Cold Barrel Zero

By: Matthew Quirk

Narrated by: Peter Coleman

John Hayes is a Special Operations legend who went rogue on a deep-cover mission and betrayed his own soldiers. Disgraced and on the run, he returns to the United States to get back to his wife and daughter and take revenge on his accusers with a series of devastating attacks.

Only one man can stop him: Thomas Byrne. He once fought alongside Hayes as a combat medic, but he gave up the gun. Now a surgeon, he moves from town to town, trying to forget his past, until he is called upon by a high-ranking government official to help capture the man he once called a friend. Hayes and Byrne were once as close as brothers, but with the fate of the nation hanging in the balance and nothing as it seems, both men must decide whom to trust -- and whom to betray.

In a final, explosive battle for justice, they face off along a rifle's cold barrel. Cold Barrel Zero brings together the blistering pace of Lee Child, the nonstop action of Brad Thor, and the richly drawn characters and moral stakes of Daniel Silva. An experienced reporter armed with deep behind-the-scenes research into America's Special Operations Forces, Quirk takes the military thriller to a new level of suspense.

Critic reviews

"Brilliantly conceived and exceedingly well written, this is a military thriller that relies as much on carefully drawn characters as it does on plot points; this is a story about people, about friends who have become enemies, about the importance and fragility of trust. Intense and compelling."—David Pitt, Winnipeg Free Press

"A relentlessly paced military thriller . . . Sophisticated storytelling [and] whiplash pacing . . . Cold Barrel Zero delivers some clever twists and startling surprises. . . . There are layers of moral ambiguity and questions at every turn."—Art Taylor, Washington Post

"Matthew Quirk has elevated to must-read thriller status faster than seems possible. Cold Barrel Zero is a brilliantly researched and written tour de force from an author who understands both high-stakes action and fine writing."—Michael Koryta, bestselling author of Last Words and Those Who Wish Me Dead

"Thriller Award-winner Quirk goes flat-out explosive in this superior military adventure novel. . . . There's plenty of cool cutting-edge technology, but in the end it comes down to action, and the riveting battle scenes are among the best in the business. Readers will look forward to seeing more of the skilled and deadly John Hayes."—Publishers Weekly (starred boxed review)

"Deadly. High-tech. Characters are well drawn and motivated, and their exploits are hair raising. Quirk spins an adrenaline-fueled, military-based action adventure skillfully. Another hard-to-put-down adventure from Quirk .... even more chilling for its air of plausibility. A fine thriller."—Booklist (starred review)

"[Quirk's] best book yet . . . Quirk delves deep into the world of international terror and covert operations, and writes with such authority you half expect his prose to be riddled with redactions. The action dazzles. The characters feel authentic and fully fleshed. The threats seem all too real."—Los Angeles Review of Books

"Adrenaline junkies need look no further than Matthew Quirk's Cold Barrel Zero for their next fix. The action is relentless and exceptionally inventive. . . . This is a must-read for fans of Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher."—BookPage

"Quirk's fast-paced plot keeps the pages turning as readers journey with Byrne on a dangerous adventure. Highly recommended for fans of rapid action with down-to-the-wire conclusions."—Library Journal (starred review)

"A lethal game of cat and mouse fuels Quirk's third and best novel, a military spy thriller in which one all-out conspiracy is met by another. . . . The story is expertly stripped down, the action relentless, and the characters multilayered. . . . [Quirk] takes a major step forward."—Kirkus Reviews

Twists and turns!

Very entertaining and filled with surprises right through the end! Matthew Quirk is a great story teller!

Good story, robotic narration

Good story, surprising twist at ending. Not sure why this is described as John Hayes Book 1 as he was a s secondary character. Almost didn’t listen to entire book due to monotone narration. So glad author changed narrators for later novels.

Best action book I’ve read

Cold Barrel Zero was hands-down the best action book I’ve ever read. Definitely the best book I’ve read by Matthew Quirk so far. I loved how the characters were developed and how the story was narrated. Definitely recommend!

Skip it. Not like the earlier stories.

What disappointed you about Cold Barrel Zero?

I thought it might be a good thriller story like the earlier works (The 500, The Directive) but it was some shoot 'em up with medical advice. Almost as if the author wanted to show off some new found medical knowledge.

What three words best describe Peter Coleman’s performance?

Not the right narrator for the type of story.

Any additional comments?

The download was not chapterized nicely. Playback showed 10 chapters but there were 50 some in the book. Almost as if the audio editor was lazy and just left the breaks where the CD version changed discs.

The Hayes or Byrnes Series.

Seems quite odd to call this series the Hayes Series. All told in 1st person by Byrne until the last 25 min. Story had interesting ins snd outs, but really rambled along. Not too impressed.

Hard to follow ok story line

Was hard to follow found my attention wandering I listen to a lot of books and I almost didn't finish this one

I really wanted to like this

Any additional comments?

I thought that the book had a decent premise however I began to find the protagonist deep psychological problems to be entirely too grating. I realized then that by way of comparison I like Jack Reacher in part because he's borderline on being a sociopath and and he's not driven by deep seated demons that torment his soul and cause chronic insomnia. Cort Gentry in the Grey Man series is driven not by some misplaced guilt but the very real problem of exactly why is everyone so intent on killing him

I'm just getting tired of adventure novels where it appears that the author wants to get some sort of sympathetic response to a guy who'd in reality be totally dysfunctional and possibly suicidal

A Complete Waste of Time

Would you try another book from Matthew Quirk and/or Peter Coleman?

Not a chance on Quirk and doubtful on Coleman, though I have to cut some slack for the latter since he was reading such an abysmal story.

What was most disappointing about Matthew Quirk’s story?

Where do I start? Honestly, this book did not have one redeeming feature. Admittedly, we all have different opinions and reactions to books, but I normally like books of this genre, which is why I was so surprised by my total inability to become engaged. The story concept was OK, though certainly not original, but the development of the characters and plot was awkward and puerile.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I'm not sure he did detract from the book. More likely, the book detracted from him.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Major disappointment, but in myself for staying with it for so long (probably over two thirds).

Any additional comments?

None