Balance of Power

From Publishers Weekly
Gun control and tort reform are the thorny issues tackled in this political drama, with Patterson hero Kerry Kilcannon ensconced in the White House and planning his marriage to former television journalist Lara Costello. Kilcannon (last glimpsed in Protect and Defend) has been president for less than a year when he is caught up in a potentially disastrous domestic crisis. Lara's sister, Joan, is brutally beaten by her husband, John Bowden, and Kerry, who rescued his own mother from his violent father, lets emotion get the better of him, asking the California DA to intervene. Meanwhile, in the political arena, Kerry is battling an NRA-type group called Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA). When the fuse Kerry lit under John Bowden explodes predictably (Bowden goes on a killing spree in an airport while the Kilcannons are away on their honeymoon), Kerry sees red and goes after the manufacturer of the gun Bowden used. The gun lobby circles wagons around the SSA and pushes a tort-reform bill called the Civil Justice Reform Act, which protects the manufacturers of any "products" from litigation by victims of criminals. Congress kowtows to America's captains of industry, with guns as the focal point: "gun immunity hung in the balance of power between the President and the senator who intended to displace him." This is a Democratic nightmare scenario, and the novel paints a grim picture of the challenges facing gun-control advocates. Patterson is known for his intricate law-and-politics-laced crime fiction, but lawmaking trumps suspense in this novel and may leave his fans wanting for more. Patterson is a strong supporter of gun control-as he notes in an afterword-and his passion is evident here. Readers seeking pure entertainment may be disappointed, but those with the patience to follow the involved plot will learn much about gun policy debate.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
President of the United States Kerry Kilcannon and TV journalist Lara Costello plan to marry in the first few months of his first term in office. Then the gun lashing of Lara's sister brings to a head the fight between the gun industry and those who oppose it. Patricia Kalember's reading creates a tale without fire. She relates the narrative word by word, never getting caught up in the possibilities of the drama. Without any conversational tone in her delivery, the story lacks warmth and intimacy. Overall, this rendition is a lackluster disappointment. J.P. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Newly elected Democratic president Kerry Kilcannon faced the abortion issue in Protect and Defend (2000), and now he has to tackle the Second Amendment. While preparing for his wedding to Lara Costello, a beautiful journalist, Kerry has been helping her sister, Joan, escape from her abusive husband, John. Just after Kerry and Lara's wedding, John shoots and kills Joan, her young daughter Marie, and Joan and Lara's mother, Inez. Kerry and Lara, along with the nation, are stunned by the tragedy, and Kerry decides that something must be done about the gun industry. His opponent is the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA), a powerful gun lobby that wields an incredible amount of influence over the Republican Party. The war is waged on two fronts: Lara's sister, Mary, sues a gun company and the SSA, while Kerry must fight a bill the SSA is trying to push through the Senate and the House immunizing gun companies from lawsuits such as Mary's. This complex novel has a fascinating debate at its heart. To his credit, Patterson has done his research, and though it's clear which side he's on, he does a good job of presenting all the arguments. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
“A rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics . . . This is a great read by a masterful writer.”
—SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

“ALWAYS KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT. Patterson has the rare gift of enthralling as he informs.”
—The Guardian (London)

“REVEALING . . . WILL LEAVE YOU LOBBYING FOR MORE.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“PATTERSON TURNS UP THE HEAT.”
—The Dallas Morning News

“A MUST READ.”
—FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

“THOUGHT-PROVOKING . . . [Patterson’s] passion for politics, public discussion, and gun control are infectious and admirable.”
—USA Today

“[A] SPELLBINDING NOVEL . . . Patterson’s extensive research, plot skills, and ability to create engaging, authentic dialogue set his writing apart. . . . believable and eloquent.”
—Associated Press

“Balance of Power is a compelling story, fully worthy of Richard North Patterson, which is made even more intriguing by its detailed insight into the world of special-interests politics in Washington, D.C.”
—SCOTT TUROW

“A masterpiece . . . From the first page, President Kilcannon faces plot twists that challenge his resourcefulness and moral character.”
—The Tulsa World

“Compulsive reading . . . An engrossing blend of courtroom and political drama.”
—The London Times

“IMPORTANT READING, EVEN ESSENTIAL . . . Patterson masterfully touches all the right historical reference points to lure us into his story. . . . The image of the gun—and what to do about it as a society—linger long after the covers close.”
—Ft. Myers News Press

“Patterson has done his homework, and Balance of Power presents a clear picture of the arguments and political realities on both sides of the debate.”
—The Denver Post

“A powerful, in your face, condemnation of the American political system that abets gun violence . . . Patterson makes no apologies as he denounces a system in which money buys Congressional votes [and] ethics mean nothing.”
—The Midwest Book Review

“A harsh, persuasive indictment of the politics that breeds gun violence in America . . . bare-knuckle, page-turning, political infighting. For ordinary folk, it’s good stuff. For political junkies, think Harry Potter.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“One of [Patterson’s] best . . . Fascinating . . . A thoughtful exposition of an important issue . . . [Balance of Power] will entertain, challenge, inform—and, just maybe, open a few minds.”
—Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA)

“Balance of Power and Protect and Defend stand as a remarkable project in popular fiction: an extension of the genre of the legal thriller to explore the morality and strategies of U.S.’s greatest civic controversies.”
—The Guardian (London)


Review
?Richard North Patterson has a keen eye for how Washington really works. His portrait of the gun lobby is right on?both in terms of its power and its political tactics. A must read for anyone interested in the gun debate.? ?FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

?Balance of Power is a rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics. Richard North Patterson has extraordinary insight into how Washington works, and a complex and heartfelt understanding of the effects of gun violence on our society. This is a great read by a masterful writer.? ?SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

?Balance of Power is a compelling story, fully worthy of Richard North Patterson, which is made even more intriguing by its detailed insight into the world of special-interests politics in Washington, D.C.? ?SCOTT TUROW


From the Hardcover edition.


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Patterson completes his Kerry Kilcannon trilogy (Protect and Defend, 2000; No Safe Place, 1998) with a harsh, persuasive indictment of the politics that breeds gun violence in America. Newly elected President Kilcannon gets a phone call one night from a woman he's promised to help: Joan Bowden, the First Lady's sister. She's sufficiently frightened to make a call she hates to make. Her husband, who's beaten her repeatedly, has now actually held a gun to her head, convincing her at last that her life and her six-year-old daughter's are at risk. Kilcannon, a former prosecutor, knows about battered wife syndrome, how swiftly and terribly it can escalate, and he attempts to intervene. Tragedy results, setting the stage for the epic struggle-fought in the courtroom, on the floor of the US Senate and, in whispers, behind the closed doors of backrooms-that drives the rest of the story. The antagonists: the gun lobbyists plus certain senators in thrall to them, and Kilcannon, plus certain senators as sickened as he is by the ever-mounting death toll, children and other innocents so often the victims. The SSA (Sons of the Second Amendment: read NRA, because the author means you to) labels these as "gun-grabbers," viewing them with alarm and detestation. The bitter division is basically along party lines, the majority Republicans pitted against the minority Democrats over two pending pieces of legislation whose fate will lastingly affect the role of guns in America. In the meantime, back at the White House, the beleaguered President and his brave and estimable First Lady face a struggle to hold their marriage together-this one rather less than epic. Longer than it need be and occasionallyrepetitious, but redeemed, scene after scene, by bare-knuckle, page-turning, political infighting. For ordinary folk, it's good enough stuff. For political junkies, think Harry Potter. Author tour. Agent: Fred Hill


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