Capitol Threat: A Novel of Suspense

I really enjoyed this next novel in the series. There were several times while reading that I found myself laughing out loud. I find the author's characters to be very humorous (and in many ways quite realistic) and I very much enjoy reading about them. I predicted that there would be people who would give this novel 1 star, as they have. They are doing so primarily because of what appears to be the author's politics, which he certainly advances in this novel. If you don't mind the politically views (most notably, the gay lifestyle is ok) you will quite probably enjoy this novel very much. And I agree with an earlier reviewer, Loving has a great time in this novel. He's just awesome!

Readers familiar with William Bernhardt's courtroom series featuring attorney Ben Kincaid; his offbeat partner cum fiancée, Christina McCall; his intrepid investigator, Loving; and his computer maven administrative assistant, Jones, will be riveted by their latest escapades in the complex plot of CAPITOL THREAT. As a result of solving a tricky case some months prior, the governor of Oklahoma has appointed Ben to fulfill the rest of Senator Glancy's term. Ben is his usual socially inhibited self, fighting his sense of inadequacy, and the rest of his retinue also are not completely comfortable in their new venue, Washington, D.C. Nevertheless, they persevere and in the end prevail. The first important event they attend is held in the Rose Garden, where the President is to announce his nominee to the Supreme Court, Thaddeus (Tad) T. Roush, a well-respected and mostly liked jurist on the Court of Appeals. The book begins 10 years in the past. The narrator is a thief and a murderer. Irony and fate will find her the "main attraction" at the celebration party held at the home of Roush. Who is she? How did she get there? Why did she suddenly reappear at this time? These questions form a thread that run through the fabric of the novel; albeit the main frame of the story is the uproar started by and about Roush himself. The next section is titled "Three Weeks Before" and introduces another influential character: Judge Rupert Haskins, a well-respected Republican who expected to be the President's nominee to the Supreme Court. We meet him and his overly devoted wife at a dinner reception where a fire breaks out. The doors are jammed, and all routes of escape are closed off. But Haskins charges to the rescue; he shouts orders and his forcefulness breaks through the panic so that everyone starts moving and gets out --- or almost everyone. An infant can be heard crying in the midst of flames, smoke and heat. Of course the judge saves the tyke and becomes a national hero --- a feather in his cap that is sure to be the ticket that will put a lock on his chances of flying through the juggernauts on his way into a seat on the Supreme Court. Fast forward to the event at the Rose Garden and the President's Supreme Court nomination announcement. Surprise! Surprise! Thaddeus T. Roush is his pick. The President's speech, Haskins's outrage, the appearance of the "narrator" and what follows is what propels CAPITOL THREAT into the realms of suspense, political drama and timeliness. The Supreme Court remains a very honored yet elusive body, but William Bernhardt tweaks the curtain that shields the nomination process to discuss how and why a particular person is chosen. He takes us through the goings-on of committee, then hearings in Congress and the awesome task of voting (or not voting) for the nominee on the hot seat getting the third degree. And in Roush's case things are even hotter. In the meantime Haskins is spinning a web of vitriol and revenge against the wor

I'm not a lawyer and don't profess to be any kind of an expert on the law. But in the past few years, I've become hooked on the "legal thriller" genre. I've now read all of William Bernhardt's books, most of which feature attorney Ben Kincaid. I've also read books by several other lawyer/authors, and while literary criticism has never been my strong suit, I've begun to understand that each such author has his or her own unique style of approaching a story. William Bernhardt's books are among the most lighthearted that I've discovered in this genre. I don't take him as seriously as I take some of the others, such as Scott Turow. Bernhardt's books have an element of fantasy to them. Because I've learned that Bernhardt and his protagonist Ben Kincaid have a lot of things in common in their lives, I see Ben Kincaid's exploits as those that lawyers like William Bernhardt fantasize happening to them to liven up their lives. I am politically liberal, so I have not been upset by the underlying agenda items Bernhardt's recent books have embraced. In fact, I've found that most of the lawyer/authors I've read lean to the left more than to the right. I'd welcome the chance to read a well-written legal thriller by someone whose politics are different from mine. Since I once lived in the Washington, DC, area and still visit there a few times each year, I spotted a few inaccuracies and stretches of the imagination. There are no turnpikes leading from Montgomery County, MD, to Washington, and there is no shopping mall with a parking garage, escalators connecting each floor, and a department store anchor in the vicinity of Georgetown. But I know that authors are entitled to literary license; John Grisham even admits to inventing Washington landmarks in his author's note in "The Street Lawyer". For those who have been following the Kincaid stories, the usual cast of characters returns in this book. Jones, his administrative assistant, and Christina, his partner and now fiancee, play small but important roles in this story. But it's his investigator, Loving, who deserves top billing with Kincaid this time. In terms of the suspense generated by this story, I pretty much had it figured out who did it. There are a couple of surprises at the end, but I did turn out to be correct. Still, I had a lot of fun getting there as the story progressed. I look forward to more stories featuring Ben Kincaid, whether he continues as a U.S. Senator or decides to return to Oklahoma after his appointed term ends.

Just when you think Mr. Bernhardt's books can't get any better, he surprises you by one-upping himself. This one has more twists and turns than a Twister game and more ups and downs than a roller coaster. In Capitol Threat, we're taken through the sordid and dangerous process of getting a Supreme Court Justice nominee to actually make it to the Supreme Court. Just when Ben thinks he's out of his league and can't possibly help Judge Roush, the ball bounces into his court. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I couldn't put it down - finished it in two days. Thanks for another wonderful story Mr. Bernhardt! Lois Karklus [...]