Richard North Patterson - Balance of Power / No Safe Place/Exile

Reviewed by Lesley Jones Jan 09 show
The third of this authors political thrillers about the election and Presidency of Kerry Kilcannon, is as gripping and savvy as its predecessors. Kilcannon's second marriage to his long-term fiancee Lara, is marred by the shooting of most of her family by her deranged and abusive brother-in-law who bought an automatic weapon and gut shredding bullets from an anonymous dealer at a gun fair.
Kilcannon had always intended to take on the gun lobby and this high-profile massacre of his wife's relations gives him an opportunity. What follows is a nightmare of political chicanery, as his opponents are persuaded to ever lower tactics by their gun lobby contributors. The personal injury suit his surviving sister-in-law brings against manufacturers and lobbyists runs aground on perjury and a politically ambitious judge. His opponents are even prepared to use blackmail - a document surfaces proving that the relationship between Kilcannon and Lara preceded his divorce. This is a terrifying novel, which pictures the currency of American political life as bribery, threats and the grossest of intrusions into private life; it is a vision of how vilely things can perhaps sometimes work and how intelligence will and the the application of sound legal principles might make them otherwise.

RNP steals from the headlines to kick start 'No Safe Place' but then charts a course that is all his own. He starts with Senator Kerry Kilcannon, a candidate int he presidential primaries whose brother was assassinated right after winning the California primary 12 years before. Then he adds the fact that Kilcannon seems unable to run clear of a two-year old affair. Sound familiar so far? Add to the mix the fact that Kilcannon is himself being hunted by a right-to-life activist who has already killed three people in a woman's clinic and you have a real thriller.
At times this thriller is not a traditional page-turner. There are moments when the descriptions of domestic violence, for example, cause on to put the book down for a while they are delivered with such power.
Patterson has the reputation fro being a writer of courtroom dramas but what he really writes are taut thrillers scripted like great movies - the books jump out from the past to the present in the process developing parallel plot lines that are masterfully and satisfyingly resolved. He does this in the context of authentic situations, complex plots, often away from the path the story will take. Silent Witness and the Final Judgement are courtroom dramas but they involve people with serious aspirations. Its small pleasure but fun, to find a few of his recurring characters (Tony Lord & his wife) with walk-on parts.

'Exile' This has to be the best book I have read this year, and I read a lot! Patterson has crafted a book that examines and explains so much of what is happening right now between the state of Israel and the Palestinians. He leaves the reader to make decisions and does not allow any sort of prejudice to creep in.
However, it is not just a book about the troubles but also a fantastic piece of fiction that had me gripped throughout; the characters are well drawn and the narrative keeps you turning the page.
Through reading this book I have learnt a lot about both the Palestinians and the Israelis. I have sympathy with both sides of the divide and hope and pray that in the future they can find a path to peace and learn to love alongside each other.

RNPatterson is one of my favourite authors and I have no hesitation in commending Exile as his best yet.