Review by Beth Ryan Aitken
I must admit off the top here that I am a big fan of author Louise Penny and her multi-award-winning series of mysteries featuring Chief Inspector Gamache. They are well written books, fast moving, full of twists and turns to hold your interest, and a reliable, often eccentric, cast of recurring characters that makes you feel right at home in the quaint village of Three Pines and the eastern townships of Quebec. When I heard Louise was teaming up with Hillary Clinton to write a political thriller, I was quite surprised. An amazing accomplished political leader and author of seven previous books, I never imagined Clinton as an author of mysteries, much less in Quebec. Apparently, the two women had been introduced by a mutual friend and become fast friends themselves, bonding over Louise’s books.
State of Terror is set in the present time, one of political conflict in America and the threat of terrorism around the world. The newly elected president has chosen a former political rival, Ellen Adams, as Secretary of State, in a move calculated to control and discredit her. However, when a real international terror plot is exposed, we find Secretary Adams at the helm of unravelling the conspiracy. The action is a roller coaster ride across Europe and the Middle East, involving loyal staff, old friends, military bigwigs, and a controversial former U.S. president responsible for alienating many world leaders during the course of his presidency. (Several reviewers have pointed out that while Clinton once said she would not respond to Donald Trump’s barrage of insults, she seems to have taken direct aim in the character of former President Eric Dunn in this novel.)
Personally I don’t read many political thriller authors, such as Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, or James Patterson. When a friend recommended it, I was genuinely surprised and decided to give it a go. As did my husband. And we haven’t stopped talking about it since. It is such a great blend of mystery, politics, friendship, and family conflict. Ellen Adams is beautifully portrayed as a competent, slightly past middle age woman. For example, when she arrives in for an emergency meeting with a Middle Eastern leader after a tumultuous overnight flight, she is painfully aware of her dishevelled hair and smudged mascara, yet she is prepared and ready to confront the foe. Both authors have said that strong female protagonists was one of their mutual goals and they have more than accomplished that aim.
In true Louise Penny style, even the smallest characters are fully fleshed out and the background facts meticulously researched. If you are a Penny reader like me, I will warn you. As Dorothy said to Toto, “We aren’t in Three Pines anymore!” Yet while it is a total departure from her successful series, keen readers will begin to pick up a few clues. Clinton obviously provided incredible insider information and details, lending such reality to the story. In the Acknowledgements section at the end of the book, Clinton writes, “Finally, this is a work of fiction but the story it tells is all too timely. It’s up to us to make sure its plot stays fictional.” While both women admit the book was completely different from their regular styles, this collaboration is a huge success, a great read, and I highly recommend it.
State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
Co-Published by Simon and Shuster and St Martin’s Press, 2021
