Fiction Addict

Genre: Political

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

Publication Date: April 2012

Reviewed by Jen Roman

In 1962, Roger Morgan is America’s next biggest celebrity, the “Father of the Fair.” He not only has the imagination to bring the World’s Fair to Seattle, but he also seems to know what to say and do at the right time. Without actually being a lawmaker or politician, he still manages to run the city. Four decades later, when Seattle journalist Helen Gulanos is assigned a piece on Morgan and the World’s Fair, she starts digging and uncovers some potentially damaging information about Seattle’s Best, just in time for his mayorial primary election. Even though Roger has a tidy answer for everything, has she struck journalism gold?
Alternating between 1962 and 2001, Truth Like the Sun highlights the coming-of-age of both America and Seattle. Before this World’s Fair, Seattle is just a rural city in the Pacific Northwest. Once the Fair arrives with its iconic Space Needle, it brings throngs of visitors, but it also brings corruption, gambling, and prostitution. This is one of the few World’s Fairs that actually makes money for its host city, but at a cost that could destroy many people. It is clear from reading the novel that Lynch has done extensive research on both Seattle and its groundbreaking Fair. Popular figures from the era are mentioned: Lyndon B. Johnson, Elvis Presley, Bob Hope. Even JFK was slated to be there but feigned an illness at the last minute in order to deal with a potential nuclear disaster. While Roger Morgan is fictional, he is most likely based on a real person involved with the Fair. Human and honest to a fault, readers can’t help but like Roger while being furious with his behavior. Helen is portrayed as a vindictive, shark-like reporter whose main goal in life is to destroy politicians. When these two mix, it makes for some interesting reading. We see both sides of their personalities and get a glimpse into what life is like when people are put on a pedestal.
This book contains mature themes and language and is not appropriate for young readers.

Genre: Spy Thriller, Political Thriller

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

John Wells isn’t sure whether he follows trouble or trouble follows him. He’s no longer a part of the CIA, true, but international espionage is like a high-speed car wreck—you can’t just walk away from it. When you’re one of the best, people keep dragging you back into the fray and this time it’s someone no less than King Abdullah, the aged leader of Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah is old and talks of who will succeed him as king are rampant. The king fears that if the wrong man—someone like his brother Saeed—takes the throne, it would be the end of the House of Saud’s reign and the rise of radical Islam. The king is a devout Muslim, yes, but terrorism is not the way of Allah.

With treachery coming from inside his own family, the king cannot rely on anybody—anybody except Wells, who finds himself thrown into a delicate and dangerous political situation. As events unfold and Wells seeks to unravel the ever-deepening mystery, he discovers a plot that goes way beyond the confines of political rumblings in the oil-rich nation all the way towards sparking the final battle between America and radical Islam.

There are literally thousands of novels on terrorism and you think you’ve read one you’ve read them all. Bad guys, Allahu Akbar, bombs, and kick-butt spies and Delta Force teams to save the day. But Berenson works hard to make his novel stand out and achieves it with great success. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Political Thriller, Suspense

Publisher: Dutton

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

“I’m a meat-eater. My existence allows the plant-eater to contribute. Some plant-eaters, living in a so-called civilized world, call me evil, but at the end of the day, when the bad man comes and the plant-eater’s praying for a miracle, I’m what shows up.”

That’s Pike Logan’s worldview in a nutshell. Evil is not something to play around with. Instead you have to grab it by the face the snap its neck. As a team leader in an unofficial paramilitary organization called the Taskforce, this outlook on life and death, good and evil, is absolutely imperative. Pike’s team exists by Presidential order but isn’t subject to Congressional oversight. They are altogether necessary to thwart terrorism on a global level, yet absolutely illegal. No doubt about it, Pike Logan is One Rough Man.

But even the toughest men fold under the harshest of tragedies. While away on a mission, Pike family is murdered, leaving Pike feeling responsible for their deaths. He leaves the Taskforce and goes off the grid. But trouble has a way of finding Pike. Through a series of unlikely circumstances, he finds himself compelled to kill once more.

The situation unfolds rapidly as Pike discovers that Jennifer—a girl he’d literally just met minutes ago—had some loose ties to a major smuggling operation in Guatemala. Pike reluctantly finds himself roped in to helping her out of predicament, and finds that he’s just struck the tip of the iceberg. The story that follows races along at a breakneck pace, unveiling a terrorist plot that could have global implications. But Pike doesn’t have his Taskforce any more: it’s just One Rough Man against everyone.

Debut author Brad Taylor has a storied past that could itself be a book. Taylor spent over twenty-one years in the U.S. Army including eight as a part of the 1^st Special Forces Operations Detachment-Delta—the vaunted Delta Force. Needless to say, that experience shines through into the novel, leaving the reader wondering how many bits of conversations and events had their origins in the Taylor’s real-life past.

One Rough Man is compelling and intriguing, building the foundation for what is apparently a new series centered around Pike Logan. Taylor is at his best when he relies on his special-ops background to tell the story from the first-person perspective. Things get a bit convoluted because Taylor throws in a number of scenes from a third-person omniscient perspective that, without carefully discernment on the reader’s part, can completely throw the reader off-track. The core of the plot—that there is actually a WMD hidden in an ancient Mayan temple—could also have been developed a bit more, but the novel’s ending leads me to wonder if readers might not find that answer in the sequel.

In the end, One Rough Man is a decently-written, pulse-pounding tale of a modern day Rambo. Though written mostly for entertainment, Taylor also manages to educate his readers on current thought in terrorist as well as the bureaucracy and its involvement on clandestine affairs. While not flawless, this debut novel is a solid read.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: October 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Joel Rosenberg first caught my attention some years ago when I read his debut novel The Last Jihad, which begins by putting readers in the cockpit of a hijacked airplane hurtling ever closer to an American city on a kamikaze mission. This was about 2006, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were in full force and everybody in the world knew what the term jihad meant, so I didn’t find Rosenberg’s plot too incredibly intuitive. Then I discovered that The Last Jihad was actually written nine months prior to 9/11/01. His following novels, also centered on apocalyptic events in the Middle East, also had aspects that came true—from the death of Yasser Arafat to an alliance between the Russians and Iranians. Now Rosenberg has returned to fiction with a new series, more apocalyptic and explosive than anything else he’s written.

The Twelfth Imam asks a very simple question: What if the Islamic Messiah came to earth? To really understand this novel, you have to have some sense of the cultural and historical background. In Shiite and Sunni eschatology, the Madhi—or twelfth imam—is the prophesied redeemer of Islam whose worldwide rule will precede the Day of Judgment.

In the near future, tensions are high in the Middle East. Iran has vowed to annihilate Israel and the US, and intelligence warns both countries that Iran will soon have nuclear strike capabilities to make their threats a reality. Enter CIA operative David Shirazi. He’s been training for this mission his entire life, but that doesn’t make things any easier. One just doesn’t waltz into Tehran and destroy a country’s nuclear program without leaving some evidence. Even worse, the CIA’s initial plan goes horribly awry, leaving Shirazi to improvise his way through the mission. But at the same time Shirazi is working his way into the Iranian’s good graces, he’s discovering that a mysterious figure called the Madhi is upsetting Islamic politics and disrupting even more of the plan.

While the main focus is on Shirazi, Rosenberg also develops the story from the perspective of Najjar Malik, an Iranian physicist who discovers that the head of Iran’s nuclear program—who happens to be his boss and father-in-law—isn’t interested in developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The Mahdi and his exploits are also featured, depicting his performance of miracles and unveiling to the Islamic leaders. The result is a fast-paced, thought-provoking, and page-turning introduction to what is sure to be an explosive series. Rosenberg’s work seems ripped from the headlines—next year’s, that is—and as the novel leads to its climax, the reader knows the story is only just begun.

Despite the title, The Twelfth Imam is more a character-driven novel that focuses on David Shirazi and his unique background. This seems to slow the story at first, but later on it serves as the foundation for some very big payoffs down the line. Rosenberg also spends some amount of time developing the reader’s knowledge of Islamic eschatology, as understanding that is foundational to the whole of the series.

The Twelfth Imam raises questions of every stripe. Politically, what if Iran goes nuclear? Religiously, what if the Islamic Messiah came to earth? Diplomatically, how do we handle Islamic leaders with apocalyptic beliefs? Evangelistically, what is Christ doing in Muslim countries? Personally, how should I relate to my Muslim neighbors? Entertaining, enthralling, and engaging even long after the pages are shut, The Twelfth Imam is an excellent introduction to what should be an exciting series. Rosenberg again proves that he is the king of Christian conservative political thrillers.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Picture it. One day you’re an archivist who spends his days with dusty scraps of paper, occasionally unearthing some document of historical significance. Then, with one simple mistake, you’re thrust into history in the making. Only the world will never know it because it’ll never be told.

In The Inner Circle, NYT bestselling author throws National Archivist Beecher White into that very same scenario. When giving an impromptu tour of the archives to his first childhood love, Clementine, the two discover a two-hundred-year old dictionary hidden in the special vault where the President reviews classified documents. Less than five minutes later, the security guard who let them in that room is dead, allegedly by a heart attack.

Beecher and Clementine fall headlong into the mystery, trying to avoid whoever might be after them while at the same time trying to figure out what the importance of a hidden journal might be. As the clues begin to piece together, the noose around them tightens as they discover the indiscretions of the former President’s past. But cover-ups at the highest level were meant to stay covered up, and the Culpier Ring – the president’s informal inner circle – will stop at nothing to make sure things stay hidden.

Brad Meltzer’s been hitting the NYT list for some time now, but this is the first time I’ve ever checked out any of his works. In a word, I think The Inner Circle demonstrates that he belongs there. The story begins at a rip-roaring pace and never lets go as Meltzer develops a plot filled with twists, turns, and sudden revelations that keep that reader on their toes.

As far as thrillers go, Meltzer has written this one in shades of gray. One grows to empathize with the man who’s supposed to be the “bad guy” in the scenario, which raises some important moral questions. My only real complaint with the book is that the one page preface before the prologue doesn’t really fit with the rest of the novel. It’s entertaining. It’s gripping. It also sets the reader’s expectations slightly different than what’s delivered. On the plus side, Meltzer’s conclusion leaves things rather opened ended. Could this just be the beginning of the story for Beecher White? I sure hope so.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: November 2008

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Divine Justice begins right where Stone Cold concludes. Oliver Stone, aka former Triple Six assassin John Carr, has just killed a prominent senator and the US director of intelligence. Two men, former friends, who had destroyed his life and family. Now he’s on the run and with every intelligence agency wanting him dead, the Camel Club might not be able to help.

Through some turn of events, Stone ends up in the hick mining town of Divine, Virginia. He’s holed up way too close to DC for comfort, but he has little choice. As police forces disperse to find Carr, General Macklin Hayes has his own personal reasons for wanting Stone dead. Stone will have to deal with both the forces after him as well as the strange happenings in Divine. Stone had been in tough spots before, but this might be one of the toughest yet.

Divine Justice concludes the three-part story arc begun in The Collectors. While the titular first book in the Camel Club series and the fifth and most recent installment, Hell’s Corner, tell pretty much standalone stories, books two through four are made of individual stories that weave into an overarching epic. While I can’t be sure, it appears almost certain that Baldacci, noting the success of The Camel Club, plotted out The Collectors, Stone Cold, and Divine Justice around the same time.

Having concentrated on big-city goings on in previous novels, Divine Justice gives us a taste of law and politics in small town life. But of course Divine isn’t a normal city. Baldacci plays the two aspects of the story well, drawing out the tension in both the city of Divine as well as abroad as various forces—the Camel Club included—try to track down Oliver Stone. Baldacci is able to introduce some poignant social and political commentary in areas as diverse as drug use, the prison system, and the mining industry. It all weaves seamlessly together to create a top-notch thriller.

Undoubtedly, Baldacci fans will be clamoring for more Camel Club novels. But I for one think that Oliver Stone has worked long and hard. I’d like to see Baldacci give us more insight on Stone’s early years as John Carr. But whatever he writes, Baldacci can be sure that I’ll be reading it. His expertise in penning the Camel Club saga has earned him that.

Book purchased by reviewer.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: November 2007

Reviewed by Josh Olds

The Camel Club saga continues in fine form, reaching a crescendo in this third book. If the previous books weren’t so well written, I’d have said that they were just intended as preludes to Stone Cold. After two adventures and a lot of shadowy hinting and some outright revelations, David Baldacci finally gives us a story that concentrates on the life and history of Oliver Stone. And the result is a truly great novel filled with twists and turns that concludes in stunning fashion.

Stone’s past as a Triple Six government assassin has come back to haunt him more than once. But this time might be most harrowing. Somebody is killing former Triple Sixes and Stone just might be next. Stone Cold deals with Stone’s past with intelligence czar Carter Gray and Senator Roger Simpson, tying their history back to the Cold War era and Stone’s last assignment as a Triple Six. It was after that assignment he’d called it quits. And now because of that assignment somebody is trying to kill him.

Meanwhile, Harry Finn is a standup guy. Loves his wife, takes care of his kids, visits his mom in the nursing home. Real family fan with a great government job. What his family doesn’t know is that his job for the government is to find holes in security and exploit it—whether it’s getting through airports, or planting a bomb in the Capitol—all in the name of trying to keep the country safe and security on their toes. But even his employer doesn’t know he’s moonlighting as an assassin whose killing former spies for his own personal reasons.

A third storyline rages as Annabelle Conroy picks up where we left her in The Collectors—on the run from the casino king Jerry Bagger. She conned $40 million from the guy who killed her mother, and now he was on her trail looking to do the same to her. Along the way Annabelle mends some relationships and realizes just how much she can count on her newfound friends at the Camel Club.

Let me just come right out and say it. Stone Cold is an excellent novel. The storylines are tremendous and the themes are compelling. The character of Harry Finn, who can compartmentalize his job as a killer with his family life, is absolutely fascinating and raises a lot of questions about the human psyche. Finn’s back story raises even more important issues such as the authority of the government and the trouble of an “ends justifies means” philosophy. Gray and Simpson’s stories portray the power and prominence—and yet eventual downfall—of the absolutely heartless. Interspersed throughout, Baldacci makes little quips on various political issues, providing some tongue-in-cheek cynicism about our oh-so-truthful government.

Stone Cold is Baldacci at the height of his game. Other novels of his have had the same great level of technical precision and told great stories, but this novel drives to the heart of the matter and raises some very important questions that will linger long after the book is closed. Simply put, one of the best political thrillers I’ve read.

Book purchased by reviewer.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Release Date: October 2006

Reviewed by Josh Olds

David Baldacci followed up his 2005 release The Camel Club with the top-notch sequel The Collectors. Set shortly after the event of The Camel Club, this novel puts Oliver Stone back into action and calls in a few new characters as well. One of the Camel Club’s members, Caleb Shaw, is a librarian in the rare books division of the Library of Congress. One day, while making his rounds, he discovers his boss dead on the floor. While there’s no overt evidence of foul play, Stone isn’t so sure. With a little digging they discover a connection to the more-prominent murder of the week—the assassination of the Speaker of the House.

In a second storyline, Annabelle Conroy is attempting to pull off one of the greatest cons of all time. She’s gathered her team and made her hits, and she’s got her eye set on swindling Atlantic City’s cruelest casino connoisseur Jerry Bagger of a lot of money. She and Bagger have some history, none of it pleasant, and one small mistake could put Annabelle and her team in body bags.

Midway through the opposing storylines violently collide in a shocking twist. But Stone is going to need Conroy’s help if he’s going to unravel the mystery and get out alive. In the end, it’s a frantic journey of multiple storylines, each crafted around a similar theme. There’s something to collect, and someone may just have to die for it.

The details about the books are perhaps what fascinate me the most about this novel. It’s trivial to be sure, but a novel with library scenes and discussions of rare books brings out the bibliophile in me. Probably for most people, the most intriguing part is going to the story of Annabelle Conroy. Baldacci here crafts a character with a great back story and spends a lot of time developing the character in The Collectors. At first, I actually thought too much time was spent on that storyline until discovering that she becomes a major character in the future Camel Club adventures, especially in the third installment, Stone Cold. Bearing that in mind, it’s a testament to Baldacci’s foresight. Baldacci portrays the con world expertly—or at least I suppose he does, and he gives me no reason to doubt him.

But as always, the core of novel is crafted around a political aspect, and Baldacci dives deep into the espionage game in this novel, as well as reveals even more about Oliver Stone’s past. Building on the foundation of The Camel Club, Baldacci has written a great sequel in The Collectors. Perhaps even greater, the story ends on a semi-cliffhanger, with Conroy’s story still unresolved. The result is a tantalizing end that gets the reader salivating for more.

Book purchased by reviewer.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: October 2005

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Oliver Stone and the Camel Club are back in a brand new adventure called Hell’s Corner. To celebrate the return of NYT bestselling author David Baldacci’s most infamous character, Fiction Addict is taking a blast into the past and reviewing the Camel Club’s previous adventures.

It all started with The Camel Club. Oliver Stone was nobody more than a grizzled cemetery caretaker who spent his evenings quietly protesting across from the White House with his sign that simply read I WANT THE TRUTH. By night he’s also the de facto leader of The Camel Club, a ragtag group of conspiracy theorists dedicated to uncovering the truth that Washington tends to hide. When they witness a body being dumped into the Potomac during one of their nighttime meetings, they stumble upon a conspiracy more fact than theory.

As the political suspense thickens, the plot begins to come together. In the wake of a 9/11 world, all the government intelligence operations have been collected under the head of an intelligence czar, Carter Gray. Meanwhile, Muslim resistance is growing stronger and some will stop at nothing to trigger an event that makes 9/11 seem like child’s play. And least that’s what it seems.

The Camel Club find themselves thrown into the fray, working with Secret Service agent Alex Ford to help uncover the mystery. The little murder they witnessed turns out to be the beginning of so much more. And along the way we learn just who Oliver Stone really is.

Always politically savvy, Baldacci writes with precision and clarity when it comes to the political aspects of the novel. His introduction to how the Camel Club came to be might be a bit weak. Perhaps to rectify this, Baldacci should consider writing a prequel series based on Oliver Stone’s background as portrayed through the Camel Club books. I, for one, would love that.

While it’s a solid story and well-done, The Camel Club is just the beginning, as in my opinion, the books just keep getting better and better. With this novel, there were a few side plots I’d like to have seen fleshed out more and Baldacci has one character from this novel that still seems to end in a loose thread.

In terms of the meta-narrative, having now read all the Camel Club books, I have to say that I appreciate this first book more now in retrospect than after having just read The Camel Club as a standalone. It’s a good book, but the following novels and the tie-ins that Baldacci expertly crafts is what makes this a truly great book. It’s like a roller-coaster ride, but The Camel Club is just the beginning, you’ve just been strapped in.

Book purchased by reviewer.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Alan Dershowitz is rather well-known in the areas of American law and Middle Eastern political commentary and has written extensively on both topics; with books such as Is There a Right to Remain Silent? and Why Terrorism Works. Infrequently throughout his career, he’s turned to writing fiction. The Trials of Zion is his third fiction attempt after The Advocate’s Devil in 1994 and Just Revenge in 1999. All three novels chronicle the exploits of top-notch lawyer Abe Ringel.

The Trials of Zion begins with a shock. Just as peace – and a Palestinian state – is about to be created in the Middle East, a bomb explodes killing both the Palestinian and Israeli leaders, along with the US President who engineered the peace process. In the immediate aftermath, Emma Ringel, the daughter of famous criminal defense attorney Abe Ringel, joins the defense team of the Palestinian arrested for the attack.

It doesn’t take long, however, for Emma to find out that the Middle East is a dangerous place. Kidnapped and held for ransom, she is told that her kidnappers want only two things – the man accused of the bombing to be freed and her father to lead the defense. If Abe loses this case, her daughter will die. But, as always, the effort to prove someone’s innocence – even though their Palestinian friend wants to be a martyr – leads them towards the guilty party. And it is not who they expect.

First of all, I wish I’d known of Dershowitz’s previous novels before reading the book. It somewhat explains the flyby treatment the characters were given in regards to backgrounds and descriptions. Dershowitz probably should have considered that it’d been ten years since the last Abe Ringel book and the fact that most readers probably hadn’t read the previous books. You begin by feeling like you’ve missed out on something and it takes a while for you to catch up.

Dershowitz advances the plot haphazardly, constantly resorting to dues ex machina to solve his character’s predicaments or rushing over important events too quickly. Complicated questions are solved by a phone call and special favors called in and the smallest clues are extrapolated into gigantic paradigm-shifting revelations. While I’m all for suspending disbelief, Dershowitz just makes his story too unrealistic to believe, and writes the scenes in such a way that don’t help me believe it.

Where this book shines is in the courtroom scenes. Abe Ringel’s defense is stunning and I enjoyed learning of the differences between American and Israeli law. The courtroom drama is top-notch and Dershowitz would have done well to have written many more of these. The book also stands out for its political and religious commentary. He begins with a completely plausible scenario and then looks at how different sides would react to it. While critical of aspects of both Judaism and Islam, Dershowitz seems to take an absolute disdain for Christianity and evangelicalism in particular in the novel. While not being offensive (to me, at least) in that commentary, he is very inconsistent at well it is integrated into the novel.

In the end, I think there was a good reason Professor Dershowitz didn’t write fiction for over a decade. The Trials of Zion had great potential and the first few chapters started off really strong, but poor plot development really killed a story filled with fascinating characters. If you’re looking for a great take on Middle Eastern events, check out anything by Joel Rosenberg. If you want a good courtroom drama, then I’m going to recommend Randy Singer. As for Dershowitz, while he had all the elements of a good story, he doesn’t pull it together. I had expected a lawyer to tell a more believable tale than this.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Thriller, Political

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication date: September 2010

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Power Down marks the emergence of a major new talent in the political thriller genre—no small feat in a field already packed with big names like Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and David Baldacci. In terms of sheer entertainment value, author Ben Coes and his hero, the unusually but memorably named Dewey Andreas, are easily and immediately competitive with the very best the thriller field has to offer.

When Islamic terrorists simultaneously attack a U.S.-owned oil rig off the coast of Columbia and a huge hydraulic dam in the wilderness of northern Canada, the world waits in fear for the repercussions of such a devastating blow dealt to America’s power supply and infrastructure. But while politicians and bureaucrats tremble and wring their hands, rig boss and former Army Ranger Andreas steps forward to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that nothing like this will ever happen again. Working with industry insiders who truly understand the ramifications of the deadly attacks, Andreas quickly makes progress toward identifying the true nature and origin of the remaining threat. But first he has to get himself out of harm’s way and avoid ending up the victim of an assassin’s bullet. With a mole in the CIA working against him and dozens of viable targets still at risk, time is short. And the consequences of failure are unthinkable.

Power Down is a straightforward, fast-paced, and exciting story in the tradition of Tom Clancy and Stephen Coonts. The central threat is realistic and dramatic and feels like it could appear in tomorrow’s headlines. Coes uses a creative mixture of research and imagination, the result of which is a mostly realistic and believable terrorist scenario that is as frightening as it is plausible.

Coes, who used to be a White House speechwriter, demonstrates good command of language and has a sense of story pacing that is surprising for a first-time fiction author. The characters are likeable, if a bit formulaic, and there are a few welcome surprises in the cast, such as the patriotic head of the American energy conglomerate, and the villain, whom Coes paints with a decent back-story motivation rather than resorting to cartoonishness. Objectionable material is minimal but not absent; sensitive readers should be prepared for lots of violence and some inexplicit sexual content.

In an uncertain—not to say depressing—real-world economic and political environment, it’s refreshing to read a story where the characters, for the most part, respond the way you wish people would in real life. Power Down is a great debut and should easily secure a place on the best-seller lists and atop the thriller market.

Review copy provided by St. Martin’s Press.

Genre: Political Thriller

Publisher: Atria

Publication date: October 13, 2009

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Vince Flynn is to political thrillers today what Robert Ludlum was in the 1970s and ’80s and Tom Clancy was in the ’90s. His politically incorrect but oh-so-emotionally satisfying solutions to real-world problems keep readers not only on the edge of their seats but intellectually engaged from cover to cover. Poll results would seem to indicate that roughly half the country won’t agree with Flynn’s right-leaning political outlook, but even readers who don’t endorse his politics can’t help but be caught up in the suspense and drama that he brings to his stories. Readers who embrace his worldview, on the other hand, may find themselves cheering aloud as the patriotic good guys win the day using any and all means necessary.

Pursuit of Honor continues the events of Flynn’s previous book, Extreme Measures. One week after a horrific terrorist attack in Washington, D.C.—an attack that would have been even worse without CIA operative Mitch Rapp’s heroic measures—the leaders of the terror cell that instigated the plot are still on the loose. Rapp and his partner, Mike Nash, are intent on finding the perpetrators and enacting some very personal and immediate retribution. When Nash begins to have second thoughts about the morality of their quest, Rapp begins looking for a way to get him off the case. Meanwhile, bureaucratic red tape combined with treachery at high levels within the U.S. government threaten to ensure that ultimate justice is never served. It’s up to Mitch Rapp to find a way to coax the terrorists out of hiding while staying one step ahead of those within his own government who don’t want him to succeed.

Taking on issues such as the morality and effectiveness of torture as a means of acquiring potentially life-saving information, this book is sure to spark some controversy. What is never in question is the caliber of the writing, as Flynn creates dynamic settings and brings realistic and sympathetic characters to life. Particularly impressive are chapters written from the terrorists’ point of view; though the evil of their actions is never in question, Flynn manages to make the reader almost start to root for their success—up to a point. The heart-pounding climax features Rapp at his terrorist-thumping best, and though the emotional payoff is perhaps not quite as dramatic as in previous books (most notably Consent to Kill), Vince Flynn fans will leave simultaneously satisfied and eager for more.

Genre: Legal thriller, Political thriller

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication date: February 2009

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

For a relatively short book, Tim Green’s Above the Law seems to contain a bit of everything. A haggard and heroic lawyer, a corrupt politician, a dirty cop, international intrigue, human trafficking, border-security issues, a drug-running operation, murder, vigilante justice, a wrongful death lawsuit, and more. There’s an awful lot packed into this story, which is well-written and enjoyable but suffers a bit after a good start, due largely to reader overload and unfulfilled plot potential.

When an illegal migrant worker is shot on a prominent senator’s Texas ranch, the incident is quickly declared a tragic hunting accident. Perhaps too quickly, Casey Jordan, operator of a legal aid clinic in Dallas, thinks when the dead man’s wife comes to her asking for help. When the wife is deported after being threatened with having her baby taken away, Casey smells a rat and opens an investigation into the shooting and other suspicious goings on at the senator’s ranch. What she finds is shocking—and dangerous, especially when the senator strikes back, first using the media to attack Casey and then sending the Environmental Protection Agency to shut down her clinic. Desperate, Casey heads to Mexico to find and retrieve the wife of the slain worker, hoping for evidence that will prove the senator’s guilt. But the senator has already shown he won’t go down without a fight, and when the attacks threaten to turn deadly, Casey realizes she is engaged in a battle for her life.

The book starts out strong, as Green explores the legal and political ramifications of the shooting, and Casey’s involvement as the legal advocate for an otherwise helpless illegal immigrant adds texture. Green takes aim at border politics as he sets up what appears to be the foundation for a fascinating courtroom battle. But the story never reaches the courtroom, as Casey instead launches her own investigation, and the second half of the book, while thrilling, feels a little out of control as the story bounces back and forth across the border and between characters.

The overly complex plot notwithstanding, Green is a talented writer, and his characterizations and scene-setting descriptions put the reader right in the middle of the story. The action scenes are intense, and the ending is satisfying if a tad abrupt. There’s not much to dislike about the book; what’s disappointing is that what at first seems like a thoughtful, issues-based thriller evolves into a rather flat, complicated shootout. Above the Law is entertaining and definitely worth reading for action fans; it’s just not quite as good as it could have been.

Genre: Political

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Publication Date: April 21, 2009

Reviewed by Ashley Barrett

After the death of his wife, Charles Anderson takes a break from cardiology to work at a refugee camp in the mountains of an Islamic country. But when the refugees never arrive, Charles wonders if someone took advantage of him. The camp grows tense while Charles and his companions, a German researcher, Elise, and the camp military officer, Sanjit Rai, encounter their own cultural gaps and wonder what they are doing in this “wind scoured field of stones on the other side of the earth.” As Charles waits for the refugees, he reflects on his work, his wife’s death and his son, Eric.

Suddenly, artillery fire echoes throughout the camp, the mission is aborted and the whole team is forced to endure a treacherous hike back to the city.

Right of Thirst provides a realistic and thoughtful look at reaching out to other cultures for the sake of “doing good.” The characters are believeable and the pace although reflective, moved quickly enough to hold my interest.

In the back matter of the book, Huyler explains that he intentionally left the country unnamed to keep the setting and the main character simultaneously allegorical and true to life. I found this unnecessary; it’s clear that he’s talking about Pakistan. Charles as the American struggling to reach out to another culture was a much better archetype than the unnamed country.

Frank Huyler is an emergency room physician in Albuquerque, New Mexico and a world traveler since childhood. He has previously published The Blood of Strangers, an essay collection, and The Law of Invisible Things, a novel.

I recommend Right of Thirst for the reader who enjoys “man against nature” conflicts and cultural collisions. Frank Huyler’s writing is polished writer and wrestles with universal questions like, “Can one person make a difference?”

Genre: Political

Publisher: Howard

Publication date: June 3, 2008

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

In today’s political climate, it seems a novel about politics might be eclipsed by the real-life drama playing out in Washington every day. Yet with surprising skill for a first-time novelist, Ralph Reed, veteran political insider and former Christian Coalition director, presents a scenario that is almost as compelling as the real thing.

California governor Robert Long is facing liberal Senator Salmon Stanley for the Democratic presidential nomination in a hotly contested race. Stanley is declared the winner, but Long is not ready to quit—especially since Stanley’s victory is marred by allegations of fraud. When Long decides to run as an Independent, all bets are off as election day approaches.

Dark Horse is a fun read plagued with only a few first-time-author errors. Probably the biggest flaw is the sheer number of characters—too many to keep track of. But the plot pacing is good, and the prose is tight; Reed does not resort to over-the-top description or the gratuitous language that makes some first novels read like vocabulary primers.

An element in the book that is either interesting or annoying, depending on one’s point of view, is the obvious similarity between characters and real-life players on the American political scene. People like Colin Powell, Matt Drudge, James Dobson, George Soros, and others make appearances under thin disguises. This technique usually works best in a parody setting (Roland Merullo’s American Savior comes to mind), but the realistic interactions between characters and Reed’s firsthand understanding of how politics works help keep any corniness to a reasonable low.

If the book has a morale, it might be, “Follow your heart, and you can achieve your dreams.” It’s not exactly the most compelling message for a political thriller, but Reed inserts enough redemptive content in the form of one main character’s spiritual epiphany to mostly make up for it. Objectionable content is minimal but not entirely absent, as certain characters behave in ways one might expect overpaid and overworked politicians and aides to act under extreme pressure.

All in all, Dark Horse is a better-than-average first novel. It’s well worth reading for anyone interested in the sometimes brilliant but often greasy and underhanded way politics is done in Washington. For anyone looking for a break from the everyday drama of our real government, Dark Horse is a recommended escape.

Genre: Legal, Political

Publisher: Henry Holt

Publication date: January 6, 2009

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Richard North Patterson’s compelling look at the corruption caused by the oil industry in a fictional African country is thoughtful, timely, and full of the rich characterizations that readers have come to expect from this author. Difficult in places, the book presents a frankly realistic depiction of government brutality and international indifference that mirrors real life in too many places in Africa today.

When American lawyer Damon Pierce’s midlife crisis is interrupted by a frantic e-mail from Marissa Okari, an old college flame, he responds, traveling to the volatile and dangerous West African nation of Luandia. Marissa and her husband, Bobbie Okari, are witnesses to the brutal slaughter of an entire village during a human-rights protest. Now Bobbie has been arrested for the murder of three employees of PetroGlobal, the American oil company whose money has made Luadia’s corrupt dictator a billionaire. Pierce, still in love with Marissa, agrees to represent Bobbie against the trumped-up charges. Okari’s eventual trial by tribunal is at once a masterpiece of legal fiction and an in-depth look at the injustice all too often born from the dirty womb of oil money in an otherwise impoverished nation.

While Luandia is clearly modeled on Nigeria (the author admits as much in an afterword), Patterson does a good job of creating a distinct setting that adds veracity to the story while managing to avoid being a mere photocopy of an actual nation. A thoughtful mix of actual and fictional cultural details brings Luandia to life and places the reader firmly in the characters’ world. The writing is excellent, and the story, while at times infuriating to Western sensibilities, carries the reader through to the thrilling if inevitable conclusion.

Eclipse is not for squeamish readers. It includes accounts of rape, murder, kidnapping, and other atrocities that are, sadly, realities of life in parts of Africa. It also unfortunately includes an adulterous sexual encounter between Pierce and Marissa Okari that adds nothing to the story. Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile book for those able to endure some rather horrible depictions of violence and corruption (along with some leftist political leanings). It’s not exactly beach reading, but the message is important for Western readers ready to take a closer look at how our voracious appetite for oil affects the people who live in the nations it comes from.