Blowback, James Patterson, Brendan DuBois, authors, Zachary Webber, Erin Bennett, narrators
From the get-go, this novel stretched my credulity and required the suspension of disbelief. Briefly, there is a President in the White House, in the not-too-distant future, who comes dangerously close to starting a nuclear war. He is determined to make China pay for its crimes, as its leaders slowly take advantage of the West by stealing secrets and pushing the envelope in order to maintain and grow its own power and control over land mass, industry, and citizens, its own and its enemies. Brutality is the order of the day for all concerned.
President Keegan Barrett, with his trusted sidekick or henchman, Carlton Pope, who secretly and blindly does his bidding, regardless of what he is asked, regardless of whether or not it is legal or illegal, regardless of whether or not it requires the taking of life and violence, is enacting a plan for ultimate vengeance in which he will bring chaos and destruction to most of the world.
This President is obviously a few cards short of a deck, but is loved regardless, by most of the voters. He actually believes that he has been chosen by G-d to save America, that he is acting in the best interest of America, and has no qualms about eliminating all those around him who are his perceived enemies. He is moving people around like chess pieces to accomplish his goal which will bring the world to its knees. He has created a secret group of agents to destroy his enemies, and when those who are sworn to follow his orders begin to realize that something is amiss, that the President is growing more and more disturbed, he attempts to even destroy them.
The characters were placed in too many implausible situations. The female characters were overwhelmingly the heroines of the novel, as most of the men seemed easily compromised and weak. As the narrative went back and forth from scene to scene, often without a discernable pattern, it seemed to unravel or grow tedious. The one-dimensional characters did not solicit any emotional attachment.
How Barrett's plan plays out and brings the world to the brink of disaster is not very believable, but it is exciting, at times. In the end, however, the espionage events seemed to test my imagination. Could such a situation like this ever really come to fruition in America? Could a deranged President get so close to destroying so much before he was stopped? Are our lives really at the mercy of politicians who give so little thought to the effect their policies have on us? Mentally unstable leaders have existed, and so I suppose, the outlandish plot could indeed, take place, but one would hope, it never does. Any resemblance to real politicians will reside only in the reader’s imagination.