Customer Reviews

The Only Thing to Fear: A Novel

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I've read several of Poyer's other books, and greatly enjoy the Tiller Galloway series, and his Dan Lenson series to a lesser extent. This book came as a total surprise; it's nothing like his other works. It's a "what if" book about John Kennedy: what if he had come home from the war, and been assigned to head off an assassination attempt on FDR's life? To a great extent, the author uses real people, places, and events, and throws in a few Nazi's and Communists to stir the pot and build suspense.

It's hard to tell Poyer is a huge JFK fan or hater, but I'm sure he spent a lot of time writing with his tongue rammed firmly into his cheek. Kennedy is roundly skewered either way, with his womanizing and loose morals getting special attention. At one point he misses a clandestine rendezvous with a newly-met nurse, and ends up having sex with an underage cripple who happened to be there instead. It's liberally sprinkled with skewed references to the future. At one point Kennedy, reflecting on his own service, prophesies that at least we've learned never to fight in the Pacific jungles again. If you're a big fan of J. Edgar Hoover, prepare to cringe, as he is not given the kid-glove treatment either!

If you can get past the bizarre premise, you're liable to enjoy this book. It's well crafted, well paced, and well written. Poyer clearly put a lot of research into Kennedy and the mid-1940s, and creates a very believable period atmosphere. His obvious enjoyment with writing the book shines through, and it's more light hearted and humourous than his usual fare. This isn't - quite - science fiction, but if you can suspend disbelief a bit as any scifi fan must, Poyer will draw you in and provide a few hours of highly enjoyable reading. Get this at the library, or used if the price is right.

I loved this book from start to finish. Each character - especially the real people from American history - are very lifelike. The young JFK, the ailing FDR, the ambitious Joe Kennedy, Sr., and even the J. Edgar Hoover/Clyde Tolson relationship, provide the reader with what appears to be a glance into living history. Although I know it's a work of fiction, it gave me an appreciation for a people and era that have long since passed. I found it interesting to note the talks between FDR and JFK and how they sometimes disagreed over political/economic matters. It was even more interesting how JFK had more respect for the idealistic vision of FDR than the political aspirations set forth by his own father.
I loved the book. As far as alternative history, this is as subtle and as good as it gets; meaning the actions of a few days in eary 1945 were different but the end result was the same. Wonderful effort.