Code to Zero - by Ken Follett (Paperback)

About the Book

Reprint. Originally published: New York: Dutton, c2000.

Book Synopsis

In this classic Cold War thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Ken Follett puts his own electrifying twist on the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. As the clock counts down to a shocking climax, "Code to Zero's split-second suspense proves that . . . [Follett is] still a hell of a storyteller" (Entertainment Weekly).

January, 1958--the darkest hour of the Cold War and the early dawn of the space race. On the launch pad at Cape Canaveral sits America's best hope to catch up with the Russians: the Explorer I satellite. But at the last moment, the launch is delayed due to weather, even though everyone can see it is a perfectly sunny day. The real reason for the delay rests deep in the mind of a NASA scientist who has awoken that morning to find his memory completely erased. Knowing only that he's being followed and watched at every turn, he must find the clues to his own identity before he can discover who is responsible. But even more terrible is the dark secret that they want him to forget. A secret that can destroy the Explorer I--and America's future. . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Code to Zero

"Focused, fast-moving . . . this spy thriller is Follett at his best." --People

"Follett weaves the threads of his narrative together, tying them into an unexpected and story-resolving knot at the end . . . gripping." --The New York Times

"Fresh and fast-paced. . . . Follett is no slouch at keeping the pages flying by. He maintains a brisk clip throughout and creates compelling and likable characters." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Follett has total control of his fast-paced story line." --The Orlando Sentinel

"Absorbing, tightly plotted. . . . Suspense junkies won't be disappointed." --Publishers Weekly

"A knockout, a big fat wallop of a book that won't let [fans] get back to their lives until they've finished. . . . Follett writes beautifully." --South Florida-Sun Sentinel

"Flawlessly plotted, tautly told, and suspenseful . . . with the kind of page-turning quality that made Follett a big name in the thriller field." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Starts off fast and never slows down . . . sharply told. . . . Follett creates a rousing story that never flags." --Chicago Tribune

"A finely crafted mystery that builds suspense all the way to the hair-raising finale . . . blends fact with an elaborate fiction." --The Memphis Commercial Appeal

"The Cold War is cool again. . . . [Follett] pulls out all the stops." --Ottawa Citizen

"A fascinating scenario that takes the listener between World War II and the launching of Explorer I . . . a winner . . . a jolting joyride." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[Moves] briskly toward a down-to-the-wire climax while stretching but never breaching the barriers of disbelief . . . entertaining." --The Seattle Times

"Grabs you from page one and doesn't let up until the very end . . . extremely entertaining. . . . The plot is tight, racing along at a breakneck pace with absolutely no holes. The suspense is palpable, and the characters are larger than life in a pleasing way. . . . Follett is excellent at his craft, and Code to Zero is one of his strongest efforts." --The Daily Cardinal

"Ken Follett has written another blockbuster . . . a superb espionage tale. . . . Code to Zero is just too good to tell you more. Its plot is skillfully developed, and for a thriller, it is refreshingly plausible." --Roanoke Times & World-News

About the Author

Ken Follett is one of the world's best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. Follett's first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War.

In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published, and has since become the author's most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah's Book Club pick.

Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold 38 million copies worldwide.

Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren, and three Labradors.