Book Review: "State of Terror" by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton
"State of Terror" by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Synopsis: After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in, and to everyone's surprise the president chooses a political enemy for the vital position of secretary of state.
There is no love lost between the president of the United States and Ellen Adams, his new secretary of state. But it's a canny move on the part of the president. With this appointment, he silences one of his harshest critics, since taking the job means Adams must step down as head of her multinational media conglomerate.
As the new president addresses Congress for the first time, with Secretary Adams in attendance, Anahita Dahir, a young foreign service officer (FSO) on the Pakistan desk at the State Department, receives a baffling text from an anonymous source.
Too late, she realizes the message was a hastily coded warning.
What begins as a series of apparent terrorist attacks is revealed to be the beginning of an international chess game involving the volatile and Byzantine politics of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran; the race to develop nuclear weapons in the region; the Russian mob; a burgeoning rogue terrorist organization; and an American government set back on its heels in the international arena.
As the horrifying scale of the threat becomes clear, Secretary Adams and her team realize it has been carefully planned to take advantage of four years of an American government out of touch with international affairs, out of practice with diplomacy, and out of power in the places where it counts the most.
To defeat such an intricate, carefully constructed conspiracy, it will take the skills of a unique team: a passionate young FSO; a dedicated journalist; and a smart, determined, but as yet untested new secretary of state.
Rating: 4.25
Review: I’m going to be 100% honest with all of you - I adore a well-written political thriller, but when it’s co-authored by someone that used to hold the position of the main character, it makes me a little anxious. Case-in-point: Hillary Rodham Clinton once served as Sec State, and our female protagonist here is…also a Sec State, but she uncovers a terrorist web that has threads all over Washington, DC, including in the highest positions of power. I hope to goodness that truth isn’t too close to fiction here, but…
Okay, now that I’ve put that troubling thought into your mind, let’s talk about this book.
As I mentioned, the main character of this book is a recently-named female Secretary of State, who was appointed after her political rival was elected President — Ellen has accepted the role, given up her life as a media mogul, and is ready to do some diplomacy. The book opens with a diplomatic blunder from Secretary Adams, but within 25 or so pages, that’s nearly forgotten as we turn to the main material of the book. After a cryptic cable comes in at State, foretelling three major terrorist attacks, we’re off! I’m not going to go into more detail because I don’t want to give anything away, but rest-assured, it’s a wild and unnerving ride.
I grabbed this book in an airport, and I admit that I finished it by the time I got home. Yes, I was a captive audience, but it really was that engrossing. As mentioned before, I have a soft spot for a political thriller, but this one is one of the better ones I can remember reading. Combining Louise Penny’s knack for suspense and characterization with Hillary Clinton’s awareness of what it’s really like to hold a role like this is brilliant, and they did a great job with this book.
If anything, I feel like Louise and Hillary (yes, we’re obvs on a first name basis) tried to do too much. The scale of this book is immense and global - our core characters spend time in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and of course, Pennsylvania Avenue. I think the scope fits, even if their travel seems to go by very quickly. There were so many story lines, and quite honestly, I had to read the climax of the book twice because the first time around, it wasn’t entirely clear (to me) what they were trying to accomplish. There was a lot of double- and triple- and maybe even quadruple-crossing, and it was a bit much to keep track of at times. However, it definitely kept me entertained and paying attention; I’d just recommend you read this one fully caffeinated.
TL;DR: A twisty and clever political thriller that makes you think (and worry) about the dark underbelly of international politics - told by two of the best.
If You Liked This, Try These:
“The President’s Daughter” by James Patterson and Bill Clinton (Bookshop | Kindle)
“When Justice Sleeps” by Stacey Abrams (Bookshop | Kindle | My Review)
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