What every good political thriller has in common is a backdrop rooted in the international problems of the current moment. Whether it’s the West’s relations with Islamic states, terrorism, global warming, or tensions between the United States and China, a good political thriller will lure readers into the milieu of international politics by spinning a good tale.
What the authors below have done is combine insider knowledge–whether of intelligence agencies, the White House, or the Beltway–together with an exciting dilemma that readers will enjoy seeing solved in the space of several hundred pages. Included in this list of top 10 political thrillers of the past two years are masters of the thriller genre side by side with first time authors. What unites them all, however, is a great storytelling capability that has been brilliantly executed in their political thriller novels.
Enemy Combatantby Ed Gaffney
(Dell, 2008)
ISBN: 9780440243748
Since the events of 9/11, a new type of political thriller has emerged, one that focuses on the issues of terrorism within the United States. This book is unique in that its approach to the topic is from the point of view of the courtroom where the justice against alleged terrorists is meted out. When Tom Carpenter finds himself in the middle of defending an American terrorist (the enemy combatant) accused of killing countless Americans in the worst attack on American soil since 9/11, he has no idea of the repercussions the case will have for his own life, or those of his family members. To make this situation even more confusing, a secret source is assisting Carpenter in unlikely and unsavory ways. Yet, can the source be trusted? Here, the author plants questions about the dilemma of labeling a defendant an “enemy combatant,” which introduces a unique stigma likely to preclude a fair trial, as well as questions about the nature of terrorism and the rush to judgment Americans instinctively feel while living under its threat.
Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl and April Henry
(Thomas Nelson, 2009)
ISBN: 9781595547057
Paralleling the headlines of the Chandra Levy disappearance in Washington, DC, this powerful political thriller focuses on the chaos that ensues when a young woman goes missing. The girl in question is 17-year old Katie Converse, who is currently home on Christmas break, from her year in Washington, DC, as a Senate page. In her blog, it’s clear that Katie has gotten involved with someone, but could it be the mysterious Senator X? How does that relationship figure in to her disappearance? Was she abducted, or did she run away? Is she the victim of a serial killer, or a distressed teen willing to take her own life? Authors Lis Wiehl and April Henry have created an interesting new group of crime fighters, each approaching the situation from a different angle: Allison Pierce is a federal prosecutor, Nicole Hedge is an FBI special agent, and Cassidy Shaw is a local TV reporter. Calling themselves the “Triple Threat Club,” these friends often work at odds with each other, but always toward the same goal–finding the missing girl.
First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader
(A Tom Doherty Associates Book/Forge Books, 2008)
ISBN: 9780765321701
This political thriller begins where most thrillers end, with the daughter of the president in the midst of committing a terrorist act at the presidential inauguration. What follows from there is the background story that leads to the scene–the abduction and search for the daughter of incoming Republican President Edward Carson. His presidency is the replacement for an outgoing conservative whose agenda is tainted with a desire to rid the country of godless enemies, the First American Secular Revivalists. He believes that a radical offshoot of this group is behind the kidnapping and directs the investigation to proceed accordingly. This thriller tackles the difficult issue of confusing terrorism with the rogue actions of a lone deviant..
Gambit by Karna Small Bodman
(Forge 2008)
ISBN: 9780765358868
In a story that seems lifted straight off the evening news, three American commercial jets have been shot down, causing widespread panic across the United States. The White House is the setting for a flurry of activity in its attempt to discover who has been shooting down the planes and why. Mysteriously, no terror group has claimed credit for the attacks nor have there been any missile or aircraft sightings to indicate how the planes were attacked. Meanwhile, the Congress is calling for investigations, Wall Street is feeling the effects in the Stock Market, and Americans are afraid to fly. Author Karna Small Bodman has created this fascinating scenario in her latest political thriller. As a former senior director of the National Security Council, Bodman takes her readers inside Washington and the White House to paint an intimate portrait of just how government operates in times of crises, from White House briefing rooms to think-tank symposiums to Air Force base testing. Bodman’s main character, a brilliant woman scientist, is a refreshing change from the usually male-dominated world of SEALs and Special Forces, who seem to rule the political thriller genre. This thoroughly enjoyable plot, with likeable characters and action rooted in the modern political world of today, are sure to give Bodman a strong and well-deserved following among those who love a good political thriller.
A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
(Scribner, 2008)
ISBN: 9781416594888
There is a reason Le Carre is called the master of the spy novel. Even with the changing complexities of the international scene, his finger is firmly on the pulse of the intelligence community and the new challenges they face. In this political thriller, he highlights not only the increasingly complex problem of sorting out the terrorists from the merely devout Islamic community, but also the challenges faced when competing spy agencies from several friendly countries become involved in a case. Le Carre handles these issues and more with aplomb. Le Carre retains his commanding position in the literary world and offers new understanding of what it means to be a spy in the 21st century.
Murder Inside the Beltway by Margaret Truman
(Ballantine Books, 2008)
ISBN: 9780345498885
In this political thriller, the last of the Capital Crimes series by Margaret Truman (who passed away in January 2008), a presidential candidate’s reputation is at stake when a murdered prostitute is found in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood of Washington. What makes this crime so threatening to so many powerful DC players was the call girl’s habit of videotaping her sexual encounters. In addition, detectives are torn away from the case to work on something even bigger: the kidnapping case of the daughter of a presidential advisor. It all builds to a crescendo of politics and crime in typical Truman fashion, and the author clearly had the pulse and details of life inside the Beltway down to a T.
The Prince of Bagram Prison by Alex Carr
(Random House, 2008)
ISBN: 9780812977097
Raised in an orphanage, Jamal is a young Moroccan who has learned to work all sides–the terrorists, the pedophiles, US military intelligence, and the CIA. When he goes missing in Madrid after the sighting of a leading terrorist, the CIA calls in Katherine Caldwell, an Army Intelligence officer in the Reserves, to help locate Jamal before more sinister forces do. Caldwell had befriended the young boy during questioning in Bagram Prison in Afghanistan. Now, it is up to Caldwell to help locate him and figure out the connection between the disappearance of Jamal and the recent deaths of two other military intelligence officers. This political thriller is fascinating on many levels, as it intertwines the stories of the boy’s disappearance with the current war on terror and the story of the boy’s own mother, one of the “disappeared” in Morocco.
Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich
(Doubleday, 2008)
ISBN: 9780385524063
When a young doctor’s wife dies in a mountain climbing accident, his life is shattered. Then a mysterious letter arrives, and he’s about to begin a journey that will uncover not only her secret life, but also a plot with ramifications that could lead to global chaos. Each new clue adds a twist to the story. The more Ransom (and the reader) learn about Emma and her activities, the more action and drama are added to the plot. The heart of the story is as contemporary as the evening news. As readers become more emotionally invested in the lives of this married couple, so too will they be drawn into a plot that echoes today’s headlines. Reich has managed to use these characters to tell a story that is fascinatingly contemporary, with new developments building to a crescendo of danger inherent in the post-9/11 world.
The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
(Minotaur Books, 2009)
ISBN: 9780312369729
One of actor George Clooney’s most successful roles (winning him an Oscar) was as an aging CIA agent in the movie “Syriana.” So it’s little surprise that Clooney has purchased the rights to this political thriller by two-time Edgar-nominated Olen Steinhauer. This utterly compelling story about a one-time special operations agent for the CIA, Milo Weaver, is sure to catch a lot more attention than just Clooney’s. There are plenty of characters whose motives are worth questioning in this shady world of intelligence. Therein lies the heart of this story. When Company man Milo Weaver is called away from his New York desk job back into dark cover upon the capture of a global assassin he had been chasing for years, the layers of the CIA onion begin to come off, one at a time The lies, the deception, the smoke and mirrors are all there, to heightened proportions. This political thriller takes on the darkest side of intelligence work–not knowing whom to trust and the alienation accumulated over years of tough choices. It’s a stunning novel that goes where few others can. .
Ultimatum by Matthew Glass
(Atlantic Books, 2009)
ISBN: 9780802118882
Even before assuming the presidency (for which he has grand goals of rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and tackling the issue of relocation of thousands of Americans along the nation’s coastline), incoming President-Elect Benton learns that, in fact, the situation of global warming is far worse than anticipated. In addition, secret negotiations have been under way between the outgoing administration and China to deal with this pressing issue. This political thriller is an interesting look into life inside the White House: competing factions, pressure from the media, multilateral negotiations that go nowhere, and a lot of competing egos within the administration. Add to that, the negotiating style of China vs. the American penchant for honesty, and you’ve got a fascinating book that tackles two looming issues. This political thriller is a combination world-catastrophe scenario with hints of “The West Wing.” Author Matthew Glass puts it all on the table and lets readers have a glimpse into a world where the hard choices have been put off for another day, and the day of reckoning has come.
No matter which of these political thrillers readers choose, they are sure to be in for some thrill rides. The genre has never been more timely, the questions raised have never been more penetrating. The authors of today have raised the stakes in the writing game, and their readers can only benefit.
