Shelley's Heart (Hardcover)

by Charles McCarry (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
McCarry (The Tears of Autumn; The Better Angels) knows the world of intelligence and the insider's Washington cold, and it shows. Shelley's Heart is an intricate, skillfully spun novel about high-level political intrigue set in a recognizable near future. Liberal President Bedford Lockwood's reelection has been challenged by conservative Franklin Mallory, on the ground of computer tampering with the votes?and Lockwood has another liability: he once apparently gave the order for a terrorist Arab leader to be assassinated. With the aid of Archimedes Hammett, a radical lawyer not unlike William Kunstler, sinister forces of the far left (an unusual switch) are working on a plot of their own, which begins with making Hammett Chief Justice. Also on the scene is beautiful Zarah Christopher, the link with agent Paul Christopher (whose family saga is woven into all McCarry's novels, sometimes to rather bewildering effect) and a couple of ultrafeminists who seem to have strayed in from John Irving's Garp. Apart from what looks like a terrorist attempt on Mallory near the beginning of the book, and a climactic shootout, there is little physical action, but McCarry's uncanny grasp of Washington mores and methods keeps the long book humming along; in his hands, Senate hearings and backroom haggles become as taut as courtroom drama. He also has a flair for the creation of odd but convincing characters, like the House Speaker, an alcoholic lecher who is oddly heroic, and a bewildered upper-crust Yalie who becomes involved in intrigue simply because he is a member of a college secret society (the Shelleyans). It is an enjoyable, highly intelligent novel, but its coolness prevents it from being ultimately involving. 50,00 first printing.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
A former journalist who currently lives in Washington, D.C., McCarry seems eminently well qualified to write this novel about a newly elected president who discovers that his underlings used a little computer magic to clinch the election. The publisher is pushing this with a good-sized first printing.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 558 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (May 16, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679415335
• ISBN-13: 978-0679415336
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #649,065 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely UNPUTDOWNABLE!!, November 24, 2005

By	Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Charles McCarry is one of the top writers of espionage, suspense/thriller fiction and most definitely in the same literary league with John LeCarre, Alan Furst, Eric Ambler and Ken Follett. McCarry's nuanced, at times poetic, writing style, his ability to create real, flesh and blood characters who will move you, and his fast-paced, taunt storylines, put him at the top of the list for craftsmanship and inventiveness. Therefore, I do not understand why McCarry's books are out of print and have been for some time. In order to read them I have had to look for used book sellers who have his novels in stock at a reasonable price - not an easy task. However, for anyone who reads this review and becomes motivated to search out "Shelly's Heart" or any of the author's other suspense thriller, I urge you to follow through. You won't be sorry - I promise.

I should note that McCarry worked for the CIA many years ago, during the height of the Cold War, and the air of authenticity that permeates his books makes them all the more fascinating and absolutely riveting. His position as one of the "Old Boys," and his knowledge of "The Company" and the political goings-on in the DC Beltway add tremendously to his most original plots.

I was amazed while reading "Shelly's Heart" that this book was written and published in 1995 because the novel's themes, which might have seemed extremely farfetched ten years ago, are not unbelievable at all today - especially not after the 2000 presidential election and the events of 9/11.

The story opens in January 2001, the day before the presidential inauguration. Incumbent President Bedford Forrest Lockwood, a political progressive, (read liberal), learns from his worthy former opponent Franklin Mallory, a staunch conservative, that there is documented evidence of election fraud in California, Michigan and New York which brings into serious question Lockwood's right to assume office. The disputed outcome hangs on a few thousand votes in a single state. Sound familiar? A presidential impeachment is also involved in this riveting thriller, as are terrorism, dirty bombs, Muslim extremists, Washington DC politics and presidential staff machinations, of the shadiest kind, at the highest levels. Throw in lots of dark humor, terrific characters, including a newly appointed obsessive compulsive Supreme Court justice with delusions of grandeur and two androgynous lawyers, lethal beautiful blonde super women types who work for him, and you have the makings of an unputdownable story. Forgot to mention a subplot involving a Yale-based secret society a la Skull and Bones, but more subversive...I think....and a constitutional crisis.

I have now read almost all of Charles McCarry's books and cannot recommend them highly enough. I have had to go out of my way, as previously mentioned, to acquire his work but am so glad I did. If you are a fan of John le Carré, Alan Furst, Eric Ambler and Ken Follett, you will certainly become a McCarry fan, as are le Carré, Furst, Ambler and Follett. They have all read him and praise him to the sky. ENJOY!
JANA

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars McCarry is addictive, November 15, 2004

By	M. H. Bayliss "book queen" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I'm on a McCarry roll. This is my 5th book in 7 days I've read of Mr. McCarry's and I can't stop. I didn't love the Mierknik Dossier, but Shelley's Heart is a masterwork that picks up some of the threads of The Better Angels which would be good to read first if you can. I also read some of his later Paul Christopher novels, so it was fascinating to catch up on the Hubbard family and the famous Zarah who plays such an intriguing role in this novel. What can I say? Every detail is amazing -- the political intrigue, the spy games, the Washington insiders, the social scene -- he has such a terrific eye, suspenseful writing style that you simply cannot put these books down. Of the books I've read so far, this was my favorite although I really enjoyed Second Sight and Old Boys too. I read in an interview that Overlook Press will start reissuing all his out of print books (almost all of them are out of print except his new one, Old Boys) this spring, so I can't wait to get my hands on his other books. Run and out find them!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing and plausible, October 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Shelley's Heart (Mass Market Paperback)

The problem with most novels about Washington is that they are either 1)completely implausible (see FAVORITE SON) or 2)boring to anyone who doesn't actually live here. Charles McCarry's books are the exceptions that prove the rule. SHELLEY'S HEART works equally well as political thriller and incisive satire of late-20th century Washington (the reviewer who found it the work of a rightwing conspiracy clearly didn't get it). His attention to detail is perfect, and his characters are priceless. It would make a great movie, except that Hollywood probably doesn't care for this vision of our nation's capital.