Customer Reviews

Kill Zone: Book One in the War Games Series

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Vicki has given us another rocket-paced military suspense in her War Games series. The first to introduce the concept of the diabolical Thomas Kunz--a terrorist and black marketeer bent on taking over the world by infiltrating the West's intelligence agencies with double agents--was BODY DOUBLE, followed by DOUBLE DARE, DOUBLE VISION and now KILL ZONE. The difference with Kunz' doubles is that they look and sound like the original agents but are actually people who have been mentally, physically and surgically altered to follow his orders and steal top-secret government information for him. This time Kuntz targets a special abilities team led by psychologist Morgan Cabot and her two associates, Taylor Lee and Jazie Craig, after they are assigned to solve the mysterious death of the wife of a U.S. biological warfare expert. This team of "intuitive" parapsychologists consults for Colonel Sally Drake who runs S.A.S.S.--Secret Assignment Security Specialists, a group of highly trained American operatives who work outside normal protocol to protect the United States, but the American public can never know of their existence. Using S.A.S.S. as her anchor, Vicki Hinze presents each book like an episode in a television series. Only her gift for creating superb characters carries our suspension of disbelief so we can enjoy these stories forged in what seems a bizarre concept of identity theft.

KILL ZONE entertains and dazzles, but after reading all four of the War Games series, I must confess I miss the Vicki Hinze military romantic suspense that first turned me into a loyal fan: SHADES OF GRAY, DUPLICITY, ACTS OF HONOR and ALL DUE RESPECT. In those she combined superb story-telling skills with literary grace and sensitivity. I was mesmerized by her prose as much as I was with her riveting intrigue. And then she wrote, HER PERFECT LIFE, and I was reminded of how she can depict the life of the men and women in the forces with such spiritual understanding while upholding literary standards above and beyond rules of suspense. This is her forte, and though I enjoy the War Game series, I yearn for her to return to books that drew me to her in the first place.

This book is killer! Usually one of the things that bothers me about high action stories with kick-butt characters is the lack of deep emotion/dimension in the characters. I didn't have to worry about that with this one! Hinze knows how to build a character. The women are real. Real, brilliant, and determined! I can only hope that Hinze will do more books like this. Don't miss the opportunity for a skilled veteran author to show you how it's supposed to be done!

Ms. Hinze has done it again! She's created a fabulous thriller, with a unique plotline and characters you care about. Prepare to be up all night -- you're not going to put this one down!

I'm so glad to see this series continue. I was a huge fan of Vicki's previous "Double" books and the premise. All I say after the last page is "More!"

The Secret Assignment Security Specialists' Special Abilities Team (SAT) consists of three members, Dr. Morgan Cabot, Jazie Craig and Taylor Lee with intuitive psychologist Morgan as the head. Their current assignment is to bring down the deadly Group Resources for Individual Development (GRID) led by brilliant lethal operative Thomas Kunz.

GRID barely conceals its terrorist activities as they work from inside the American government by doppelganger agents in positions of power in order to obtain top secret information. The SAT unit believes the next target is one or both of the Stern brothers; USAF Captain Jackson Stern or his recently arrested on spousal murder charges sibling Bruce Stern; either that or they are traitors. Morgan, Jazie and Taylor understand the mission is to bring down deadly Kunz ASAP.

With a nod to Charlie's Angels, but with an ESP spin, fans will enjoy the fast-paced and well-written KILL ZONE though the track of the story line is very obvious. The villain's traits are purposely hyperbole, but that makes for the fun in the tale as Kunz is a solid foil to the heroic trio since super agents need super opponents. Filled with misinformation and disinformation by those allegedly on the side of SAT, readers will enjoy the first War Games with its paranormal battle front. Vicki Hinze is a brilliant suspense writer.

Harriet Klausner