Rubicon

I just finished Rubicon and it is one of the best books I have read. I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction, and yet while reading it, I had to see some similarities in the last eight years of our political times. It was fiction yet I think all people need to read it and truly think how fear based politics could lead to a government controlled society. The book deserves a place in debating and discussing it. It also will probably give a people a lot to think about when they vote in the future.

Since they are writing fiction, novelists have the option of choosing any setting they wish. The White House is a frequent location (Remember the novels of Eleanor Roosevelt and Margaret Truman, for example?), and the Bush-Cheney preoccupation with secrecy makes their White House a natural for a thriller. And it is a fact that Bush-Cheney have pushed executive privilege very far. With that said, Lawrence Alexander has written a fascinating story of an attempt by the occupants of the White House to take over the government. His protagonists are Democratic Senator Robert Hart of California and Republican Senator Charles Ryan of Michigan. Hart learns of Rubicon, code name for a secret plan that turns out to involve murder of presidential candidates just before the election in order to postpone it indefinitely. The bad guys play for keeps, and a string of murders follow and lead to a thriller of a climax. This is a nice, topical novel and is certainly enjoyable.

My husband is a conspiracy buff. He's read every book about John Kennedy's assassination, seen every movie, and knows the Zapruder film frame by frame. When he recommends a political thriller to me, knowing I'm not a fanatic, I know it will be worth reading. He was right. Lawrence Alexander's Rubicon is a novel that thoughtful Americans should read during an election year. Yes, it's a novel. Could it happen? Read it, and judge for yourself. Senator Bobby Hart has a reputation as an honest man, a man who turns down the chance to run for president because of family concerns. Because he is honest, and his father was respected in the CIA, Bobby is the choice of a respected source to receive the warning about another attack on the United States. However, this time, the attack would come from within, from an unknown group who would use whatever means possible, including assassination, to achieve their goal. But, who is the group? And what do they want? Bobby has no idea, but when a presidential candidate is shot, he realizes his sources might be right. And, when those same trusted sources are murdered, Bobby knows he, and the country, are in trouble. Rubicon. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon, there was no turning back. Fortunately, for Bobby, he has a small group of friends who are willing to help him search for the truth. His search will bring him into conflict with the current administration, the Attorney General, and the Director of the CIA. His friends point out that Roman history is being repeated, as the United States fights an unpopular war, and civil rights are violated. Bobby asks the Attorney General, "Don't you think there is more than a little irony...in the fact that the only way you can think to bring democracy to the world is to end it here at home?" There's not only no turning back for Bobby in his search for the truth; there's also no turning back for the country. What kind of road is the country on? Bobby Hart's story is a fast-paced page turner for any political junkie. I'm not happy with the plot synopsis of this book, but I can't give away too much. You have to read it this book yourself. You decide if it rings true. Lawrence Alexander, author of Rubicon, discussed the book in "The Huffington Post" on May 5. He said after September 11, Rudy Giuliani suggested that the election for mayor should be put on hold, and he'd continue to run the city. Alexander asks the question, what would happen if a terrorist attack took place just before a presidential election, and one or more of the candidates was killed. Alexander's Rubicon is a perfect thriller for this election year. It may only be a novel, but there are interesting issues in Rubicon. Was it deliberate deception that took us into war? What's going on in our government? Could the plot of Rubicon happen here? Has it already started? You'll have to decide.

If you liked DaVinci Code, you should love Rubicon! Instead of a disfunctional church, author Lawrence Alexander takes on the biggest domestic taboo, our very own, neo-con White House. And take it on he does. In this action packed thriller, Alexander demonstrates an insider's knowledge of US politics in a not-so-veiled assessment of what could happen in a system that has recalibrated its moral compass to the extreme right. It is crisp, informed, and ends with on a note that even the constitutionalists will like. Rubicon is a story of these times, and discusses genuine, disturbing issues. At the same time, Alexander presents real characters and tells a carefully-crafted tale. What's next from Lawrence Alexander?

Lawrence Alexander may not have written novels before, but he sure demonstrates a mastery of his subject matter in this political thriller. Just as the real campaign for president heats up, Alexander takes us through the most suspenseful campaign season you can imagine, with America's entire democratic form of government at stake. Any American concerned about the future of their country and wanting to stop the current destructive cycle of politics as it is practiced today should read this book. The story may be fiction, but Alexander knows enough about how Washington works to make this story seem all to real--and dangerous. Read it and then vote like your life and your country's future depends upon it.