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Balance of Power by Richard North Patterson
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Balance of Power (edition 2003)

by Richard North Patterson

Series: Kerry Kilcannon (3)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
815626,724 (3.67)9
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Richard North Pattersonâ??s masterful portrayals of law and politics at the apex of power have made him one of our most important writers of popular fiction. Combining a compelling narrative, exhaustive research, and a sophisticated grasp of contemporary society, his bestselling novels bring explosive social problems to vivid life through characters who are richly imagined and intensely real. Now in Balance of Power Patterson confronts one of Americaâ??s most inflammatory issuesâ??the terrible toll of gun violence.

President Kerry Kilcannon and his fiancée, television journalist Lara Costello, have at last decided to marry. But their wedding is followed by a massacre of innocents in a lethal burst of gunfire, challenging their marriage and his presidency in ways so shattering and indelibly personal that Kilcannon vows to eradicate gun violence and crush the most powerful lobby in Washingtonâ??the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA).

Allied with the Presidentâ??s most determined rival, the resourceful and relentless Senate Majority Leader Frank Fasano, the SSA declares all-out war on Kerry Kilcannon, deploying its arsenal of money, intimidation, and secret dealings to eviscerate Kilcannonâ??s crusadeâ??and, it hopes, destroy his presidency. This ignites a high-stakes game of politics and legal maneuvering in the Senate, the courtroom, and across the country, which the charismatic but untested young President is determined to win at any cost. But in the incendiary clash over gun violence and gun rights, the cost to both Kilcannons may be even higher than he imagined.

And others in the crossfire may also pay the price: the idealistic lawyer who has taken on the gun industry; the embattled CEO of Americaâ??s leading gun maker; the war-hero senator caught between conflicting ambitions; the female senator whose career is at risk; and the grief-stricken young woman fighting to emerge from the shadow of her sister, the First Lady.

The insidious ways money corrodes democracy and corrupts elected officials . . . the visceral debate between gun-rights and gun-control advocates . . . the bitter legal conflict between gun companies and the victims of gun violence . . . a ratings-driven media that both manipulates and is manipulatedâ??Richard North Patterson weaves these engrossing themes into an epic novel that moves us with its f
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Member:darkeyes3302
Title:Balance of Power
Authors:Richard North Patterson
Info:Ballantine Books (2003), Paperback, 512 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****
Tags:read, fiction

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Balance of Power by Richard North Patterson

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» See also 9 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
Politics
  BooksInMirror | Feb 19, 2024 |
Very good final part of trilogy about President Kerry Kilcannon. Gun control and the battle against the gun lobby dominates the plot as Kerry tries to put an end to the ability to obtain weapons without having to register/at gun shows.
  derailer | Jan 25, 2024 |
This one took me a while to read, mostly because I couldn't get my
concentration going because life kept getting in the way and also because
this is one of those books that you have to pay close attention to from
beginning to end.

It's a political novel, fiction, but acclaimed by folks like Bill Clinton
and Ted Kennedy as being very close to the way things really get done in
Washington. It was rather daunting to see that the first three pages
consisted of a cast of characters. Trying to keep them all straight was a
real chore until I got into the story enough to put personalities behind all
the names. This is a novel of gun violence and the mucky political waters
that surround trying to pass laws for gun control.

I found some flaws in this book, not the least of which is
that there is just too damn many people in it to have to keep straight. It
also all takes place over the course of only a few months, and as we all
know, nothing happens that quickly in Washington. I was also fascinated
trying to plug real politicos into the slots created by Patterson. It was
an interesting book, getting much more engrossing and gripping towards the
end. And all of the loose ends weren't wrapped up neatly and tied with a
bow, which struck me as much more realistic than fictional. ( )
  madamejeanie | Sep 21, 2008 |
Why didn't Clinton tackle the gun lobby - or indeed any US President before (or since?) with an ounce of sense? This book makes the reason crystal clear with its exploration of power and politics in America. The premise is clever: a President who has suffered from the actions of crazy killers with access to lethal weapons. Surely he, popular as he is, can at least limit the excesses of the gun toting brigade? Patterson shows why things are not as simple as they may appear - and does so with a long page turner. Well worth reading. ( )
  firebird013 | Aug 25, 2008 |
A Powerful Tale of Advocacy

Be prepared for the slow start; hang on for the strong finish. In Balance of Power, Richard North Patterson weaves a political tale of intrigue, guns, money, tort reform, backroom deals and ethically-challenged lawyers.

Painstaking research, personal experience as a trial lawyer and a detailed understanding of the contemporary Washington scene arm the author with enough ammunition to create a compelling, believable tale of special-interests politics in Washington, D. C.

Do not pick this novel up unless you are willing to experience the reasons our elected representatives often fail to legislate the general public’s bidding. ( )
  PointedPundit | Mar 31, 2008 |
Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
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Epigraph
A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
The 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution
Dedication
For Philip Rotner
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Feeling the gun against the nape of her neck, Joan Bowden froze.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Richard North Pattersonâ??s masterful portrayals of law and politics at the apex of power have made him one of our most important writers of popular fiction. Combining a compelling narrative, exhaustive research, and a sophisticated grasp of contemporary society, his bestselling novels bring explosive social problems to vivid life through characters who are richly imagined and intensely real. Now in Balance of Power Patterson confronts one of Americaâ??s most inflammatory issuesâ??the terrible toll of gun violence.

President Kerry Kilcannon and his fiancée, television journalist Lara Costello, have at last decided to marry. But their wedding is followed by a massacre of innocents in a lethal burst of gunfire, challenging their marriage and his presidency in ways so shattering and indelibly personal that Kilcannon vows to eradicate gun violence and crush the most powerful lobby in Washingtonâ??the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA).

Allied with the Presidentâ??s most determined rival, the resourceful and relentless Senate Majority Leader Frank Fasano, the SSA declares all-out war on Kerry Kilcannon, deploying its arsenal of money, intimidation, and secret dealings to eviscerate Kilcannonâ??s crusadeâ??and, it hopes, destroy his presidency. This ignites a high-stakes game of politics and legal maneuvering in the Senate, the courtroom, and across the country, which the charismatic but untested young President is determined to win at any cost. But in the incendiary clash over gun violence and gun rights, the cost to both Kilcannons may be even higher than he imagined.

And others in the crossfire may also pay the price: the idealistic lawyer who has taken on the gun industry; the embattled CEO of Americaâ??s leading gun maker; the war-hero senator caught between conflicting ambitions; the female senator whose career is at risk; and the grief-stricken young woman fighting to emerge from the shadow of her sister, the First Lady.

The insidious ways money corrodes democracy and corrupts elected officials . . . the visceral debate between gun-rights and gun-control advocates . . . the bitter legal conflict between gun companies and the victims of gun violence . . . a ratings-driven media that both manipulates and is manipulatedâ??Richard North Patterson weaves these engrossing themes into an epic novel that moves us with its f

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