Customer Reviews

Double Identity

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I first met Joe Bradlee in Zettler's first book, "The Second Man." I took an immediate liking to the character. How unusual to be introduced to a Secret Service agent with plenty of heart - one who agonizes over his current state of affairs and genuinely longs for a way out, for a new life.

Zettler's second book, "Double Identity," continues the saga of Joe Bradlee with plenty of twists and turns. Every chapter ended with a bang or a snappy comeback or insight, which left me with both a sense of resolution, as well as and a sense of anticipatory delight - as though I was reading a series of short stories that followed the character from one moment to the next. I enjoyed it very much.

When I went to the library to get this book I was bored and I knew I wanted something interesting that would keep me reading. So I looked in the mystery/thriller section and found Double Identity and got it because it looked cool on the front. So when I started reading it I couldn't put it down and I read it everyday until I got done. This book is one of the best books I've ever read. On the real, go cop it. ~Special K

Arthur Preston is a charismatic man, who is the head of the Shared Charities of the United Martyrs, a supposedly non-profit organization that deals in the charitable and philanthropic arenas. In reality, the group is an elaborate Ponzi scheme that swindles money from the most needy. The charity is also tied to laundered money for the drug cartels and other criminal groups. Arthur encourages all the nefarious activity because it lines his own pockets with plenty of cash.

Government officials are fully aware of Prestion's illegal shenanigans, but there is a lack of hard evidence that stymies the feds from bringing charges against the man. Things suddenly change when Preston's second-in-command decides to testify if the Feds can guarantee his safety. Joe Bradlee, a disillusioned former Secret Service agent turned New York cop is a dead ringer for the stoolie. He will serve as a red herring by making public appearances while the real witness is smuggled into a court room. As easy as the assignment first seems to Joe, he soon learns that he does not know who are the good guys and who are the moles wanting him dead.

DOUBLE IDENTITY is a fast paced thriller in which every character wears multiple masks, making it impossible for the hero and the readers to distinguish the good, the bad, or the ugly from each other. Though the story line initially appears too simplistic and even trite to be enjoyed, readers will surprisingly feel that they have been through an emotional spin cycle that has left them fully satisfied that they received full value for their money. Steve Zettler always manages to keep his audience on the edge of an emotional abyss.

Harriet Klausner

RE STEVE ZETTLER. I am an ex Korean War vet. and ex construction worker, so I know all the swear words, but I'll be damned if I want that word incorporated on every single page of a bookI READ FOR ENJOYMENT ..I think it's a direct insult to anyone's intelligence.Double Identity is the first of Steve Zettlers books I've read, and it is the last. Spoils the content. Of course I'm used to the classics. Ken Follette and Ludlum.