Ground Zero: Detective Eileen Reed Mysteries #1

Eileen Reed #1

by Bonnie Ramthun

The murder: At a high-security military complex in Colorado, a computer War Game ends with the brutal death of a programmer. The suspects: The seven other Gamers, all of whom have their own motives. The mystery: The victim was murdered in a sealed room that was impossible to enter or leave. Now, a homocide cop and a CIA analyst follow a trail of clues through a maze of international intrigue and treachery, and learn that one murder was only the beginning... "Like getting to wear a top security badge and being admitted into fascinating places you'd never otherwise get to go." -- Nancy Pickard, author of The Blue Corn Murders.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

388 pages, Hardcover

Published February 18, 2022

Reviews

[Brad]

2.75 stars for this one--pretty good, but seemed to drag in places. I found it at Salvation Army for 50 cents, and it was something to read on the airplane when I couldn't use my kindle to read stuff I was more interested in.

This was Ramthun's debut novel, and it isn't as polished as some of the other good things I've been reading lately. One of the big bads is a Muslim extremist, which is now kind of cliche; however, the book was written in 1999, back before we saw some of the major terrorist actions that have since been perpetrated.

Kind of cheesy romance that felt a little clunky. Also, there was one scene that was a little more graphic than I expected from the tone of the rest of the book. On the plus side, two of the major heroes (/heroines) are women, which is not par for the course in many of the thrillers I've read.

Probably don't go out of your way to get your hands on this book, but I wouldn't stop someone who picked it up at the library or found a free/supercheap copy.

Rating: R, for 1 steamy scene and a handful of language (including some f-words).


***SPOILERY THOUGHTS***
Synopsis: trampy lady who likes to hold power over her coworkers is murdered. Turns out she was was also selling national secrets. During the investigation, we discover that her husband murdered her for making his and everyone else's life hell. The security head of the military base was also in on the selling of information. The info gets into a crazy Arab's hands, and he launches a missile at the US. Much of the book takes place at a military base that controls the US missile defense program (descendent of Star Wars program), and the good guys are able to use the tech at the base to destroy the missile before it nuke the US.

[Ola]

7,5/10, bardzo spoko

[M]

Oh Yeah..This along with The Master Spy book all togehter, gives you an idea of the going on's of the CIA-FBI and all sorts of cloak and dagger REAL stuff --I learned about Drapma,GRU( the re-surgence of the KGB) then I saw a documentary, that brought home all these secret goings on..Rumsfeld ,Cheney ,Exxon , Bush..all together now. Dirty low down thieves. playing with our lives.

[Swhe641200]

Got this book from Good Sams in Nephi Samborie. It was a very good book about Enemies in space and a base in Colorado where agents were killed. Local police were called in and CSI were trying to get there is cover up the murders. It was a good book. A few bad words and a couplbe steamy scenes but very interesting about again what our government possibly really does.

[Amy]

fast paced, pretty good.

[Toesnorth's mom]

better, but not great

[Desy]

Great book!

[Marcie]

99-2000 Westview bookclub but I don't have where or when it was discussed.

[Angela]

I got to meet the author at a friend's house last night, so I am intrigued and want to give her book a chance - will be on the lookout for it.