Code To Zero (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The Jupiter C missile stands on the launch pad at Complex 26, Cape Canaveral..." (more)
Key Phrases: clandestine work, Cape Canaveral, New York, Anthony Carroll (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Veteran thriller writer Ken Follett (Eye of the Needle, The Third Twin, The Key to Rebecca) turns in another nifty story of espionage, deceit, and betrayal, a fast-paced read with "bestseller" written all over it. A man wakes up in a Washington, D.C., train station in 1958, shortly before the launch of Explorer I, America's first space satellite, with no idea who he is or how he got there. And in less than a few hours, it's clear that someone doesn't want him to find out. He's dressed like a bum, and he looks like he's been on a bender. But he's remarkably skillful at evading pursuit, obscuring his tracks, stealing a car, and breaking into a house. He's not sure how he came by those talents, and it worries him:

"I wonder if I'm honest?" Maybe it was foolish, he thought, to pour out his heart to a whore on the street, but he had no one else. "Am I a loyal husband and a loving father and a reliable workmate? Or am I some kind of gangster? I hate not knowing."

"Honey, if that's what's bothering you, I know what kind of guy you are already. A gangster would be thinking, am I rich, do I slay the broads, are people scared of me?"

That was a point. Luke nodded. But he was not satisfied. "It's one thing to want to be a good person--but maybe I don't live up to what I believe in."

But he does, and it's that firm interior moral compass that keeps him on track through the novel's most fascinating pages as he solves the puzzle of who he really is: Claude "Luke" Lucas, a renowned rocket scientist who was en route from Cape Canaveral to Washington to warn someone in the Pentagon about something he also can't remember, even with the help of some of his oldest friends. Like Anthony Carroll, a CIA agent who apparently has proof that Luke's been sabotaging the fledgling American space program and working for the Russians. And Billie Josephson, the woman Luke once loved, who happens to be an expert in brainwashing and memory loss. And Elspeth, Luke's mathematician wife, who'll do almost anything to save his life.

This is one of Follett's strongest books in years. The flashbacks bring the story of the idealistic young collegians from World War II into 1958, nicely setting up the action in an exciting, solidly plotted, and suspenseful read that grabs the reader by the throat in the first paragraph and doesn't let up until the last. --Jane Adams --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

After dabbling in his last few books in historical sagas and various thriller subgenres, Follett returns to his espionage roots with this absorbing, tightly plotted Cold War tale about skullduggery in the early days of the space race. Set in 1958 shortly after the Soviets beat the Americans into orbit, the story tracks the frantic movements of Dr. Claude Lucas, who wakes up one morning in Washington, D.C.'s Union Station, dressed as a bum. A victim of amnesia, he has no recollection that he is a key player in the upcoming launch of Explorer 1, the army's latest attempt to get a rocket into space. While Lucas slowly unravels the clues to his identity, the CIA follows its own agenda. The agency, led by Lucas's old Harvard buddy Anthony Carroll, has its own murky reasons for wanting Lucas to remain amnesic, and will kill him if he tries to interfere with the launch. Follett (The Hammer of Eden) does a wonderful job of keeping readers guessing about Lucas; is he a spy trying to foil the launch, as the CIA apparently believes? From the nation's capital to Alabama and Cape Canaveral, Lucas manages to stay one step ahead of his pursuers, steadily learning more about his memory loss, his wife, Elspeth, and his college friends Carroll, Billie Josephson and Bern Rothsten. Suspense junkies won't be disappointed by Follett's man-on-the-run framework; tension courses through the book from start to finish. Yet where the story shines is in the chemistry between Lucas and the four other major characters. As told through a series of well-chosen flashbacks, all the old college chums are now working or have worked as spies. The dilemma, skillfully posed by Follett, is figuring out who's friend and who's foe. (Dec. 4) Forecast: In his first hardcover for Dutton, Follett is wise to return to his forte of espionage thriller, and to base this novel on a real event, the unexplained delay of the 1958 Explorer 1 launch. Given the promotional hooplaDwhich includes a 425,000 first printing and $400,000 ad/promoDplus first serial to Reader's Digest; status as a BOMC, Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selection; simultaneous audios from Penguin Audio; and the sale of movie rights to Columbia Pictures, this book has a good chance of dancing with the charts.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Signet; 1st edition (October 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451204530
• ISBN-13: 978-0451204530
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (180 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #528,169 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but..., November 27, 2000

By	C. Kuschel-Toerber "Christian Kuschel" (Frankfurt, Hessen) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Code to Zero (Hardcover)

I've always been a huge fan of Mr. Follett's work but was a little disappointed with the last two releases. After the first good reviews of his latest effort I eagerly awaited the delivery of the novel and immediately started reading.

The story is good and exciting, but the book could have been so much better if Ken Follett had just developed the characters a little deeper. The british edition clocks in at just 324 pages, at twice that amount "Code to Zero" could have been brilliant.

Just imagine the lead character waking up without any memory of who he is - solving not only his own mystery but working out his past love life, saving the American space program and bringing the bad guys to justice - all in 300 pages (net).

I would have loved a little more of this basically good story for my money. Ken Follett knows how to keep readers hooked beyond a few pages, as he's proven with blockbusters like "Pillars of the Earth" or "Night Over Water" - why not try again?

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUSPENSE IS HEIGHTENED BY ACCOMPLISHED READERS, December 8, 2000

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Code to Zero (abridged) (Audio Cassette)

Espionage is at the core of this Cold War era thriller and the suspense sizzles. The time is 1958 when the space race was young and the Soviets seemed to be outdistancing the America. The protagonist is an inventive, complex study - he's Dr. Claude Lucas, an important cog in a new space launch. However, he's also a victim of amnesia, an apparent vagrant in Washington D.C.'s Union Station.

Toss in the CIA, a covey of spies, and an old college buddy of Lucas's who is more foe than friend. Some might deem this a classic take on chased and chasers - not so. Thanks to the deft Mr. Follett, it's a no-holds-barred, riveting epic. And, so are the readings.

Frank Muller, who has been featured on over 150 audiobooks, offers a splendid rendering of crisp, character driven dialogue in the two abridged versions on cassette and CD.

While Obie award-winner George Guidall, an actor for 40 plus years, reads the unabridged version. He takes sinister and dramatic to their zenith.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Fast-Paced as the Space Race, February 23, 2001

By	Steven K. Szmutko (EWING, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Code to Zero (Hardcover)

I had the opportunity to read Ken Follet's CODE TO ZERO last week. The tale of a man who wakes up in a Union Station restroom suffering from autobiographical amnesia is compelling The protagonist must find out, in short order, who he is, why he has lost his memory, who has done this to him and what are the consequences if he does not recover. The story is set in the late 50's as America attempts to put a satellite in space, countering the Russian-launched Sputnik. As he slowly discovers that he is Claude "Luke" Lucas, a rocket scientist of some fame and renown, he discovers that he is the victim of a plot to silence him. Why, however, he and the reader must discover as the novel races from place to place at race-car pace.

Ken Follett has long been a favorite author of mine, particularly for his book, PILLARS OF THE EARTH, which involved the construction of a magnificent Gothic cathedral in 12th century England. That book, epic in scale, intertwines various characters, kings, noblemen and noblewomen, clergy and peasants in a story of faith intrigue and power in the middle ages. This book, while considerably shorter in length, move quickly. I never lost interest! Indeed, I read the book in one sitting in about 4 hours which is most unusual for me. I would recommend the book highly to anyone who enjoys a good yarn.