William Bernhardt’s bestselling novels explore politics, power, ambition, crime, and the law. Now he scales new heights of suspense as, in one harrowing day, lawyer and former senator Ben Kincaid enters the eye of an international storm, a crisis with consequences beyond calculation.
Kincaid is in a meeting with the president in the Oval Office when Washington suddenly explodes into chaos. Facing an imminent threat to the White House, Kincaid is whisked, along with the president and his advisors, to the underground PEOC—Presidential Emergency Operations Center—built to withstand a nuclear blast, but vulnerable to another kind of attack.
Inside the bunker, defense specialists realize that a malevolent foreign dictator has hacked into the U.S. nuclear defense system and now has a finger on the trigger of America’s most dangerous weapons. The dictator’s message is clear: Heed his demands or suffer unfathomable destruction.
Forced to make critical, split-second decisions, the president seems to be falling apart under the pressure. The vice president wants to strip him of his powers—a move that could have a disastrous impact on national defense. But even during this time of upheaval, in order for the president to be removed, there must be a trial. With the clock winding down, Kincaid has precious little time to defend the president.
While Kincaid faces the trial of his life, legendary CIA agent Seamus McKay races through the clogged streets of Washington, searching for a hidden command center—guarded by murderous fanatics—that now controls U.S. ballistic missiles.
Two sides of one unforgettable story, McKay and Kincaid home in on their targets. One uses a gun—and any weapon he can get his hands on; the other employs his intuition and the law. And in William Bernhardt’s spectacular thriller, as both move closer and closer to uncovering a world-shattering plot, the ultimate act of betrayal is launched from the heart of America’s capitol itself.
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
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. ------- 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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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