Conspiracy [Mass Market Paperback]

Allan Topol (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2004

Allan Topol's bestseller Spy Dance was hailed as an instant classic. Now Topol sets the stakes even higher-in a treacherous international power play where the winner will control the single most influential office in the world.

Soon after anonymous charges are made against him, Presidential candidate and California Senator Charles Boyd is found dead. It looks like suicide, but is it? U.S. attorney C.J. Cady and the senator's sensuous campaign manager, Taylor Ferrari, must follow the trail of deception out of Washington to confront an unseen enemy with the power to cast the fate of nations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This Washington, D.C.-set thriller from Topol (Dark Ambition) seethes with political intrigue, a cast of shady characters and enough deception, smart dialogue and behind-closed-doors deals to keep readers hooked until the final scene. When California Senator Charles Boyd moves ahead in the presidential-election polls, he suddenly becomes the target of a smear campaign. Midway through the book, Boyd is found dead after an apparent suicide. His campaign manager, Taylor Ferrari, is convinced of foul play, and she gets assistant U.S. attorney C.J. Cady-originally in charge of an investigation into one of Boyd's real estate transactions-to buy into her conspiracy theory. Together, the two string together enough evidence to expose a plot that reaches the highest branches of the federal government and halfway across the globe. Although Topol's tale is heavy on dialogue and light on descriptive details, his plot is airtight and his characters deftly drawn. The denouement, while exciting, won't surprise many readers, but that won't lessen their enjoyment of this well-told conspiracy yarn.
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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (January 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451411072
• ISBN-13: 978-0451411075
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,867,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner From Topol!, January 24, 2004

By 

Melvin Hunt (Cleveland,, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conspiracy (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the third Topol book that he has written and he is still good.In this book California Senator Charles Boyd is
moving ahead in the polls and on the way to being elected President.U.S. Prosecutor C.J. Cady is secretly provided evidence
that accuses Boyd of campaign finance irregularities.Soon after Boyd is found dead,an assumed suicide.Into the picture comes Sato
a candidate for Prime Minister of Japan who wants Japan to be a military power who is trying to influence the American Presidential election.You also have his assassin Terasawa who
does Sato's dirty work.Boyd's campaign manager Taylor Ferrari and
prosecutor C.J. Cady join forces to expose this conspiracy.This
is a very entertaining book that you will enjoy. Allan Topol is
an author that I have come to enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good thriller, January 7, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conspiracy (Mass Market Paperback)

California Senator Charles Boyd is gaining momentum as he makes a run for the White House that concerns international interests that want the incumbent reelected. Rumors suddenly surface that Charles is dirty having conducted some shaky business ventures. Spin doctors further tell tales that are intended to derail Charles' bid though he denies everything even in private to his campaign manger Taylor Ferrari. She believes him and persuades him to stay the course even as the US Assistant District Attorney for the District of Columbia C.J. Cady begins investigating Charles based on a document containing specific accusations that was left mysteriously on his desk.

The pressure on Charles to quit the race leads to him committing suicide. Taylor refuses to believe Charles killed himself. She makes inquiries into the spin of taint that surfaced. Suspicious of what has happened, C.J. joins Taylor and soon they uncover a foreign effort trying to influence the election, but will they live long enough to save a dead man's reputation by proving their case.

Though the concept seems farfetched, some of the recent fund raising activities and shadow supporters of the last two presidents and their opponents make this tale feasible. The story line grips the audience once the negative spin starts as a ripple and soon turns into a tidal wave as truth is not important with the stakes so high. Charles seems almost Shakespearean in nature while Taylor and C.J. are a delightful duo learning how far one will go to win. This is a strong tale that political CONSPIRACY buffs from the left or right will enjoy and believe as reasonable as much as centrist thriller fans will too.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Help Us Out Here, August 28, 2006

By 

Crime Connoisseur "Brick" (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conspiracy (Mass Market Paperback)

As a vociferous reader, I am always desperate to find a good read, and add another author I can depend on, to my possibilities. I really wanted to like this book, and at least it was better than a lot of stuff I pick up. But.......it really was pretty simplistically written at about the Jr. Hi level. I failed to find the crisp dialogue referred to by Publishers Weekly Review-I'm not sure at what level they must read. I don't mind suspending reality for a plot if it's interesting (and this was an interesting plot)or figuring out the bad guy early on. The main problem was that these characters weren't too bright for the positions they were in. However, I guess they may be realistic for what passes for talent in politics and public service today. Even though C.J. was a goody two shoes, he was passable, but the female character was unbelieveable and just not likeable. The obligatory sex scene seemed thrown in just to meet current expectations in any book now being published. In spite of the flaws I will give Topol's other books a try if the plot appeals.