The Kill Zone [Mass Market Paperback]

David Hagberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2003

From the USA Today bestselling author of Joshua’s Hammer

The President of the United States has appointed Kirk McGarvey interim director of the CIA while his nomination winds its way through Congressional hearings. But what should have been the culmination of McGarvey’s career, has activated a twenty-year-old Russian plot sponsored by his former archenemy, General Baranov. Now, McGarvey is in the Kill Zone. He finds himself part of a plot that does know the Cold War is over, a plot that comes at McGarvey full throttle--from the grave of an enemy McGarvey had buried decades before.

Step by inexorable step, the assassin—a sleeper agent for all these years—is awakened from a holding state of mind. Brainwashed by KGB doctors to pull the trigger, the killer has unknowingly waited for a signal that has finally arrived.

And as the story races toward its breathtaking climax, it’s becoming clearer to McGarvey and his associates that the killer is someone within his inner circle.

A colleague or a friend.

Somebody very close.

Is there anyone McGarvey can trust when trust itself can kill him?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hagberg (Eden's Gate) resumes his CIA thriller series featuring veteran agent Kirk McGarvey with this rousing entry. Happily reunited with his wife after a separation, 50-year-old McGarvey is ready for the slow lane after a quarter-century of service with the CIA, but his work isn't over-the president nominates him for the post of interim director, which would make him the youngest man ever to serve in that capacity. He jumps at the opportunity, but his "preternatural awareness" warns him that something's not right. His research assistant, Otto, discovers that former KGB doctor Anatoli Nikolayev has fled Moscow with an armful of old classified documents from the Network Martyrs File, which held the Cold War plans for the assassination of key U.S. government figures. The assassination plans were developed years ago by an old enemy of McGarvey's, but have somehow been reactivated now that McGarvey has been appointed to his new post. Rigged helicopters, exploding vans, faulty car brakes and killer skis place McGarvey, his family and Otto in grave danger, and an attempt on his pregnant daughter's life throws McGarvey's wife, Kathleen, into an emotional tailspin. Otto rushes off to France to get some answers from Nikolayev, while McGarvey tries to keep it together for his confirmation hearings as a callous senator dissects his long-buried, sordid past. In reliably meaty prose, Hagberg once again delivers compelling characters, animated political intrigue and a plot that speeds along at a steady clip.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

If readers are counting correctly, this is Hagberg's thirty-first novel, including some written under the name Sean Flannery. This time, Hagberg brings back the CIA's Kirk McGarvey, who, after 25 years with the agency, has been named interim director by the president. Although the cold war is over, McGarvey finds he is the target of a 20-year-old Russian plot in which an assassin brainwashed by KGB doctors at long last receives the signal he has been waiting for. The setting is worldwide: Russia, France, the Virgin Islands, the U.S., and even a luxurious company plane flying over the Atlantic Ocean. There are safe rooms, secret files, encryption programs, passwords, aliases--and, of course, good guys (us) and bad guys (them). This may sound much like Hagberg's other novels, but his readers never seem to care. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (December 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812577795
• ISBN-13: 978-0812577792
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

DAVID HAGBERG is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling Joshua's Hammer, Soldier of God, and Allah's Scorpion. He makes his home in Sarasota, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Up to Expectations, May 18, 2003

By 

John R. Linnell (New Gloucester, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Kill Zone (Hardcover)

You may have noticed that I am in the distinct minority with my rating of this novel, but I call them like I see them and this is how I see this. I have loved the Kirk McGarvey novels by David Hagberg and I was really looking forward to this one. In this story, McGarvey has been nominated by the president to be head of the CIA (DCI). Some in the Senate Committee that hold hearings on his nomination are less than pleased with this turn of events, but someone else is even less enthusiastic and attempts are made on McGarvey's life as well as that of his wife, daughter and his trusted side kick Otto Rencke. It seems that long ago in Russia a plot was hatched to kill McGarvey if he was ever nominated to this position and trick is to find out who it is that is trying to kill him and how they are planning to do it. I found the plot to be very slow moving, the characters somewhat wooden and the whole story to be a huge disappointment. The mystery of who is trying to kill him doesn't turn out to be that much of a mystery either. I wish I could report otherwise, but that is how I see it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great espionage thriller, October 15, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kill Zone (Hardcover)

After spending a quarter of the century spying in various hot spots, Kirk "Mac" McGarvey looks forward to spending the rest of his life in the arms of his wife and child. However, the President nominated Mac to replace recently retired CIA Director Roland Murphy, the dream culmination of a dedicated career man. Still Mac wonders if he wants the aggravation as teaching Voltaire seems more appropriate right now. Still Mac accepts the offer and his senate confirmation hearings will convene shortly, but in the interim he is the acting director.

The nomination triggers a brainwashed assassin to rise from sleep with the object to kill Mac. As someone stalks Mac and his family, the acting director begins his own inquiry. He concludes that an inner circle associate is obsessed with his death, but whom? Unbeknownst to Mac is that his deadliest Cold War foe General Baranov has left behind a legacy from his grave, an executioner who silently awaited the trigger to kill Mac.

When it comes to exciting Cold War and Post Cold War dramas, no one provides a more exhilarating and horrifying fiction than David Hagberg renders. His latest espionage thriller has been used before (Manchurian Candidate), but rarely at the level of gripping suspense as THE KILL ZONE contains. The story line is fast-paced while seizing the full attention of the audience because Mac, his wife and their daughter are a warm family that no one wants harmed except for an awakening sleeper agent and a dead Russian. This is a triumph for the Cold War espionage crowd.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling Read!, January 9, 2003

By 

Melvin Hunt (Cleveland,, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kill Zone (Hardcover)

After 25 years of service to the CIA Kirk McGarvey had been nominated to be the Director of the spy service.His nomination triggers a plot to assassinate that was put into place by his old arch enemy General Baranov.Baranov is reaching from hi grave to gain vengance.The assassin was brainwashed by Baranov to kill McGarvey should he ever be nominated for the Director of the CIA.
Attempts are made on the life of McGarvey.his wife Katy and their daughter Elizabeth.The identity of the assassin is a shocker. This is another good book by David Hagberg.Be sure to read it.