Q.R. Markham

I know it was pulled off by the publisher due to plagiarism but I will write review anyways. My understanding is that the pieces that author of this book copied from other works are not really related to the core of the novel (that is not to say that it's ok to plagiarize). The book premise is quite original, which you can't say very often about spy thrillers. The writing also is quite good. It does loose pace sometimes and author was often loosing me when he embarks on some some generalized show more quasi-philosophical intermissions. Still, originality and writing quality pulls it up, in my opinion, to at least three stars. show less

This rating is not based on the plagarism issue but rather on the writing. I finished the book (which took a while) before I learned about the fact that it had been pulled due to plagarism claims. While the storyline was interesting the writing was quite disappointing. Overall I found the book disjointed and hard to follow. Even if there were no claims of plagarism I would not have recommended this book.

"Number One"- Tom Hibbert is an American spy of I-Division traveling by night train from Paris to Berlin, when he meets this attractive female, "Snow Queen," she invites him to her private compartment for a night-cap. While in conversation and relaxing drinking their cocktail, they begin too kiss passionately when she pulls out this long glass barrel syringe and sticks it in his jugular vein, injecting him with drugs. A fight commences, she's too strong with the drugs taking effect on him, show more he's being overpowered, when he reaches into his trousers, pulls out a grenade and pulls the pin, but before the grenade explodes she escapes from her
compartment saving her life, but not "Number One's."
Jonathan Chase-"Number Two" working for Brewster, the head of the CIA intelligence organization, have uncovered this secret assassination cell "Zero Directorate." Their mode of operandi was to drug and kidnap spies from all over the world, so that they could interrogate them on film, using this information as they see fit, but "Number One" foiled their plans and took care of this situation before they could carry out their operation. Chase has at his disposiable a whole range of electronic sound stealing equipment along with all sorts of other instrumental tools used for survival and sets out to uncover who the "Zero Directorate" organization is and why do they exist.
A very interesting novel with a different plot, bringing in analogies of the Bible and ancient history too make this story seem authentic. show less

I enjoyed the story. It was like the old James Bond books by Ian Fleming. The book was difficult to get into at the first, with all of the background to introduce the characters. I just found out about the plagiarism issue after rating the book and starting my review. I would love to see more novels of this type in the future.