The Fourth Order: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

Stephen Frey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A less than credible scenario undermines this stand-alone thriller from bestseller Frey (The Power Broker). Michael Rose, chief financial officer for Trafalgar Industries, wants to acquire CIS (Computer Information Systems), which provides its services to a secret government program, I-4 (for the Fourth Order of Immunity). Since the day after 9/11, I-4 has had wide license to detain and torture anyone with suspected terrorist connections, including U.S. citizens. Rose, who faces opposition allied with I-4 on the Trafalgar board, must also deal with a number of personal challenges; for starters, the police suspect him of murdering his unfaithful wife. Rose is strangely unsuspicious when a beautiful young woman throws herself at him, despite signs that she's part of an effort to set him up. Frey doesn't supply enough plausible detail to support his paranoid vision of an America where even the innocent disappear without trace into secret facilities. Some readers may find the cabal's true plan, when revealed, too far-fetched to swallow.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for Stephen Frey

The Power Broker

“Exciting . . . The action roars along like a small tsunami.”
–Publishers Weekly

“An intriguing and fast-paced read.”
–bookreporter.com

The Protégé

“When it comes to high-finance intrigue, this series continues to look good on the bottom line.”
–Booklist

“Fast-paced thrilles, chills . . . The Protégé won’t disappoint.”
–San Antonio Express-News

The Chairman

“[Frey’s] best yet . . . twists galore, great action and crisp dialogue. With his lively writing and cynical humor, [Frey] is a captivating tour guide to a Wall Street wonderland of greed, folly and deceit.”
–Forbes

“High-stakes power play at its most ferocious level. Read it!”
–Donald J. Trump


From the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 282 KB
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (May 29, 2007)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000R38A3Y
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,196 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Stephen Frey is a managing director at a private equity firm. He is the bestselling author of fourteen previous novels, including The Fourth Order, The Insider, and The Takeover. He lives in Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good read BUT, September 14, 2007

By 

M. Bonaminio - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fourth Order: A Novel (Hardcover)

I'm a Frey fan, but after reading all his novels I really can't tell one from the other. With exception of the Christian Gillette series, all storylines involve the same aspects. A supposedly young hot shot business exec who is smart enough to run a multi-billion dollar corporation yet stupid enough to continue to get involved with the same female character who ends up, for a lack of better word, screwing him at the end. I get so frustrated because halfway through any of Frey's books you can pretty much predict the outcome. Frey portrays his main character as strong willed and razor sharp while at the same time being brain dead. Frey needs to mix it up and change his plot around because I'm not interested in reading the same novel over and over and over again.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Totally unconvincing, July 26, 2007

By 

LC1 - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fourth Order: A Novel (Hardcover)

I'm surprised that this author has published 13 prior novels. While the sentences were serviceable, the paragraphs and chapters weren't if one is looking for good fiction. Neither the characters nor plot were credible. If this book is representative of his other work, I suspect his business pedigree matters more than his writing ability. For a really excellent thriller regarding business skullduggery and behind the scenes machinations, read Brian Haig's "Private Sector". Haig's creds are respectable, too. He retired as an Army colonel; when he writes about black units, one tends to believe he knows of what he speaks.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars exciting conspiracy thriller, June 2, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fourth Order: A Novel (Hardcover)

Virginia based Trafalgar Industries CFO Michael Rose strongly believes that his energy firm needs to diversify into other sectors. His target is Computer Information Systems, which he feels if successful will lead him to being the CEO at Trafalgar. He expected some opposition from within especially those who loathe him and the few who actually think it is a mistake to acquire anything outside the core mission. However, Michael is stunned with the hostile violent reaction of the CIS board.

Michael does not have the need to know who the prime customer of CIS is since 9/11 as this seemingly successful firm provides top secret assistance to the agents working at a deeply hidden federal program, I-4 (Immunity at the Fourth Order). I-4 known within as the Order detains, renditions, and tortures suspected terrorists and anyone linked even nebulously to terrorist groups; American citizens are not immune from this top secret Order who do not bother with obtaining permission from the courts. Rose soon finds his personal life in shambles when the police consider him the prime suspect in his cheating wife's murder; the Order does not mind collateral damage even if the innocent die.

This is an exciting conspiracy thriller, but leave your plausibly check outside as several key events especially the Order's plan and history seems stretched to the point of almost breaking the plot. Still the story line is fast-paced as Michael who plays hardball in business and in his personal life soon finds who is the major leagues as he is framed in several ways (not just with his wife's murder). Stephen Frey provides an entertaining tale that his fans will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner