Capitol Betrayal: A Novel [Kindle Edition]

William Bernhardt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ben Kincaid has lost his bid to be elected to the U.S. Senate in Bernhardt's less than credible 18th thriller to feature the honorable Oklahoma lawyer (after Capitol Offense). Ben's wife, Christina McCall, also a practicing attorney, has moved the family law firm to Washington, D.C., and is in charge of operations, while Ben works on legal issues for the newly elected U.S. president, Roland Kyler. Ben is at the White House with the president, the vice president, and other cabinet members when they learn that the nation is under missile attack. Ben and the others rush to an underground shelter deep beneath the White House, where the vice president makes a bid to replace Kyler, who's been acting bizarrely. This results in a trial of sorts, with Ben defending the president. A side plot starring Seamus McKay, a CIA agent in the James Bond mold, takes place topside while the trial grinds on below. At times the action borders on the silly, though series fans are unlikely to mind. (Mar.)
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From Booklist

Sometimes you have to know when to stop—or at least when to take a long break. The Ben Kincaid series, closing on its twentieth anniversary and slowly running out of oomph for six or seven books now, has finally hit empty. It’s as if Bernhardt no longer knows what to do with his character, or he’s simply bored with him. In his latest outing, the Oklahoma defense attorney turned (briefly) senator is now appointed to the White House Special Counsel office. During a high-level meeting in the Oval Office, a national emergency sends everyone scrambling into a bunker beneath the White House, where Ben soon finds himself defending his friend, the president, against an aggressive and manipulative vice president. At stake: the leadership of the free world. This is a wildly implausible book—you can feel Bernhardt manhandling characters and events to suit the needs of his story. Bernhardt can still be a talented and compelling storyteller—see 2009’s excellent Elliot Ness novel, Nemesis, for example—but you won’t find much evidence of that here. This installment of the Kincaid series is definitely for completists only. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 559 KB
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (March 16, 2010)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0036S4DHE
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,719 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

I love my job. Even on the worst day when I can't seem to put together a coherent sentence, I am grateful for having been given this magnificent opportunity to participate in the literary exchange of ideas. My mother says I was telling people I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I know that seems incredible, but she's my mom, so we have to believe her. I never missed an opportunity to visit the library, which was blissfully near my home, and the librarians there took a great interest in this nerdy, shy, bespectacled kid who kept reappearing almost every day. They encouraged me to read widely and to read the best of everything, and that is exactly what I did and have continued to do all my life.

I sent off my first submission when I was eleven, to Highlights Magazine. This was a poem of which I was particularly proud concerning the Oklahoma Land Run. They turned me down. Yes, that was my first rejection letter. Over the next twenty years, I collected over 400 more of them. No, I'm not exaggerating. I still have them. Every last one. There was a reason, I realize now, why all those compositions were being rejected. They weren't very good. But they improved over time. I didn't know it, but during the entire torturous process of submission and rejection, I was learning how to write.

I finally had my first novel published (by Ballantine, a division of Random House) when I was thirty-one. To some, this may seem an early age to publish, but if you clock it from my first rejection, it took twenty years. That was a great year--my first son, Harry, was born in August, and my first book, Primary Justice, was born in December. The book surprised everyone and the follow-up did even better and before I even realized it I had accomplished my goal--I was a real honest-to-gosh writer. I've been writing ever since. I've written more than twenty novels, edited two anthologies, done two books for children, and published numerous stories, essays, puzzles, and poems. I have three children now, and this job allows me to be present when they come home from school and available when they need me during the day, which is a blessing I could not have anticipated back when I was a seven-year old gazing dreamily at author photos on dust jackets, wishing I could see myself there.

My goals for the future are to continue to learn, to grow, to find new ways of doing my work and doing it better. I think the current interest in thrillers provides a marvelous opportunity to spin bigger and more exciting stories. I've learned that I enjoy teaching, which has led to the William Bernhardt Writing Programs and The Fundamentals of Fiction DVDs, as well as many speaking and teaching engagements throughout the year. My interest in mentoring aspiring writers led me to start the Small-Group Seminars and Master Classes, which allow me to teach my favorite subject all across the nation. And in my personal life, my goal is I to be the best parent possible to Harry, Alice, and Ralph, and the best possible partner to my wife, Marcia. I'm very excited about the future--my personal life with these extraordinary people, and my professional life, creating new stories for you wonderful people who still understand the importance of storytelling and the written word.
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William Bernhardt is the author of more than twenty novels, including Primary Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, Death Row, Capitol Murder, Capitol Threat, Capitol Conspiracy, and Nemesis. He is one of fewer than a dozen recipients of the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He is also one of the country's most popular writing instructors, teaching at various conferences throughout the year. A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Marcia, and their children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Who thought this was a plausible story?, March 26, 2010

By 

Sparky LeFavre (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capitol Betrayal: A Novel (Hardcover)

I read Bernhardt's last book and found it to be mediocre, but at least I was interested in reading to the end. So I thought I'd try this one. I like books set in D.C. Admittedly, I did read this to the end, too. But I skipped major portions, and I find it's not a good sign if you can skip major portions of mostly dialogue and still know what's going on. I don't want to ruin the book for others, but suffice it to say that there are two simultaneously things happening in the book. With what was happening outside the White House, it is preposterous that the plot "inside" the White House would be occurring. Give me a break.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not nearly his best work, July 31, 2010

By 

SanityClause "insatiable reader" (Martinsville, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Capitol Betrayal: A Novel (Hardcover)

Ben is there, and Christina plays a part in the denouement, but the rest of the characters we know and love are briefly introduced then quickly forgotten by the author. The plot is implausible, and not a good fit for Ben. It was akin to reading a Louis L'Amour western featuring Harry Potter.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars OK from the library - wouldn't buy it, August 19, 2010

By 

DH - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capitol Betrayal: A Novel (Hardcover)

this is my first novel by william bernhardt, and will be my last. nothing outwardly offensive here - sans the left wing jabs at President Bush - fiction writers who try to put their political views into a story very rarely do it well, or seamlessly, which is the case here. no real reason for the jabs, but they don't ruin the story. the story ruins itself. no real character development, a plot that is equally thin and unbelievable, and a predictable unbelievable ending. bernhardt expects the reader to believe high level tampering can go undetected and a president's crazy episodes wouldn't be addressed and/or leaked? and the whole seamus plotline, while entertaining, was unbelievable. how many tight spots can a character believably get out of in one book? all in all, though, I'd give it two stars because a)I got it from the library, and b)it was mildly entertaining, at times.

so if it catches your eye at the library it might be worth it. wouldn't buy it, though, or look for other titles by bernhardt.