Customer Reviews

Conspiracy

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

 

 

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.

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

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.

Excellent read -- fast paced and authentic. Based on the author's weekly column on military.com, it's easy to conclude Mr Topol is a true DC insider. Highly recommended.

This is my third book by Alan Topol and I enjoyed this one too. It was slightly predictable but no more then most books are. It was one that kept me interested in the characters and plot, which is something that Patterson books don't!!! With a little tweaking I would have given it fours stars.

Liberal presidential candidate Senator Charles Boyd seems to be pulling ahead of the incumbent. Japanese candidate for prime minister Yashiro Sato wants to bring a return to the nationalistic days of the past. He wants to rebuild the military. He orchestrates a huge conspiracy to ensure the defeat of Senator Boyd who he believes would oppose his plans. He enlists the support of the U.S. attorney general. The heros in the book are C.J. Cady a U.S. government attorney who is somewhat of a believable character and Maria Ferrari, a lawyer,who who is a key high level person running Senator Boyd's campaign. She was not quite a plausible character. Still, a lot of action and all in all not a bad read.

As a big fan of political/legal thrillers, I wasn't altogether disappointed in this book. It's certainly an interesting story and managed to hook me early. I did find myself increasingly distracted, however, by things that should have been caught by a decent editor. For example, Taylor going jogging in Rock Creek Park the day after her vodka bender (when she had cut her foot in a dozen places stepping on broken glass) is just not very plausible. In fact, the entire sequence after the Senator's "suicide" is really quite sloppy. And some of the dialogue between Cady and Taylor made me laugh out loud at times. Oh well, I wasn't expecting Hemmingway (or even Elmore Leonard). Still, a bit more effort in places could have transformed this otherwise decent book to 4 stars or better.

In the end the reader may conclude this novel is more in the latter's sub-genre, yet that fact is irrelevent to the enjoyment of the book.
An election year and in Japan paralell each other, Senator Charles Boyd in the U.S. is the leading candidate, whereas the enigmatic Sato is the forerunner for becoming Japan's next Prime Minister. Apolitical Assistant U.S. Attorney C.J. Cady is given a packet anonymously hinting that Boyd broke campaign donation laws when he first entered politics. The only one who seems to believe Boyd's innocence is his campaign manager who is determined to convince Cady to stop his investigation. Cady being a person of integrity wants to do his job, but starts to suspect he is being used when Boyd suddenly dies.
If this novel was a road I would sure hate to drive it, as there are more twists and turns then I can count. Topol breathes life into all his characters and does a more than good job paralelling the campaigns in Japan and the States. Even though the reader has a fairly good idea who the "villian/mastermind" behind the conspiracy is Topol supplies enough suspense to keep the reader entertained until the climax. He weaves his tale with an excellent atmosphere of paranoia worthy of the X-Files, and that alone to me is worth 4 stars for this fun title.

It gets you into the grit and dirt of Washington and does not let you go until the very end. Just a great book - move over Grisham, step aside Baldacci - Topol is here.