State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny

 

First Sentence: "Madame Secretary," said Charles Boynton, hurrying beside his boss as she rushed down Mahogany Row to her office in the State Department. "You have eight minutes to get to the Capitol."

Secretary of State Ellen Adams is flying back from the first diplomatic assignment of her term, a failed meeting in South Korea. Given no time to freshen up, she is summoned to the Office of the President of the United States, a man who would love to see her fail at her job. State Department employee Anahita Dahir receives a cryptic text which she originally dismisses as spam. A terrorist in London, suddenly makes the message clear to Anahita, which sends the Secretary on an international diplomatic mission to stop a monster from destroying cities, and lives, around the world.

What is the sign of a good book? Starting it, intending to read only the first two pages but ending up continuing past midnight. That is a good book. Waking up at 4 a.m. and reading for several more hours, that makes a winner. So it was with "State of Terror." The writing is wonderful in that one can hear the voices of both Clinton and Penny. There are classic touches of humor, and lines one wants to remember—"The true nature of terror is the unknown. The truly terrible thrives in silence."

How nice to have protagonists be women of a certain age who aren't young, gorgeous, and don't need a man to rescue them. They are strong, capable, smart, and very determined. At the same time, they are human; willing to question their own judgment, while trusting their own instincts and reason. In other words, these are women one would want to know and even better, be.

This is not a political book, but one of true suspense. It is a fascinating look at the role, albeit, we hope, somewhat exaggerated, of a Secretary of State. There is an excellent building of tension every step along the way. The inclusion of a family member in danger could be trite but was not. For fans of Louise Penny, there are clever Easter eggs scattered along the way and crossover references to her Three Pines series. With each chapter, there's a new twist; with each page, the tension mounts.

State of Terror is an exciting, suspenseful roller-coaster ride with wonderfully done twists and a compelling plot. Just when you think things may be okay, there is an intriguing hint of uncertainty and a possible hint to the next book. One certainly hopes there is a next book. One of the best reads of 2021, it is highly recommended.

STATE OF TERROR (Suspense-Ellen Adams-International-Contemp) – Ex
Clinton, Hillary / Louise Penny – Standalone
Simon & Schuster / St. Martin's Press, Oct 2021, 486 pp.