Empire of Lies

Disregarding for the moment the politics of the story, I'd like to point out that the writing is quite good. The descriptions are so colorful -- describing a toupee as looking like a flying squirrel flew above the actor's head and got shot down onto his head. The film noir style narration is a lot of fun, and the characterizations (check the description of the affair between Jason's father and his girlfriend) are hilarious and poignant. Bold writing -- terrific read!

Andrew Klavan has been generating a lot of buzz on the TV talk show circuit, claiming that his traditional Christian values are hurting his career as writer of high-octane books and movie thrillers. But when you read this book, you find out very quickly that this writer really has the stuff. Lightning fast action scenes, incredible tension, and a plot so intricate and terrifying that it keeps you racing till the very end. Jason Harrow is a middle aged, wealthy American who has worked hard to build a good life for himself. But a chance meeting with a child he might have fathered years ago plunges him into an underworld of dangerous terrorist conspiracies and brutal violence. Stop reading here if you don't want to hear about the details of the explosive climax! THIS IS WHERE I START REVEALING PLOT SPOILERS. I loved the early chapters of the book, where Jason is introduced, we meet his family, see the scorching sins of his shameful past, and so forth. I raced through the whole book in about three days, which is very fast for me. But when it was over, I found there were a lot of plot holes and gaping flaws, which somewhat reduced my enjoyment of the genuinely powerful story. Most of the problems centered around characterization of the villains and the actual terrorist plot. JAMAL is depicted as nothing more than a teenage punk, a cheap hood who fights with guns and drives a Cadillac. It was impossible to believe that this dime store hood was involved in, let alone the mastermind, of a deadly bomb plot involving huge logistics and security problems. We never find out if Jamal is American born, foreign born, where he comes from, how he was recruited, or anything. Klavans obviously thinks it's weak-willed and cowardly to "know your enemy" but as a writer he needs to work a lot harder on making his villains credible and dangerous. PROFESSOR RASHID is an even more extreme example of this. There's nothing wrong with having a smug, elitist professor as a bad guy. The propaganda war is an important front in the War on Terror. But who would believe this elegant, pampered professor would be "in" on all the nitty gritty details -- where the bombs are planted, how to disarm them, etc. This is just not believable. The "interrogation" scene where Jason gets medieval on his behind is meant to be shocking and disturbing, but to me it was just silly. When you want a demolitions expert, you don't hire an English professor. It's almost like Klavans is afraid to create a villain strong enough to challenge his hero. This problem effects the good characters, too. PATRICK PIERSALL is a dreadfully embarrassing character. He's clearly modeled on a much loved and respected TV Starship captain, (no, not the bald freak, the REAL captain of the Enterprise.) Yet Klavans can't make up his mind whether the guy is a stumblebum drunk or a hero. The story would have been so much better if Piersall had been shown as a hero from the beginning, and if he had left out all the si

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.

I've never read any other books by this guy but i'm buying the rest of his oevre. I'm surprised he had the courage (or nerve?) to write this book and even more incredible he got it published because its so provocative. Whats great about it is that it actually makes sense and while at times blunt, it really comes from a valid place. Klavan is clearly a conservative but this is really a book for liberals like myself. I"m still voting for Obama, but this book makes sense to me and I'm having all my friends read it. I really wanted to hate this book and read it so I could write an angry response to the author (yes I have lots of free time) but its so good. Oh and politics aside, there is a great story there too!

I've never read Klavan before, but this book came highly recommended. How refreshing that someone has the balls to write a book that portrays the bad guys for who they really are. It's an entertaining and spellbinding read, and a must for your summer list.