The Fourth Order

Frey does wonders with the high-finance thriller, but his latest novel, which ventures into the world of government-sponsored shadow ops, pushes the limits of credibility. Answering only to the president, I-4 (The Fourth Order) is a covert intelligence-gathering counterterrorism system instituted after 9/11. Under I-4, personal freedoms are ignored, innocent citizens disappear into U.S. prison camps, and personal grudges motivate instances of torture and murder. Some situations will leave listeners groaning in disbelief. Others will have them guffawing. The only thing that rings true is Holter Graham's reading. Graham's vocal dexterity conjures a wide range of characters. He manages believability when smart men do stupid things, and his pacing sparks an adrenaline rush. Graham's performance will keep listeners listening. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

April 30, 2007
A less than credible scenario undermines this stand-alone thriller from bestseller Frey (The Power Broker). Michael Rose, chief financial officer for Trafalgar Industries, wants to acquire CIS (Computer Information Systems), which provides its services to a secret government program, I-4 (for the Fourth Order of Immunity). Since the day after 9/11, I-4 has had wide license to detain and torture anyone with suspected terrorist connections, including U.S. citizens. Rose, who faces opposition allied with I-4 on the Trafalgar board, must also deal with a number of personal challenges; for starters, the police suspect him of murdering his unfaithful wife. Rose is strangely unsuspicious when a beautiful young woman throws herself at him, despite signs that she's part of an effort to set him up. Frey doesn't supply enough plausible detail to support his paranoid vision of an America where even the innocent disappear without trace into secret facilities. Some readers may find the cabal's true plan, when revealed, too far-fetched to swallow.