The novel “Blacksnow Zero” by Lee Gimenez was published for the first time in 2020.
FBI Agent Erica Blake is assigned to investigate the murder of Senator Carpenter, but it lasts very little because the case is handed over to another agent. She was following a lead that indicated the case was much larger, but her superiors seem to be taking a radically different view, despite the evidence she started presenting of the use of weapons available only to special forces.
Determined to get to the bottom of the matter despite her orders, Erica Blake turns to CIA Agent Steve McCord. He’s her ex-husband, but the two of them are still on good terms, and he offers her new, disturbing clues. Other high-profile murders may all be connected, and the investigation is starting to become dangerous.
“Blacksnow Zero” is a thriller about the situation of the American debt and the interests of China, which has purchased significant quantities of US Treasury bonds. In this novel, this allows the Chinese government to influence the US president’s political decisions.
Lee Gimenez drew inspiration from a real-life situation, given that, especially a few years ago, China was indeed a major holder of US debt. This fueled discussions about the potential risks associated with that situation. Some political commentators feared that the Chinese government could use those bonds as a tool of political pressure on the US, and that’s precisely what happens in this novel.
The plot is centered around a secret plan that is put into action to radically eliminate China’s influence over the US. The plot unfolds by recounting the developments of the Blacksnow plan and Erica Blake’s investigation, initially conducted officially and subsequently secretly with a handful of trusted individuals.
There’s also Senator Megan Lewis, who sought a deal to sell US Treasury bonds to the Swiss in order to have a partner considered more reliable than the Chinese. She faces problems that are, to say the least, unforeseen, resulting from the actions of the people carrying out the Blacksnow plan.
Lee Gimenez has written stories based on international intrigue before, but in “Blacksnow Zero,” the events are mainly set in the US, even when there are international ramifications. As is typical of this author’s stories, the identities of the conspirators and their plans start being revealed from the beginning. In this case, there are several elements that could lead one to label the novel as political fiction.
Erica Blake seems like an unlikely heroine: she’s a hothead who wasn’t kicked out of the FBI because she’s a good detective, and therefore gets excellent results solving cases. However, she’s always in trouble with her superiors more interested in internal politics and the letter of the regulations.
The result of all this is an action-packed novel with a fast pace. The opening, with the murder of Senator Carpenter, sets the tone, also created by the feeling that no one is safe. Lee Gimenez set almost all of his thrillers in a fictional universe featuring the same protagonists, but “Blacksnow Zero” isn’t part of that series, so anything can happen to anyone.
This type of story tends to follow fairly predictable patterns, but Lee Gimenez developed “Blacksnow Zero” by raising the stakes throughout the novel, leading to surprising consequences. I particularly recommend it to readers who appreciate conspiracy thrillers with elements of political fiction. It’s available on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
