Minute Zero

A Judd Ryker Novel, Book 2

By: Todd Moss

Narrated by: Piter Marek

An extraordinary international thriller by the former deputy assistant secretary of state and author of the national best seller The Golden Hour. In the life of every country, at a moment of extreme national disruption, there is a brief period of breakdown, when everything is uncertain, events can turn on a dime. That is the moment to act, to shape events how you want them to go. That is Minute Zero.

Fresh off the harrowing events of The Golden Hour, State Department crisis manager Judd Ryker is suddenly thrown into a quickly developing emergency in Zimbabwe, where a longtime strongman is being challenged for the presidency. Rumors are flying furiously: armed gangs, military crackdowns, shady outside money pouring in, and, most disturbing for the United States, reports of highly enriched uranium leaking into the market. And that's all before Ryker even lands in the country. It gets much worse after that. If he can't get control, shape his Minute Zero, a lot of people are going to die - not least of all himself.

©2015 Todd Moss (P)2015 Recorded Books

Not Your Typical Hero

If you are looking for the hero in your thrillers to solve most of his problems with this fists you are in the wrong place. If you are seeking a look behind the scenes of real diplomacy you are right where you should be. I loved Todd Moss' opening effort "The Golden Hour". This one is better. The story revolves around a fictional pseudo-dictator and his attempts to fix his country's (Zimbabwe) election to remain in power. It's not hard to see a little bit of Robert Mugabe in Winston Tinotenda. As with his first Judd Ryker novel, Moss gives us a fascinating look at the political machine at work.

I was somewhat critical of Piter Marek's narration of "The Golden Hour" thinking that he robbed the story of some of its drama at critical times. This is a much better effort by Marek. He does an excellent job with not only the different accents but with the consistency of his voices.

I am really looking forward to the third installment of this series. Hopefully Mr. Moss doesn't keep us waiting too long.