The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk - Hardcover

David Ambrose

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0333735145 ISBN 13: 9780333735145

Publisher: Macmillan, 2000

Synopsis

Charlie Monk thinks he knows who he is - a highly trained, covert government operative; the best there is at what he does. But perhaps he is a neurologically impaired patient at a special clinic who dreams that he is a secret agent. Or perhaps something else entirely, something unthinkable. When a seemingly routine surveillance mission brings Charlie face-to-face with a memory from his childhood, his well-ordered life disintegrates and Charlie finds himself on the run from his former masters. As his world unravels and the line between what is real and what is virtual becomes more and more blurred, Charlie must use all of his training and unique abilities to uncover the truth. And to stay alive. The only one who can help him may well be the very person responsible for his government scientist Dr. Susan Flemyng. Yet no more free than Charlie, Susan Flemyng also harbors suspicions about the people she works for. She wants to get out, and to do so, she needs Charlie's help. The question Can Charlie trust her? More important, can he trust himself?

About this title

About the Author

David Ambrose lives in Switzerland.

From Publishers Weekly

Only a few people know who Charlie Monk really is. Is he, as Monk himself believes, a highly trained government hit man? Or is he merely the laboratory fodder of scientists conducting mind control experiments? Ambrose, who has previously dabbled in such reality benders (Coincidence, etc.), handles this one with confidence, twisting the plot gently at first, then with a hard, satisfying crank toward the end. In between government hits, Monk leads a casual life in Los Angeles, partaking in the usual pleasures sought by virile young men. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Dr. Susan Flemyng toils away on the leading edge of her specialty: replacing visual memory in the minds of amnesia victims. She is doing so, however, under duress. A secret government organization has kidnapped her son and won't give him back unless she oversees several experiments. Monk, it turns out, is one of them. Ambrose has several surprises in store, including government planners who want to create a fighting force of warriors with human intelligence and simian brawn. Monk figures out much of what's going on, and he doesn't drag his knuckles in seeking vengeance. Featuring an intriguing cast of characters who never turn out to be quite what they seem, this latest from Ambrose provides several hours of exhilarating diversion and a scary glimpse of scientific possibilities.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0333735145
• ISBN 13: 9780333735145
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352