Customer Reviews

Blowback

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Richard Whelan, a Harvard Graduate and National Security Advisor, is framed for the murder of his girlfriend, the daughter of a major defense contractor. At the same time, India uses a nuclear weapon against Pakistan, bringing the region to the brink of war.

Rarely does one find a novel with a plot that moves as quickly as this. This book is easily readable in one sitting and readers will no doubt be fully entertained. While at some points the story becomes somewhat overly spectacular, readers who can suspend belief for a while will enjoy Blowback in much the same way they would enjoy a movie like Air Force One or Clear and Present Danger.

I have only one complaint about Blowback, and it is a minor one at that. I felt that the main character's race became too much of a focal point at times. While this is, in some other cases, necessary to develop the characters in a story, I felt that the fact that every one of the 'bad guys' was at least moderately racist while all of the 'good guys' were not detracted from the story. While this complaint by no means makes Blowback any less worthy of reading, I do feel that the author has crafted too good a story to rely on racial tension to make his lead character any more heroic.

I would recommend this book to anyone who reads James Patterson, Brad Meltzer, John Sandford, or Jeffery Deaver.

Richard Whelan, an African American, is National Security Advisor to the President. When he and his white girlfriend get into a fight at a party, they decide that he should follow her home to get his things out of her apartment. On the way there, he is pulled over, by what he thinks are the police, and beaten. He makes it to the apartment and discovers his girlfriends dead body. He calls 911, and before the police show up, he is called back to the White House for an emergency meeting. Him leaving the scene was the biggest mistake he ever made--and really doesnt make much sense either. Whelan is framed for the murder and soon becomes the victim of numerous frame-ups. Being pursued by the CIA and the Secret Service as well as the Washington Police, our hero Whelan must escape capture, and at the same time try to diffuse an international incident involving China, Pakistan, and India.

Shallow characters dont seem to put too much of a damper on the action and fast-paced narrative.

With some more time under his belt. I think Fullimore will become quite a good thriller writer.

This is probably the best thriller I've read in the last 2 or 3 years. The characters are believable, the action is dizzyingly fast, and the plot is not an insult to one's intelligence. In fact, quite the opposite -- the book actually gets you to think about some big issues, not least the danger of having an utterly amoral person in the White House. I also found Fullilove's protagonist refreshing. Yes he's macho, handsome, and brilliant -- the usual thriller virtues. But he also has flaws, faults and fears. There is none of the cartoony quality that you find in so many best-selling thrillers.

Fullilove also does an excellent job with the Washington background (something tells me he must have had some career connection with the world of intelligence, but if not he's certainly done his homework). I also liked the fact that the books various crises and disasters grow out of the failures and miscalculations of ordinary people -- just like in real life. Truly superior!

Blowback is a well-written, well-paced suspenseful novel that takes you to a tense situation on the Indian border to the inner circle of the White House. Fullilove provides the reader with simply an interesting story of the how the wheels work in an almost non-fictional scenario of Washington today-it contains an international nuclear crisis; a major defense contractor engaging in questionable deals with foreign governments while supporting the presidential campaign; a high powered Washingtonian couple (a black National Security Advisor and the white daughter of the defense contractor); murder, espionage; betrayal, and cover-up. I don't want to reveal too much because the book review provided gives the highlights. It was a page-turner for me... I was determined to finish the book in a day just to see how it was all going to play out. I was slightly disappointed in the ending so my true rating is a 4.5.

For those of you who enjoyed the movie, "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith and Gene Hackman, you'll like this book.

Set against the backdrop of the Nation's Capital and the political heartbeat of America, Blowback by Eric James Fullilove is a thrilling and fast-paced adventure read. The protagonist, Richard Whelan has it all. He's a Harvard Grad and is the National Security Advisor to the President. He's living large in the national's capital, has a nice ride and a trophy lady on his arm...oh did I mention that she was white? So what could go wrong? Everything when he's picked up for Driving While Black and framed for a murder as well as various security breaches that he didn't commit. Whelan's, high-powered friend, a Black Female(of course), Bettina, comes to the rescue to help him out of the demise that he faces. Bettina must help keep him alive and safe in order to stop a nuclear detonation that someone is hell-bent on setting off.

Blowback is a well-written and believable novel that's spookily scary as it rings true of real life events going on in the world today. Fullilove appears to have a background in the story he writes, and, if not, he has done a superb job researching the topics for the storyline. The narration is tight and taut, the plot line complex, intriguing and thrilling. My only disappointment with the book was that the non-stop action took away from character development; Blowback is definitely a plot-driven book. That aside Blowback is a page-turner. This is a one-night, do not-put-it-down read. If you like books that involve governmental conspiracy, betrayal, and cover-ups then add Blowback by Eric James Fullilove to your to read list.

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

Action-packed and reads like the author was planning on selling the movie rights. Not much character development. Highly improbable plot. No White House advisor, the job of the main character, would act so foolishly, have the physical prowess of a superman, and be the one advisor who can figure decipher intelligence reports to predict that India is planning to wage war on Pakistan. Not even Martin Sheen's assistants are this good.

Sorry, but the main character of this piece was so unbelievable I couldn't finish the book. His reactions to the events around him are so phlegmatic that he comes across as one-dimensional. Why should I worry about what happens to the main character, when he's so nonchalant about his own best interests that he *leaves the scene of a crime*, thereby implicating himself and stymying the investigation. If Condoleeza Rice had a boyfriend and she found him dead, her life would become pure hell. She would most certainly NOT be allowed to continue to advise the President, comment on national security matters, or be sent abroad in any official capacity. The idea that the hero of "Blowback" can do that while not even being inconvenienced by a police investigation is ludicrous. I couldn't continue reading this silly plot.

This book moved along very quickly, which is something I appreciate, since I hate wading through long and useless pages of description. I did have a little trouble believing some of the heros actions, like when he comes home to find his girlfriend murdered. Why didn't he give his name when he called 911? And how could he possibly leave if he really cared about her? I also found it hard to believe that someone working in the white house would be so phsyically fit and good with a gun. On the whole, however, the book was interesting, packed with very readable action scenes, like car chases. A good read if you aren't interested in a great deal of depth and you don't mind that the main character makes all these "heroic" choices, rather than realistic ones.

I quit on page 2. The hero is African-American. He is National Security Advisor to the President. He is sober, driving within the speed limit in his BMW. Two white DC policemen stop him -- and call him the N-word, the MF double-word and like that. Gimme a break.

1. I doubt there are two white policemen in DC much less two driving together.

2. Why doesn't he flash his credentials? Are these birds really going to hassle the National Security Advisor??

This scene is nonsense. Why bother to read more?

"Blow Back"is an impressive thriller packed with excitment and suspense. The ending left much to ponder regarding politicians, campaign financing and world events.