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Code Name: MK-ULTRA: A CIA Cold War Spy Thriller
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE MEETS THE DAY OF THE JACKAL IN A “POWERFUL! BRILLIANT! SEXY!� ( Publisher's Weekly ) HISTORICAL THRILLER .
Sole survivor of a top secret CIA mind-control experiment, Zeb Marlowe, has begun to remake his shattered psyche, when Jai Jai Leland, the beautiful young widow of a man who didn't survive, asks him to help her solve the mystery of her husband's violent death. Pulled into her dangerous quest despite himself, Marlowe and Jai Jai search for Dr. Victor Ressid, creator of the illegal experiment that ravaged Marlowe’s mind � and turned ordinary, decent people into killing machines. Meanwhile, stripped of his medical credentials and in thrall to perverse erotic desires, Ressid is consumed by fantasies of revenge against Marlowe, the only subject to defy him. Against an ominous background of escalating global terror, Marlowe and Jai Jai must risk their lives to stop a nuclear threat � even as they wonder if Marlowe, too, has been turned into a human time bomb. International in scope, Code MK-Ultra takes place on the beautiful islands of the Caribbean, in Damascus and Dublin, in the Philippines, Washington, DC, and in an underground torture chamber located on Victor Ressid's secluded private estate located near the Mexico-Belize border. Although fiction, Code MK-Ultra is based on illegal real-life psychiatric experiments conducted on human subjects by the CIA in American and Canadian universities in the 1960s and 1970s concurrent with the violent protests against the Vietnam War and the unravelling of the Watergate scandals.
Sole survivor of a top secret CIA mind-control experiment, Zeb Marlowe, has begun to remake his shattered psyche, when Jai Jai Leland, the beautiful young widow of a man who didn't survive, asks him to help her solve the mystery of her husband's violent death. Pulled into her dangerous quest despite himself, Marlowe and Jai Jai search for Dr. Victor Ressid, creator of the illegal experiment that ravaged Marlowe’s mind � and turned ordinary, decent people into killing machines. Meanwhile, stripped of his medical credentials and in thrall to perverse erotic desires, Ressid is consumed by fantasies of revenge against Marlowe, the only subject to defy him. Against an ominous background of escalating global terror, Marlowe and Jai Jai must risk their lives to stop a nuclear threat � even as they wonder if Marlowe, too, has been turned into a human time bomb. International in scope, Code MK-Ultra takes place on the beautiful islands of the Caribbean, in Damascus and Dublin, in the Philippines, Washington, DC, and in an underground torture chamber located on Victor Ressid's secluded private estate located near the Mexico-Belize border. Although fiction, Code MK-Ultra is based on illegal real-life psychiatric experiments conducted on human subjects by the CIA in American and Canadian universities in the 1960s and 1970s concurrent with the violent protests against the Vietnam War and the unravelling of the Watergate scandals.
221 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2013
96 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Harris
23books34followersRuth Harris is a New York Times and Amazon bestselling author and a Romantic Times award winner for “best contemporary.� Ruth’s emotional, entertaining fiction has topped Amazon’s Movers and Shakers list and her highly praised novels have sold millions of copies in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions, been translated into 19 languages, sold in 30 countries, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club. In their e-book editions, Ruth's novels have been featured on Ereader News Today, Pixel of Ink and Kindle Nation Daily.
Ruth writes about strong, savvy, smart and witty women who struggle to succeed and, when sometimes they don’t get what they want, they find something even better along the way. Critics have compared Ruth to Nora Ephron and Joan Didion and called her books "brilliant," “steamy,� "stylishly written," ”richly plotted,� “first-class entertainment� and “a sure thing.”�
With her husband, Michael, Ruth indulges her wild side and writes bestselling thrillers with vivid characters, international backgrounds and compelling plots. Their thrillers have made numerous appearances in the top 3 of Kindle’s prestigious Movers & Shakers list; in the Top 100 in the Kindle Store; Hooked has appeared continually on three Medical bestseller lists since its publication; #1 and #2 on two different Political bestseller lists; #14 on the Thrillers bestseller list.
Publisher’s Weekly called Ruth's and Michael's thrillers "Slick and sexy [with] all the sure elements of a big seller written by pros who know how to tell a story.� Readers have raved, calling their books “awesome,� “gripping,� “chilling,� “a must-read,� and “a real page-turner.�
It's no surprise Ruth is a writer. Her Mom was an RN who had a trove of big-city hospital stories—some funny, some sad, some touching—and told them with great style. Her Dad loved words, word play and language (Ruth still has his collection of dictionaries) and he is remembered by those who knew him as "always reading." Ruth's paternal grandfather was noted for his extensive library and both her parents were avid readers: her Mom loved popular fiction and her Dad bought four or five newspapers every day and subscribed to what seemed to be every magazine published—from Life and Look to BusinessWeek and Organic Gardening.
As a girl, Ruth wanted to be a professional ice skater. In her teens, she wanted to be a lawyer—a summer job in a law office cured her! After college, she got a beginner's job in publishing and her career path—first as an editor and then as a writer—was set.
Ruth writes about strong, savvy, smart and witty women who struggle to succeed and, when sometimes they don’t get what they want, they find something even better along the way. Critics have compared Ruth to Nora Ephron and Joan Didion and called her books "brilliant," “steamy,� "stylishly written," ”richly plotted,� “first-class entertainment� and “a sure thing.”�
With her husband, Michael, Ruth indulges her wild side and writes bestselling thrillers with vivid characters, international backgrounds and compelling plots. Their thrillers have made numerous appearances in the top 3 of Kindle’s prestigious Movers & Shakers list; in the Top 100 in the Kindle Store; Hooked has appeared continually on three Medical bestseller lists since its publication; #1 and #2 on two different Political bestseller lists; #14 on the Thrillers bestseller list.
Publisher’s Weekly called Ruth's and Michael's thrillers "Slick and sexy [with] all the sure elements of a big seller written by pros who know how to tell a story.� Readers have raved, calling their books “awesome,� “gripping,� “chilling,� “a must-read,� and “a real page-turner.�
It's no surprise Ruth is a writer. Her Mom was an RN who had a trove of big-city hospital stories—some funny, some sad, some touching—and told them with great style. Her Dad loved words, word play and language (Ruth still has his collection of dictionaries) and he is remembered by those who knew him as "always reading." Ruth's paternal grandfather was noted for his extensive library and both her parents were avid readers: her Mom loved popular fiction and her Dad bought four or five newspapers every day and subscribed to what seemed to be every magazine published—from Life and Look to BusinessWeek and Organic Gardening.
As a girl, Ruth wanted to be a professional ice skater. In her teens, she wanted to be a lawyer—a summer job in a law office cured her! After college, she got a beginner's job in publishing and her career path—first as an editor and then as a writer—was set.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 22, 2018
After ten years, Zeb Marlowe still lives with the effects of a psychological experiment. When the other five men in that experiment begin dying and the widow of one approaches Zeb to find the truth, he’s drawn into a past he really doesn’t want to revisit.
Brainwashed: A Thriller has an intriguing premise, one inspired by real-life experiments that took place decades earlier. It truly is frightening to realize that one has no control when certain triggers occur through something as simple as a phone call.
Zeb’s character is well drawn, but the others not so much. The pacing was going along fine but during the past 50+ pages or so, events began to feel really rushed. It killed the suspense and made me question to the logic of ending a complex situation with relative ease. One of the villains appears to have gotten away with his crimes, which also made for an unsatisfying ending. The author is a bestselling contemporary novelist who also writes romances. Perhaps that’s why the thriller component was the weakest part of the book.
Brainwashed: A Thriller has an intriguing premise, one inspired by real-life experiments that took place decades earlier. It truly is frightening to realize that one has no control when certain triggers occur through something as simple as a phone call.
Zeb’s character is well drawn, but the others not so much. The pacing was going along fine but during the past 50+ pages or so, events began to feel really rushed. It killed the suspense and made me question to the logic of ending a complex situation with relative ease. One of the villains appears to have gotten away with his crimes, which also made for an unsatisfying ending. The author is a bestselling contemporary novelist who also writes romances. Perhaps that’s why the thriller component was the weakest part of the book.
September 14, 2017
The way Brainwashed has been written, you'll feel as if you've been injected with the ultimate rush. This a fast read - no words spared - an intense story that commingles with fiction and reality. Many authors have written stories of CIA covert and espionage operations, but the authors have taken a different angle; a story inspired by dangerous experiments used on humans in a bid to create super soldiers. You can expect all the ingredients of a thriller and more. So, if you're looking for an intelligent thriller, grab this book!
May 3, 2022
I found this book to be kind of difficult to get into. The story moved from character to character and was what seemed to me to be hard to follow. I think the main idea of the story was a little far fetched but I got into the story after reading for awhile. I would say to anyone picking this book to read to keep with it and hope that they enjoyed it.
June 28, 2017
This book was not really worth the time I spent reading it. There were continuity problems from the beginning. At times I felt like I was reading a book written by a high school kid. There was no real character development and it simply wasn't realistic.
June 17, 2020
badly put together, was going along nicely then they seemed to try to cram the whole thing into the last chapter. I liked the idea of the book but by the time we got to the denouement i couldnt even remember who the woman was. None of knitted together properly
July 22, 2017
Reminded me of The Manchurian Candidate
December 10, 2019
It was interesting.
December 9, 2013
Set in the 70’s, there is a definite undertone of camp that is completely appropriate for the era running through the novel. In the opening scenes in which Zeb and Jai Jai meet again there is a near sexploitation dance. Jai Jai is a woman using her wiles in a man’s world. There is a definite slant toward the female character in “Brainwashed.� Senator Chessie Tillmon is also a sassy and smart female who is determined and driven.
Chessie, Jai Jai and Zeb are certainly not the only characters. There’s a large cast of characters that can be at times awkward to keep straight. As a reader I focused on the plot lines as they came together and soon found that getting lost was simply no longer an option. While “Brainwashed� started slow, once the story got going it was one that simply was big moment to big moment and truly hard to put down. “Brainwashed� is a thriller in the strictest sense of the word.
It was fun to read a novel written by a married team. Michael and Ruth Harris have delivered a well-written and well-edited thriller masterpiece. It is not without its flaws but a savvy reader will find those flaws inconsequential and enjoy the wonderful and expertly constructed roller coaster ride that is “Brainwashed.�
Chessie, Jai Jai and Zeb are certainly not the only characters. There’s a large cast of characters that can be at times awkward to keep straight. As a reader I focused on the plot lines as they came together and soon found that getting lost was simply no longer an option. While “Brainwashed� started slow, once the story got going it was one that simply was big moment to big moment and truly hard to put down. “Brainwashed� is a thriller in the strictest sense of the word.
It was fun to read a novel written by a married team. Michael and Ruth Harris have delivered a well-written and well-edited thriller masterpiece. It is not without its flaws but a savvy reader will find those flaws inconsequential and enjoy the wonderful and expertly constructed roller coaster ride that is “Brainwashed.�
November 12, 2015
The premise of this book is enjoyable (exploring how an intense psychological experiment can have lasting effects on a person). However, my main issue with this book is pacing. There are quite a few characters introduced throughout this book (though many of them are only present for a couple of pages), and it seems to jump around a lot. This might, however, have to do with the formatting of the eBook. Paragraphs are not always marked by an indentation, and there are no spaces between them, making it easy to lose track of who you are supposed to be focusing on. Another issue that I had (which may again be the result of the eBook formatting) is that much of the dialogue is not ended with periods, but with hyphens, indicating that the person speaking is being cut off. However, this is only rarely the case. For a person who reads "aloud" in their head, this can really mess with the way that the book is read. Aside from these issues, it was a good read.
November 17, 2015
Brainwashed is more like a historical documentary
I don't enjoy historical novels or documentaries in print. I can't seem to stay interested. This novel to me was somewhat like a historical documentary as it was based on some actual happenings. If you enjoy that type of novel, you might enjoy Brainwashed.
I don't enjoy historical novels or documentaries in print. I can't seem to stay interested. This novel to me was somewhat like a historical documentary as it was based on some actual happenings. If you enjoy that type of novel, you might enjoy Brainwashed.
December 30, 2015
You won't fall asleep reading this book
This is a psychological thriller. It's about mind control. The characters are engaging, the plot is fast paced
and allows you to suspend reality enough to enjoy it.
This is a psychological thriller. It's about mind control. The characters are engaging, the plot is fast paced
and allows you to suspend reality enough to enjoy it.
Read
May 2, 2015Worth the quick read.
I was confused at first but kept plugging away at the chapters. Once I got the characters straight, I enjoyed the book.
I was confused at first but kept plugging away at the chapters. Once I got the characters straight, I enjoyed the book.
June 7, 2016
The read was painful, and I really only give the book a 1/2*. Had the author used the phrase "Lullaby Room" less frequently the book would have been reduced by a third.
September 14, 2015
A real scary treat of psycho babble.
Don't know how to evaluate this one. Sort of weird conspiracy with all kinds of bad guys interacting to do evil things. Good read.
Don't know how to evaluate this one. Sort of weird conspiracy with all kinds of bad guys interacting to do evil things. Good read.
September 26, 2015
So fast paced!!!! I really liked this book!
October 23, 2015
A thrilling story from beginning to end! The fact that it's based on true events makes it that much scarier and a page turner you won't want to put down.
October 29, 2015
Great concept poorly executed.
April 24, 2016
just couldn't get into it. seemed to skip around a lot. I gave up on page 43/170
May 2, 2016
I never thought an author could be short on descriptive words until this book. Reads more like a screenplay than a book and not a good one.
October 9, 2016
Riveting interesting and challenging
Other created a realistic view of Mind Control and can't see how effective it could be getting information from criminals
Other created a realistic view of Mind Control and can't see how effective it could be getting information from criminals
November 19, 2016
The CIA, looking for super soldiers, were funding psychological research on college student volunteers. A decade later they started dying in very odd circumstances.
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