Customer Reviews

Capital Crimes

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

 

 

This book appears to me to be an almost exact copy of the story of Rasputin. He came from a religious background, faith healer, heavy drinker, seducer of women. Helped the Czar's son who had the same blood disease. Was poisoned, shot then drowned by a close associate of the Czar. This author took the Rasputin story and moved it from Russia to the United States and moved the time frame from the early 1900's to the late 1900's. My rating is low because it appears to me that the author did not give credit for his source of the plot.

Having read 18 of Sanders' books to date, I enjoyed "Capital Crimes" more than most of his works and as much as the "Deadly Sins" series. It moved quickly and was difficult to put down. "Caper" reads in a similar fashion to "Capital Crimes" and I would recommend either book.

I'll admit, this is the only book of Sanders that I've read other than the McNally Series (which I love), but I was very dissapointed with this book. The story was dull and the characters lacked wit and personality. Although I'm sure one day I will, this novel has made me disinterested in reading any of his other books.

I believe this is one of Sanders best books, I have read ALL of his work and really like this novel, it fills the gap between the Deadly Sins and the McNally Saga.

I liked Capital Crimes by Lawrence Sanders, published in 1989 in hardcover first edition by G.P. Putnam and Sons. The novel is the second Sanders' novel I've read (the first being The Fourth Deadly Sin, published in 1984 by Putnam). Because both novels were good reads, I am fast becoming a Lawrence Sanders fan.

Capital Crimes is all about mixing politics and religion together on the national scene. Jacob Everard Christiansen a.k.a. Brother Kristos is an itinerant preacher thought by President Abner Hawkins and First Lady Helen Hawkins to be a clairyoyant and a miracle worker/healer (capable of healing the couple's only offspring, hemophilic son George). Brother Kristos has long hair, a beard, wears a robe made out of burlap, and speaks to his followers from a rundown barn he owns located 1.5 hours south of Washington DC in Virginia. Kristos claims to be Christ's brother. He drinks vodka in excess and is a sexual satyr. As the President's faith in Kristos grows, so does Kristos personal wealth and his desire to influence the President in matters of policy, not involving the health of the President's son. Throw into the mix: a power-hungry, president-bashing Vice President; a Vice Presidential assistant selling low-grade secrets to the Russians; the Russian spy buying the secrets; a far-too-serious executive assistant to the White House Chief; and a reformed alcoholic, former-FBI agent turned detective, hired (by the executive assistant) to dig up dirt on Brother Kristos.

Brother Kristos reminded me of the messiah-like Valentine Michael Smith found in Robert Heinlein's 1961 novel "A Stranger in A Strange Land," and the charismatic preacher found in John Farris' 1967 novel "King Windom." The questions posed by Sanders early in Capital Crimes, "Is Brother Kristos good or bad? Fake or for real?" reminded me of similar questions posed about Joey Scavello, a six year old boy under attack by a religious cult lead by Grace Spivey in Dean Koontz/Leigh Nichols' 1984 novel Servants of Twilight. Also, I found the behind-the-scenes relationships/workings of the President and his staff, and the fictional problems faced by the President (and his solutions to these problems) reminiscent of the White House and the problems/solutions found in Clive Cussler's 1987 novel Raise the Titanic.

The book, if read ironically, would be a weak satire, but I don't think this is what Sanders intended. Coming at it as a Christian potboiler (if that's even a genre), it starts pretty bad and proceeds to fall flat on its bottom. The (laughable) descriptions of the sex act were just plain creepy, and those inclined to religion will hate the way Brother Kristos fulfills every stereotype of the preacher who is a money-hungry, hypocritical zealot. I'm not a Christian, and even I found it to be uncalled for.

Basically, the book is a whole list of failures. Put every category out there- narrative, characterization, dialogue, language- and all are found to be lacking. This was my first and last venture into the world of Lawrence Sanders, and if you're smart you'll never pick up his fiction to begin with. Zero stars.