Deception Point

by Dan Brown Narrated by Boyd Gaines

Overview

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and Inferno-now a major film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones-comes a lightning-fast thriller about an astonishing NASA discovery that uncovers a vicious conspiracy leading all the way to the White House.

A shocking scientific discovery. A conspiracy of staggering brilliance. A thriller unlike any you've ever heard...

When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory-a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery-a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Struggling to rebound from a series of embarrassing blunders that have jeopardized its political life at the start of this lively thriller, NASA makes an astounding discovery: there is a meteor embedded deep within the arctic ice. And it isn't just any meteor. Inside the huge rock, which crashed to earth in 1716, are fossils of giant insects proof of extraterrestrial life. Yet, given NASA's slipping reputation, the question arises: Is the meteor real or a fake? That uncertainty dogs NASA and its supporters in Brown's latest page-flipper, a finely polished amalgam of action and intrigue. Trying to determine the truth are intelligence agent Rachel Sexton and popular oceanographer Michael Tolland, both among the first to suspect something is amiss when the meteor is pulled from the ice. Their doubts quickly make them the targets of a mysterious death squad controlled by someone or something that doesn't want the public to hear the meteor may be a fraud. Together, Sexton and Tolland scramble across arctic glaciers, take refuge on ice floes, are rescued by a nuclear submarine, then find themselves trapped aboard a small research vessel off the coast of New Jersey. All the while, the nation's capital is buzzing as to whether NASA has engaged in deception. Or is NASA just a dupe for aerospace companies that have long wanted a bigger share of space contracts? Brown (Angels & Demons) moves into new territory with his latest. It's an excellent thriller a big yet believable story unfolding at breakneck pace, with convincing settings and just the right blend of likable and hateful characters. He's also done his research, folding in sophisticated scientific and military details that make his plot farmore fulfilling than the norm. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

In the midst of a particularly nasty presidential campaign, a discovery is made in the Arctic wilderness that could turn the tide of the election and forever change the course of history. President Zachary Herney is a decent politician who unfortunately seems to have channeled the spirit of Warren Harding and seeks advice in selecting his advisors. When notified of the discovery, Zachary sees a chance to get his reelection campaign back on track and asks a National Reconnaissance Office spook to check into the claims. It just so happens she is the daughter of Zachary's opponent, a sleaze ball who is raking NASA over the coals for the billions it spends on often failed missions. There's intrigue aplenty, both in the Arctic and in Washington, and Brown (The DaVinci Code) does not disappoint with this genuine page-turner. Reader Richard Poe excellently captures the tension, suspense, and terror with his well-modulated voice. He infuses all of the characters with a distinct personality. Essential for all libraries.-Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A mostly tedious third technothriller from the author of Angels and Demons (2000), etc. Incumbent President Zach Herney is fighting for his life in an upcoming election against the slick and slippery Senator Sedwick Sexton. Herney is a staunch supporter of NASA, while Sexton has been using the expensive, mistake-prone, and nonprofitable agency as a convenient whipping-boy in his stump speeches. Protagonist Rachel Sexton, the senator's daughter, works for the National Reconnaissance Office, where she digests information into reports used by the White House. The fact that she works so closely with the president has made for no small amount of tension between her and her father, of course. At the outset of the story, Rachel is whisked off to a spot somewhere near the Arctic Circle where NASA is trying to recover a meteor with what looks like fossils of extraterrestrial life on it from underneath two hundred feet of ice. Naturally, things aren't quite what they seem, what with the small band of Delta Force soldiers secretly watching the NASA encampment. The more that Rachel learns about the meteor, with the help of popular scientist Michael Tolland and a NASA techie by the name of Corky, the less things make sense. The author has an impressive grasp of his material, and even though this is the type of thriller where the gadgetry is often more believable than the wooden characters (the Delta Force soldiers' guns that create bullets out of snow are especially cool), Brown's scientific knowledge isn't what ultimately dooms the book. The story, which has an initial rush to it, bogs down once it starts plodding through all the government shenanigans and secret plots. Although Brown is a moreastute storyteller than most of his brethren in the technothriller vein, and won't lose any fans this time out, he's never able to convincingly marry the technical and the human sides of Deception Point.

From the Publisher

"Excellent.... A finely polished amalgam of action and intrigue."

— Publishers Weekly

"A taut, fast-paced, barn-burner of a book."

— St. Petersburg Times (FL)

"A rocket-fast thriller.... An outstanding read."

— Vince Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Consent to Kill

"A master of smart thrills."

— People

DEC 04/JAN 05 - AudioFile

The fates of NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Senate become intertwined when a meteorite that appears to have extraterrestrial life buried within it is discovered under the Arctic ice shelf. Rachel Sexton, an NRO agent sent by NASA to the Arctic, becomes embroiled in a plot to kill her and the scientists working on the site to ensure the secrecy of the discovery. Richard Poe’s narration follows the plot twists as the ruthless Senator Sexton campaigns against NASA and his daughter in a dark cloud of intrigue in Washington. Chapters are short, the plot complex, and Poe’s voice the guiding light. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171062644
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	11/01/2003
Edition description:	Abridged
Sales rank:	918,184

Read an Excerpt

A shocking scientific discovery.
A conspiracy of staggering brilliance.
A thriller unlike any you've ever read....

When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory — a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery — a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all.

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