Customer Reviews

Ground Zero

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of the last forty mysteries and thrillers I've read, this is easily the best. Bonnie Ramthun combines intellectually interesting War Games tension with emotionally engaging characters. The Colorado Springs setting is literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air.

This is an accomplished first novel that deftly combines a "locked room" mystery, espionage, war games and intrigue. I came to this book in a dubious frame of mind 1) I'd just read a really bad "first" novel 2) I had doubts about a woman author doing espionage. 3) Spies can be boring. I was pleasantly surprised on all counts.

Ms. Ramthun uses a fast intercut method of whizzing us from D.C. to Colorado Springs to the Middle East and the wilds of Russia without dropping the ball or our interest. The characters are interesting, life-like and have recognizable human traits. The drop dead gorgeous girl is not a cardboard cut out; she is also pregnant, has morning sickness, and is becoming compulsive about beef jerky, Twinkies and moon pies.

In spite of the many threads in the story, it was easy to follow. My interest intensified as the plot developed, and I found I was in the "can't-put-it-down" mode. (My favorite reading stance). The war games are so well described; even this novice knew what was going on.

The book was a real pleasure and I am looking forward to Ms. Ramthun's next novel. I'd bookmark her if I could.

Neat setting and premise for a mystery: a war gamer gets murdered during a simulation exercise in an isolated, top secret military facility. The rarified world of defense strategy is well drawn, with the techno elements explained vividly and in context of the plot. The characeters are fairly well delineated. Some of the gamers/suspects are the most developed. The female (civilian) detective suffered a bit from stereotypical "instant love" for a hunky suspect, straining credibility and bogging down the action a bit midbook. Not a major flaw; the grafting of the romantic subplot was just less smooth than the rest. The solution to the locked-room puzzle was handled deftly, and the final chapters were truly gripping. (No spoiler, but the actual "whodunnit" and "howdunnit" become crucial elements in a much larger, tenser plot development.) All in all, a nifty, unusual read. The author is one to watch.

This is a combination detective story, police procedural, and thriller. At an Air Force base in Colorado, an impossible crime is committed when a woman is murdered in a way that eyewitnesses and film prove could not have been accomplished. Thus, Eileen Reed of the Colorado Springs police has not only to discover whodunit but how it was done. At the same time, espionage at the base is being investigated separately, and this investigation is equally fascinating. Excellent in many respects, the novel has great narrative drive that kept me reading eagerly on, and the technical aspects never get in the way of that narrative drive. The weaknesses: The detective's falling in love with a suspect has become a cliché that not only bores but irritates, the supposedly obligatory sex scene could easily have been dispensed with, and the solution to the impossible crime reminds one of the earliest locked-room-crime stories. Ramthun's second novel has been published, and I certainly plan on reading it.

Bonnie Ramthun's Ground Zero is a great read for those of us that enjoy mystery novels with technical and global consequences. The novel does an excellent job keeping the reader riveted to three or four subplots that are tied to the main mystery, the murder of the despicable and deceiptful Terry Guzman. The attention to detail and the insigths into the main characters psyches, desires, and fears is great. I would highly recommend this book to not only fans of technical and defense-related thrillers but also to readers that enjoy a good "whodoneit".

They say all first novels are autobiographical, and this one is probably no exception. But with this, her first novel, Ramthun shows that she has all the tools necessary to write first-rate mystery/thrillers. Her plotting, characterization, and dialog are all solid, and she's turned out a more than credible first effort. It's a fast read, and leaves you looking forward to reading other books by this author.

Relative to other first novels, this one deserves five stars. But even in comparison to good novels by experienced writers, it deserves the four stars I've given it. If Ramthun improves, as many first-time novelists do with their second and subsequent books, she will be a writer to be reckoned with.

Ramthun's Ground Zero is a techno-thriller murder mystery that kept me turning the pages. If Tom Clancy and Agatha Christie had written together, this is what would have resulted. I loved the cutting edge technology that makes me wonder if she endangered her security clearance, but I also love the classic mystery of a real locked room, with the revelation that had me making the traditional Christie head smack, saying, "I shoulda known!" But even better, I loved and cared about the people, from the not-so-geeky computer programmers to the cops. The professional women are both fun, but real, and could easily be my friends. And finally, the story hangs together, front to back, top to bottom. Without a doubt, I think this is a great read!

The Iron Curtain may have come down and the Cold war ended, but the military still keeps a high level of readiness in case a nuclear or other type of attack occurs. New hardware is always being tested, and simulated war games and exercises are always being performed.

A war game is being conducted at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. There is only one entrance and exit into the inner room with observers watching from outside the fish bowl. However, someone is murdered inside the room. No one but the eight individuals entered the room once the test started.

Civilian detective Eileen Reed knows one of the seven remaining participants committed the act. Her inquiries lead her to realize that three other questionable deaths had been written off as accidents. Unbeknownst to Eileen, a CIA analyst Lucy is investigating a series of killings related to the missile defense program and why her agency has failed to make this a top priority case. Soon the two women team up in an effort to uncover the truth, not yet realizing what failure will mean to this country.

Bonnie Ranthon makes a stunning debut with GROUND ZERO, a thriller that feels very genuine; perhaps because the author is a former Pentagon war gamer. The team up of the two females is very refreshing as neither tries to out-macho the other. Instead, they work as a unit attempting to solve a deadly case. Fans of military thrillers and police procedurals with a kick will want this dynamic duo to reappear very soon.

Harriet Klausner

It's a story about a very secretive world within the U.S. military. The glimpses into this are the most interesting parts of the book. That's really what the story hung on for me. In this context, a murder occurs and we have a murder mystery. It's a "locked room, no one alive inside" story, although the solution isn't particularly ingenious or stunning. As said in other reviews, the love attraction doesn't seem realistic (or meaningful), and the biggie for me was its "I've watched too many action movies" or "I wanna sell this to Hollywood" feeling. I really hope the author has more ideas and she finds her own voice. Good luck to her.

I picked up this book on a whim and read it in a day. The plot, characters, and writing are all excellent. I am eagerly anticipating her next book.