S.B. (Beauty in Ruins)'s Reviews > Inside Threat

This was a solid read, a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller that reminded me of the later seasons of 24 where Jack Bauer had grown tired and cynical, but still knew where his duty lay. Personally, I found the first half of the book, where there were so many questions and doubts, where we couldn't tell good from bad, far more entertaining. I liked not knowing if the President was a good guy or a bad guy, not knowing which of the conspiracy theories were true. That doubt had me reading closer, looking for clues to the truth.

The second half is still solid, but it's more of a standard popcorn action thriller. The twists started to telegraph themselves, suspension of disbelief became a little strained with all the things that could possibly go wrong, and characters actions started to become a little questionable. With that said, I did appreciate how the ending is left somewhat vague, denying us the ultimate answer as to whether it was all a paranoid conspiracy or a carefully calculated insider plot.

Finally, kudos to Matthew Quirk for writing a whole novel about the President, the White House, and American politics without actually getting into politics. There's very little talk of parties or philosophies, and no allusions or references to recent political figures. Who you see as heroes or villains may be colored by your own affiliations, but they're deliberately soft and vague upon the page.