrorist.
Frightened out of her wits, she goes into hiding, dyes her hair black, pierces her nose and ears and dresses in funky clothes. Her new alias is “Nina Zero”, and the change in name is truly a change in character. Nina becomes a person living on the edge. She finds a room with a filmmaker wannabe and a kitsch artist by the name of Billy b. Eventually, they figure out who she is and want to cash in on her notoriety. Everyone wants a piece of Nina, now that she’s become a celebrity. Think “tabloid fodder” or “movie of the week”. In the meantime, she hooks up with a detective agency (with 2 guys named Ben and Jerry) so that she can figure out what is really going on. She’s also being followed by 2 ruthless thugs who she calls Frick and Frack.
At first, we breeze through life with Nina, kind of like being on the inside of a great caper. But things quickly become very serious and lots of bad stuff goes down, much of which is at the hands of our heroine. It turns out she’s rough and she’s tough and she’s resourceful and spirited. She’s as different from Mary Alice Baker as a man-eating tiger is from a kitten. In fact, she is a lethal weapon.
Hip, fast-moving, humorous, terrifying, shocking, poignant—this book covers all the bases. Eversz has crafted a wonderful tale with a memorable protagonist. I sure hope she gets out of jail soon so that we can see her again.
If you like noir, you’re going to love this very original book! Highly recommended.
When you hear the name “Mary Alice Baker”, what image do you conjure up in your mind? Something like a sweet girl living in a small town wearing fuzzy pink sweaters? That’s exactly who Mary Alice Baker is, a 24-year-old with very few ambitions other than to keep peace in her family, which is admittedly difficult with her hotheaded and physically abusive father. Mary Alice has her own place and works as a photographer’s assistant at Hansel & Gretel, a kids’ photo specialty shop. Mary Alice is actually a talented photographer who views life through her camera lens, but she doesn’t even know that she has talent.
Life changes dramatically one day when her worthless boyfriend, Wrex, asks her to exchange a package at LAX airport. Even though he is perpetually broke, he is willing to give her $200 to make the swap which convinces her in spite of her reservations about possibly being involved in a drug deal or worse. She’s to meet a guy with a cigar and give him a briefcase and take whatever he gives her in return. What he gives her is a huge case on wheels. What she gives him is an exploding briefcase that blows up part of the airport. In just a few short seconds, Mary Alice becomes a terrorist.
Frightened out of her wits, she goes into hiding, dyes her hair black, pierces her nose and ears and dresses in funky clothes. Her new alias is “Nina Zero”, and the change in name is truly a change in character. Nina becomes a person living on the edge. She finds a room with a filmmaker wannabe and a kitsch artist by the name of Billy b. Eventually, they figure out who she is and want to cash in on her notoriety. Everyone wants a piece of Nina, now that she’s become a celebrity. Think “tabloid fodder” or “movie of the week”. In the meantime, she hooks up with a detective agency (with 2 guys named Ben and Jerry) so that she can figure out what is really going on. She’s also being followed by 2 ruthless thugs who she calls Frick and Frack.
At first, we breeze through life with Nina, kind of like being on the inside of a great caper. But things quickly become very serious and lots of bad stuff goes down, much of which is at the hands of our heroine. It turns out she’s rough and she’s tough and she’s resourceful and spirited. She’s as different from Mary Alice Baker as a man-eating tiger is from a kitten. In fact, she is a lethal weapon.
Hip, fast-moving, humorous, terrifying, shocking, poignant—this book covers all the bases. Eversz has crafted a wonderful tale with a memorable protagonist. I sure hope she gets out of jail soon so that we can see her again.
If you like noir, you’re going to love this very original book! Highly recommended.
April 20, 2023
I always have a book that I keep in the car and this is why it took me so long to read this one.
The premise was very unique and interesting but the book wasn’t that enjoyable to read. It started off well but had some boring parts throughout. I found it a little confusing too. Overall it was disappointing.
The premise was very unique and interesting but the book wasn’t that enjoyable to read. It started off well but had some boring parts throughout. I found it a little confusing too. Overall it was disappointing.
June 20, 2014
I enjoy books about paparazzi, but what really puts this book over the top as a success is the vibrant heroine Nina Zero. Things go terribly wrong for her the minute her sexy, bad-ass boyfriend Wrex asks her to deliver a briefcase that explodes half a minute after the transaction, blowing a healthy chunk of LAX to smithereens.
Wanted by the law, she can't return to her old, boring life as a photographer at the baby-photo studio Hansel & Gretel's, but that's okay-- her old life was as exciting as the 20th viewing of an inane sitcom anyway. After she gives herself a bad girl makeover-- piercing her nose, dyeing her hair after chopping it short, throwing away her good-girl clothes in exchange for "outlaw" black-- the real fun begins. She takes up with an artsy crowd that lives and works in L.A. warehouses and starts to take the photographs she really wants to. Guess what? They have nothing to do with cute little bunnies and babies. No spoilers here-- I'll let Nina take you on her adventure yourself. She's a girl who could be friends with some of the spunky women in Gillian Flynn's and Chelsea Cain's novels, and Eversz' execution of this novel is exhilarating.
Wanted by the law, she can't return to her old, boring life as a photographer at the baby-photo studio Hansel & Gretel's, but that's okay-- her old life was as exciting as the 20th viewing of an inane sitcom anyway. After she gives herself a bad girl makeover-- piercing her nose, dyeing her hair after chopping it short, throwing away her good-girl clothes in exchange for "outlaw" black-- the real fun begins. She takes up with an artsy crowd that lives and works in L.A. warehouses and starts to take the photographs she really wants to. Guess what? They have nothing to do with cute little bunnies and babies. No spoilers here-- I'll let Nina take you on her adventure yourself. She's a girl who could be friends with some of the spunky women in Gillian Flynn's and Chelsea Cain's novels, and Eversz' execution of this novel is exhilarating.
March 31, 2010
The book started off well - a sassy, strong female lead character, from a dysfunctional background who finds herself embroiled in a "terrorist" atrocity.
From there the plot unravelled. The strong character subsides into a shadow of her former self - reliant on a series of male figures who come into her life.
The "package" that everyone is chasing is just too unbelievable to be true.
The violence, and there's quite a bit of it, is cartoony, and far too predictable. I was looking for an element of suspense and surprise, which sadly never materialised.
From there the plot unravelled. The strong character subsides into a shadow of her former self - reliant on a series of male figures who come into her life.
The "package" that everyone is chasing is just too unbelievable to be true.
The violence, and there's quite a bit of it, is cartoony, and far too predictable. I was looking for an element of suspense and surprise, which sadly never materialised.
January 7, 2012
Shooting Elvis has become a running joke with me, because I see at least one copy on the fiction shelves of quite literally every secondhand bookstore I visit (and I spend a lot of time trawling such places, all over the state).
I read the novel years ago, and while I forget the details, my overall impression was something close to "meh".
I read the novel years ago, and while I forget the details, my overall impression was something close to "meh".
January 10, 2023
Fun, pulpy. The characters are cartoony, as are the circumstances that make her an infamous fugitive, but it's a breezy noir. There's a lot of ’90s pop cynicism about art and celebrity, which could be grating for some. Or, if you're like me, it might make you nostalgic for--I can't believe I'm saying this--a simpler time.
May 1, 2011
Better than Evanovich. Almost as good as John Dunning. Robert Eversz has created a unique heroine in Nina Zero. Plus he turned me on to Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon which I am currently reading...and loving.
May 8, 2015
Nice narrative style... relaxed, casual, fun. In Nina Zero, Eversz created a character easy to root for. Think Lisbeth Salander and Vanessa Michael Munroe without the pretense. Reminds me a little of Charlie Huston's "Henry Thompson" trilogy, though not as brilliantly written.
October 25, 2009
Lots of mayhem and violence in LA.
January 2, 2013
Not every man is meant to write a woman.
March 4, 2013
Fast moving, wild ridemof a book. Well described, like a film. Makes sense because the author is a screenwriter too. I liked it a lot.
May 20, 2016
entretenida! bombazos balazos escapes y enredos, y nina zero un muy buen personaje
June 15, 2013
this book was one of my guilty pleasures, but just too much fun to give anything but four stars
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews