Empire of Lies (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Edgar-winner Klavan (True Crime) delivers a wickedly satiric thriller with political overtones. Jason Harrow was cynically immoral before he found God and became a conservative Midwestern family man. Now his former lover summons him back to New York City with the news that his teenage daughter (one he never knew about) is in trouble, mixed up with terrorists who are plotting a major atrocity. To save his daughter and thousands of others, Jason must confront the buried fear that he's inherited his mother's insanity and can't control his own dark urges. As Jason's insecurity intensifies, so does the novel's nightmarish mood. Disgusted by the excesses of the liberal media, Jason discovers that he's not just paranoid, he really is a persecuted outsider. The action builds to an explosive climax at the screening of a 3-D movie at a Manhattan theater. (July)
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From Booklist

Jason Harrow is a prosperous midwesterner living a picture-book life. A single phone call, though, recalls him to New York City, to a past when he did things he’s ashamed of, and to reminders of his mother’s madness. An ex-girlfriend’s plea for help finding her wayward daughter plunges Harrow into a conspiracy in which Muslim terrorists are planning something dire that only he can stop—he just prays he’s not making it all up. Klavan (Damnation Street, 2006) certainly knows how to construct an exciting thriller and has done so again here. But Harrow’s conservative worldview is likely to turn off liberal readers. In this near-future world of political correctness gone mad, the rise of violent “Islamofascists” has been abetted by an unholy trinity of higher education, Hollywood, and the media—and, by inference, the declining influence of strong, Christian men. But after so much venom, neither Harrow’s Christianity—nor his revulsion at his own ultimate act of violence—is quite convincing. The political polemics don’t subvert Klavan’s thriller instincts, but they are likely to limit his audience. --Keir Graff

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt; 1 edition (July 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151012237
• ISBN-13: 978-0151012237
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #277,831 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Paranoid, or not paranoid enough?, July 2, 2008

By	Henry W. Wagner (Rockaway, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Klavan evokes both Cornell Woolrich and Alfred Hitchcock in his latest thriller, telling the story of middle aged Jason Harrow, whose extremely conservative present conceals an extremely reckless youth. In trying to keep his past from ruining the life he's so painstakingly built for himself, Harrow becomes involved in a nightmare scenario that would challenge even the most competent among us. Add in the fact that this scenario seems almost designed to press his particular mental buttons, and you can easily see why Harrow eventually begins to question his own sanity.

Although he's been criticized elsewhere for pandering to the far right in his choice of protagonist, and, for that matter, antagonists, Klavan does a great job in evoking empathy for Harrow, who comes off as likable in spite of his headstrong nature and his often pompous posturing. This comes from Klavan's skill in steadily kicking out the foundations of his hero's life, until Harrow comes to feel that it's literally him against the world--his courage in facing and solving his dilemma when the odds are clearly against him are inspiring. Klavan is also canny enough to provide some welcome comic relief by throwing in an outrageous character obviously based on William Shatner--once you meet and recognize him, you can't wait until his next appearance in the narrative.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller to talk about, argue about but definitely read!, July 18, 2008

By	rgregg (Marina Del Rey, CA) - See all my reviews

Andrew Klavan's books never fail to entertain. He has taken a bold step with this novel. Jason Harrow is the center of this novel about a good man who confronts his past and his future with strong opinions about both. What starts with a phone call from his old girlfriend about her missing daughter twists into a tale of reunion, disappearance, celebrity, politics and terrorism. Clearly drawn characters many of whom are not quite what they seem to be populate these pages. What are their motivations? Who can be trusted? To give much away would be unfair to readers. A stunning climax with even more drama in the final few pages make this one of the best of the year.
Klavan's honest view of modern media and it's penchant to find fault with America's policies and how they cause people to want to commit vile acts is bound to be controversial. Make no mistake, this is a page turning thriller with a message that is so often ignored but needs to be told. The risks Klavan takes should be admired and celebrated.
Twists and turns galore populate this stunning story and open minded readers will be left with a great deal to think about while being completely entertained at the same time. Buy this book, read it and decide for yourself.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, August 13, 2008

By	Comedy Album Fanatic "W.C. Fields Forever" (Western New York) - See all my reviews

I'm an English lit major who has read my share of the classics, but my tastes lean toward men's fiction... hard-boiled detective stories, westerns, etc. I've seen talk show host Glen Beck interview a couple of authors who sounded like they might be up my alley... "men's fiction" authors who write stories with something other than generic terrorist characters, authors who show their fictional terrorists as having radical islamist leanings, and I've checked out two of the authors I've seen on the Beck show: Brad Thor and Andrew Klavan.

Maybe it was just the Brad Thor booked I picked up, but I thought Thor was a fairly bad writer and I found his dialogue very stiff. Klavan, however, is a different story. He's won writing awards and recognized writers such as Stephen King enjoy his work. I found this book tight, brutal, current-as-today's-headlines, and just a real joy to read.

My only complaint with the book, or maybe I should say "reservation" rather than "complaint", is that Klavan has a character in the book who is clearly modeled after actor William Shatner, and Klavan's descriptions of the Shatner character are unflattering beyond all reason. You would think that Shatner must have killed Klavan's dog or slept with his wife. Other than the "Shatner character assassination" though, I thought that this book was a five-star read. The venom directed at Shatner was confusing.