Good read after a slow, but intriguing start. Lots of twists and turns. ( )

This could have been much better--interesting premise but too many convenient (lazy?) plot devices for me. Jack McClure, an ATF agent, is chosen to help in the search for a to-be-inaugerated president's daughter because his daughter went to school with her. The story bounces back and forth between present and his past. I expected more from the guy chosen by Ludlum's estate to continue the Bourne series. ( )

I enjoyed First Daughter (in fact, I read the whole book in 24 hours). It is intricate enough to keep you guessing with enough action and intrigue to keep you from thinking too much. The effects of dyslexia, positive and negative, on Jack McClure’s life and daily functioning are not only interesting but integral to the plot. Also interesting is the interplay between religion and atheism, though this is where, unfortunately, some of First Daughter’s potential audience may be lost.

The struggle of separating church from state, which has increasingly been lost in the United States in the last decade (maybe it has been longer, but I live outside the United States and am going by what enters my consciousness through the international news), is central to First Daughter. There is a battle between secular and religious views fought throughout the book both in the main plot and in the private lives of all the characters.

The characterization of religion and the religious is unflattering (and, arguably, so is that of the secularists), which may offend or at the very least put off some readers. The positions on both sides are extreme. I was not offended, but I was starting to tire of it by the end of the book. For another perspective, see Christine’s review at She Reads Books. First Daughter is worth reading, whichever side of the argument you inhabit, as a glimpse of a possible future, but don’t expect nuanced philosophical positions (it is, after all, a thriller first).

You can see more of my reviews at Booklorn.com. ( )

What a change of pace from the series of books that I had been reading -- and I loved every page, every line of it. Lustbader writes with such brilliance and suspence that it captivates you from the very beginning until the very end. The twist of McClure having dyslexia is impressive as Lustbader allows it to become McClure's unique weapon and not just as a lame attempt to defend those with his mental disorder. His writing is well-written, the research that went into it well-gathered and he explains all the government terms and procedures so well that you can undersand it even if you're politically-disabled. The story was woven with characters and plots that were all interconnected beautifully and it kept you guessing. The conspiricies and betrayals in the novel protrayed the dark side of the government. This portrayal of the things people do with their power and selfishness is so realistic that it might even sadden you that it seems hard to really trust anyone in the book. This novel was compelling, suspenseful and can't-stop-turning-the-page-cant-yet-sleep-until-its-done-going-to-have-dreams-about-it good! Definitely a MUST READ for everyone, for those who love suspense, and even for those who don't. ( )

First Daughter is as topical as you can get. It’s a political thriller set in the days before a Christian leaning, hard line foreign policy president leaves office. His predecessor promises change and moderate care. Sound familiar?

The president elect’s daughter, Alli, has been taken hostage and Jack McClure, a friend of the president-elect, is brought in to assist the various government agencies in the search. McClure also happens to be the father of a recently deceased daughter who just happened to be Alli’s dorm mate and friend. There are several sinister plots co-exiting in this twisting, turning who-done-it.

I’m probably the wrong sort of person to review this novel, as I never read thrillers, and have read only a handful of political leaning novels, period. If you include politics in the story, you can just about forget me reading your book. However, I did finish First Daughter without too mush offense. Lustbader does a fine job keeping all the plot and story lines moving and the ending has a little surprise thrown in for good measure. I only felt one continuity error in the political theme. I wasn’t sure exactly what Lustbader was trying to say or if he was even trying to make a statement.

For those who like political thrillers, I think First Daughter is probably your cup of tea.

Review first published on Many A Quaint & Curious Volume
© Tasses 2007-2009 ( )

The political climate in the United States is tense right now as the presidential candidates pull out all the stops, each wanting that coveted position as leader of the U.S.A. Eric Van Lustbader’s novel, First Daughter, plays right into that, as one ultra-conservative President makes way for the newly elected moderate one.

When President-Elect Edward Carson’s daughter, Alli, is kidnapped, fingers are immediately pointed in the direction of secular revivalists whose aim is to take the growing religious fervor out of politics and the government. ATF Agent, Jack McClure, is assigned to the task force set up to find Alli and to capture the person or people behind her kidnapping. A long time friend of Mr. Carson’s, Jack is one of the few people he knows he can trust.

The investigation takes Jack deep into his past, where he relives his childhood as an abused and misunderstood boy. He was in his late teens before he was able to find help for his dyslexia, which he found through a kind pastor and rough around the edges mentor, both of whom took Jack into their hearts and lives. The current investigation seems eerily similar to crimes committed in his old neighborhood all those years ago. Despite orders to do otherwise, Jack decides to hunt down his own leads.

Jack has always been dedicated to his job, putting it first above all else, including his family. When tasked with finding the President-Elect’s daughter, Jack couldn’t be more determined. In fact, the investigation has a more personal tie to him. His daughter, Emma, had once been best friends and roommates with Alli Carson. Jack never felt he knew his own daughter and feels guilty for not being there for her when she needed him most. A car crash stole her away from him and finding Alli is, in small part, a way to redeem himself.

Author Eric Van Lustbader has indeed written a suspenseful and complex novel. He takes two extremes and pits them against each other, challenging the role faith plays in government. Is faith a guiding force in creating a moral and upstanding society or has man made it a manipulative tool to spread fear and oppression, making those in control more powerful? The author himself challenges the reader to think about such questions.

Corruption, faith, false leads, secrets, redemption, prejudice, and self-discovery are all components in First Daughter. Jack McClure battles his own demons as he searches for Alli, trying to save her from whatever evil holds her captive. He is a well-drawn and well-rounded character. His own journey throughout the book is the one that touched me the most. I especially liked being drawn into his past, listening to old blues albums with him and hanging out at the library. I learned a little more about dyslexia than I had known before. For Jack, it proved to be both a disability and also a strength.

I was less certain about Alli, whose confusion and self-doubts bled through the pages. It suited the part she played in the story well, however. She made for an easy target. On the other side of the coin, was the main antagonist, a character who is both cunning and intelligent—and oh, so utterly creepy--making for one of the scariest of villains I have encountered this year.

The book started out slow for me as I got my mind around the many characters being introduced and tried to understand each of their agendas—or at least get a baseline. While some of those agendas remained shrouded in mystery until near the end, they did become clearer as the story unfolded. I enjoyed First Daughter overall.

Eric Van Lustbader is probably best known for his Ninja series as well as for taking over the Jason Bourne books after Robert Ludlum passed away. I was contacted to review his latest work, First Daughter, and though I had never read any of his material before, gladly accepted.

I was somewhat wary of the book since it's a genre I've not read much of (mystery thriller) and because it deals with modern American politics, which is not a huge interest of mine. However, it also deals heavily with religion, which is. In fact, I think that Lustbader's treatment and handling of religion and it's relation to politics, though at times awkward, is one of the many highlight of this novel.

It's election year, and the stakes are high. But, they become even higher when the president-elect's daughter, Alli, is kidnapped in the middle of the night from her private, well-secured, all girl's college. In addition to a multitude of federal secret service men and women, Jack McClure--a top agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)--is brought in to assist with the investigation. He recently lost his own daughter Emma to a tragic car accident. The two girls were roommates, and Jack is a personal friend of the family--bringing his own unique perspective to the case. He will do anything to ensure that Alli is returned home, safe and sound.

The story was executed extraordinarily well--clues were dropped that I picked up on (and therefore anticipated certain turns of events) but there were still some surprises left that were properly set up (i.e. they didn't come from the middle of nowhere and actually made a good amount of sense). The only part of the plot I wasn't totally sold on was the reasoning behind some of the main antagonist's actions. In addition to the kidnapping storyline, reader's are treated to flashbacks to when Jack was growing up--a background that becomes increasingly more relevant to the current situation.

Jack McClure, who happens to be dyslexic, is an absolutely fantastic character. Fortunately, Lustbader has plans to write more books that feature Jack as well as several other characters from First DaughterI'm not sure how the book compares to others in the genre, since I'm not well versed in mystery thrillers, but it made for a great, quickly paced, end of summer read. And I'll definitely be on the lookout for more Jack McClure.

Experiments in Reading ( )

First Daughter is a political thriller that takes place at a time in American history when one religious and extremely conservative president is about to step down from power after eight years. Sound familiar? It should. This president, who is never named, does not want to hand over the power he’s so enjoyed, not even when the president-elect, Edward Carson, is a member of his own party. He will go to any length to keep pulling the strings of government by using extremely liberal and atheist groups as scapegoats for what is going wrong in the country. When Carson’s daughter, Alli, is kidnapped just before the swearing in, will this be just situation the current POTUS needs to keep control?

Although the struggle to keep or gain political power is the backdrop of this novel, this is really the story of Jack McClure, a divorced ATF agent who has just recently lost his own daughter Emma in a tragic car accident. Emma and Alli had been roommates before her death. Jack also has dyslexia. In high school, he is lucky enough to meet a man who mentors him and teaches him how to harness the way his brain takes in and compiles information use it to his advantage. Although he is not part of the FBI, Edward Carson specifically asks him to be a part of the governmental team in charge of finding Alli and tracking down her kidnapper.

Jack was an interesting character and I very much enjoyed meeting him and following him on his journey. He was a fully fleshed out character and his strength of character and perseverance are inspirational. His struggle to deal with Emma’s death was also his struggle with faith, religion, and the afterlife. What disappointed me in the end was that Jack deserved a nemesis as strong and complex as he is. The individual who kidnapped Alli had that potential. Instead, the author gave Jack the easy way out. He, like everyone on the FBI’s team, underestimated him and that is a shame.

First Daughter was an enjoyable novel, but ultimately I found it disappointing. It had the potential of being an exciting political and psychological thriller. Unlike March however, I don’t like my thrillers to come in like a lion and out like a lamb. As the POTUS and the members of the First American Secular Revivalists were two-dimensional, I didn’t find them menacing at all. Neither side was complex or spontaneous. The POTUS and his team were bullies, no doubt. It was as if the author was concerned with making a political statement, not with supporting it. I would like to meet Jack McClure in another adventure. Given the suspense he was able to create throughout Alli’s captivity, I’m confident that Eric Van Lustbader has what it takes to carry a thriller through until the very end. That would make for an exciting novel.

http://literatehousewife.wordpress.co... ( )

When President-Elect Edward Carson's 19 year old daughter, Alli, is kidnapped just one month before his inauguration ceremony, he implores his friend, ATF agent Jack McClure, to help find her. Jack must deal with a multitude of obstacles during the desperate search for Alli and her kidnapper, including his own dyslexia, a current president who doesn't appear to want Jack to succeed, and the anguish he feels over the recent death of his own daughter.

First Daughter captures its reader from the first few paragraphs. The story starts off with a bang, and continues with a fast pace and a tightly woven plot. As Jack searches for Alli, we catch glimpses of his past. It not only adds depth to his character, but also adds another element of surprise and anticipation. There are many political and religious questions addressed throughout the book. It would have been easy to turn this otherwise solid book into a monologue of what the author believes, but it doesn't read that way at all. Instead, it allows the reader to ask themselves how they feel about the concept of the separation of church and state in the United States. It's certainly a timely topic considering the state of the government today.

What Lustbader does best, in my opinion, is develop the character of Jack McClure. If, as I would imagine, this turns into a series, it'll be all the better because we've already been introduced to Jack and have shared his secrets and fears. Imagine a dyslexic Jack Bauer with a little bit of Alex Cross and a dash of Jack Ryan, and you'll get a sense of Jack McClure. He's made all the more human through his flaws, and it's what, I think, people will love about him. ( )

First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader was not the kind of book that I normally read. I do like suspense and mystery at times though so I thought I'd try something different. The book is about a loner investigator, Jack, who had a hard life growing up and has the scars to prove it. He is called to help in the investigation of the president-elect's daughter's disappearance. This book has a lot of plot twists and many characters, which made it a little confusing to follow. It was a pretty good story, although I think it fizzled out at the end. Overall, it was a pretty good book and held my attention despite the many twists. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes suspenseful crime novels. 3.5 stars. ( )

The transition of the US President is always a volatile time. No one knows this better than President-Elect Edward Carson. It is one month before his swearing in ceremony and his nineteen year old daughter, Alli, has disappeared. She may have been kidnapped by a homegrown terrorist organization. Finding her is his top priority, and it must be done without anyone in the media getting wind of it.

Carson hand-picks ATF agent Jack McClure to investigate his daughter's disappearance. He has several good reasons for doing so. Jack's daughter, Emma, who died seven months before in a car accident, was Allie's college roommate and close friend. He knows that Jack will do anything necessary to bring Allie home.

Jack has another unique quality. He is dyslexic and while that poses great problems for him when it comes to reading, the way his brain is wired makes him an outstanding agent. He is able to see things in a more complete way than the average person. He can pick up nuances that others might miss, including smells and small details. It has made him very successful in his career and he is a top ATF agent.

It hasn't helped him in his personal life, though. He has not been able to accept the death of his daughter and his marriage has since broken up as well. He is a lost and lonely man. As he begins to investigate Alli's disappearance, striking events from Jack's past begin to crop up. Somehow the case in inextricably linked with Jack's life and as he tries to fit together all the pieces he is pressured from all sides. It's up to him to find Allie and discover the motive behind her kidnapping and he is running out of time.

This thriller has a twisting, intriguing plot and is a fast paced and exciting read. Pick up First Daughter, you won't be able to put it down! ( )

http://purplemoonmyst.wordpress.com/2... ( )

Eric Van Lustbader’s new novel, First Daughter is a philosophical book disguised as a suspense thriller. Jack McClure is an ATF agent, trying to cope with the death of his only child, and the breakup of his marriage. He is dyslexic and his whole life has struggled with the humiliation of keeping this a secret. His dyslexia has allowed his brain to perceive of unique patterns and has given him an ability to see the world in different ways, leading him to become one of the ATF’s top agents. Jack receives a call from an old friend, Edward Carson, asking his help in finding his kidnapped daughter, Allie. The case is complicated by the fact that Carson is the President-elect and due to be inaugurated in just a few weeks time. Even though the novel is ostensibly about the search and recovery of Allie, it deftly incorporates themes of faith and redemption, as well as highlighting the secular constitutional issues of today’s politics.

This is the first time I’ve read a novel by this author, and I’ve been really missing out on something good. The book is fast paced, with a fascinating portrayal of a man who’s lost everything except his career. His whole life, Jack has worked hard and made his career his top priority, and then in an instant, he learned just how skewed his priorities had become. This theme of the book rang true; too often we have to lose what’s the most important to us to notice how valuable it was. I was fascinated by the author’s depiction of Allie’s captivity. The psychological manipulation the kidnapper used on his victim was yet another realistic and well-written aspect of the novel.

Van Lustbader doesn’t shy from asking the “big” questions either. Faith is a large part of this novel. Cogent arguments are made for both the necessity of religious faith and the more pragmatic approach of a moral secularism. Morality itself is often addressed; where one man finds a compelling sense of moral obligation, another will see despicable manipulation. Often the author manages to warn us of political and religious agendas that are in direct opposition to a truly Constitutional form of government, all the while staying well within the boundaries of good story telling.

Pick up a copy, it’s a worthwhile read! ( )

First Daughter is a thrilling tale of political intrigue, a shocking crime, and one man’s love and loss that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Alli Carson, the daughter of President-Elect Edward Carson, has been kidnapped just weeks before the Presidential inauguration. Carson personally calls in ATF agent Jack McClure to aid in the search for Alli.

Brilliant and perceptive, Jack is different; an Outsider. Jack is dyslexic and, while he struggles with simple tasks such as reading, his condition gives him an advantage over the other investigators. Because of the unique way his mind works, he is able to pick out details that would be lost to other people. He also has a personal connection to the case: his daughter Emma was Alli’s best friend and college roommate. Emma was killed in a car accident months earlier, and Jack still harbors a tremendous amount of guilt and sorrow because of her death.

During the course of the investigation, it becomes clear to Jack that whoever is behind Alli’s kidnapping is also connected to a crime that touched his life twenty five years earlier, and, surprisingly, the last conversation he ever had with Emma.

The novel starts with a jaw-dropping twist just prior to President Carson’s inauguration. First Daughter then takes the reader back to the search for Alli as well as points in Jack’s adolescence. All of these events build towards the threat we know is waiting at the inauguration. Flashbacks can be tricky things, and generally I’m not a fan of them as a literary device. If used unwisely, flashbacks can ruin the narrative flow and make the story seem choppy and disjointed. Eric Van Lustbader, however, uses these glimpses of the past very effectively. He masterfully weaves the flashbacks into the main narrative so that rather than disrupting the main story, they enhance it.

I enjoyed the political elements of First Daughter, but the real highlight for me was the variety and quality of the characters. There’s the ultimate corrupt politician in the outgoing President, the disenchanted teenager in Alli, the anguished mother in Lyn Carson, the gangster with a heart of gold in Jack’s surrogate father Gus, all culminating with the broken, grieving father and brilliant investigator in Jack McClure.

First Daughter is a timely political thriller that is sure to excite and surprise readers. Clear some time on your calendar during this election year to enjoy Eric Van Lustbader’s latest offering.

http://www.bookishruth.com/2008/08/fi... ( )

First Daughter
By Eric Van Lustbader
Forge Books

This book is timed just perfectly for a presidential election year. The time setting is of an outgoing administration that has held office for the last eight years and the soon to be new administration. The president on his way out does not really want to relinquish power while the president elect definitely has some different plans in mind. Shortly before the new president takes office his soon to be “first daughter” is abducted. Who did it and why? That is what the main character Jack McClure must find out. He himself is recovering from the accidental death of his own daughter who was the best friend of Alli, the first-daughter. The president –elect feels there is no one better for the job, against the wishes of the secret service. One unique quality that Jack has is dyslexia. While it is and has been a hindrance to him throughout most of his life, it also gives him the ability to see a situation three dimensionally often finding the answers long before anyone else.
The book opens with a bang and you are instantly caught up in finding out what is going to happen. I at times felt slightly disappointed in the writing because it seemed to me that a character was acting odd and I did not see why this author would write about them is such an odd way. Hah! I eventually found out why some of the characters seemed odd to me. It all made sense in the end. I had no idea some of the things that were coming and enjoyed every minute of it.
Not only was this a book about an abduction it also was about spirituality and religion. Throughout the book the characters were dealing with the idea of the impact of religion on their lives. How they justify their behavior with their beliefs and how much the government should allow religion to determine the direction of legislation. This was thought provoking and gave the book much more depth than your average everyday mystery/thriller.
Much in the book will seem to mirror the present political climate in the U.S. Only you can decide how much is fact and how much is fiction. The rest we will never know.
I enjoyed this book. ( )

Eric Van Lustbader begins his political thriller First Daughter at the presidential inauguration of Edward Carson, where something shocking and unthinkable is about to take place. He essentially takes the reader to the edge of a precipice, teeters on that edge and then steps away and goes back to where it all began. Slowly, he works back to the present, to that event that is lurking in the back of reader's mind all the while. Of course, that means that this novel is quite a page-turner.

Van Lustbader weaves a thrilling story as Jack McClure navigates a dangerous political landscape to track down the soon-to-be first daughter and her elusive abductor. McClure makes a sympathetic, likable hero. There were one or two supporting characters who I would like to have gotten to know better and could have been developed further but overall, I was pleased with Van Lustbader's character development, which in this genre can easily be overpowered by the fast-paced plot.

I struggled a little with the dialogue in this book. It could have been fine-tuned to seem more natural and less cumbersome. This, however, didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the story, thanks to the perfectly paced plot. There was a coldness, a darkness lurking in the background throughout the book that was palpable. I could feel and sense the dark underbelly of Washington, D.C. The ruthless and deliberate brutality of the murderer made my skin crawl. And then there was the shock value: I didn't see several plot twists coming. I was on the edge of my seat from the first few pages until the very end.

The release of this gripping political thriller is perfectly timed to dovetail with current events. There are some underlying but well-supported assumptions about corruption in our political system, separation of church and state, and the viability of such things as faith-based initiatives. It was difficult not to notice thinly veiled parallels between our current administration and the outgoing administration in First Daughter. The political element in this story was very interesting, especially in light of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. ( )

First Daughter is a fast moving political thriller, penned by NYT Best-Selling author Eric Van Lustbader. The novel starts off with the ending rather than the beginning, which adds great intrigue throughout the story. That was a very clever move, because the ending was so horrific that I just had to know what could have led up to these events.

Central to this novel is character Jack McClure. The author takes us a on a fascinating journey through Jack’s life, a dyslexic ATF agent who is put into the service of the Secret Service just as the President Elects daughter goes missing from her college dorm room. His job is to find her and bring her safely home. His past becomes eerily linked to the present, and to the missing daughter of the President Elect. Murders, people, and places almost too neatly relate back to Jack McClure throughout this novel. I felt that there were simply too many coincidences to make the story believable. Alas, that is the beauty of a novel rather than real life.

The final 25 pages are almost magical. The writing style is fluid and uncomplicated. If you are looking for your next contemporary political thriller read, this book should fit the bill very nicely.

ATF agent Jack McClure is reassigned to work a special case when the President-elect’s daughter goes missing mere days before inauguration. This case is especially close to Jack’s heart as Alli, the first daughter in question, was his daughter Emma’s best friend and roommate before she was killed in a tragic car crash. While looking for Alli, Jack struggles with faith, the loss of his daughter, and his shame over his dyslexia. Also, obviously, he is caught up in a web of political intrigue.

Van Lustbader is a good writer, and he makes Jack very human. He also avoids too much deus ex machina, which I feel is rather common in this genre.

Overall this is a good read. If you enjoy political thrillers, mysteries, etc, you will probably like “First Daughter.”

For the whole review:
http://www.devourerofbooks.com/2008/0... ( )

As one president is about to leave office and inauguration day looms for the next man to take that office, the country is in turmoil. In a novel apparently meant to use the events following 9/11 and the inept leadership in place at that time in history, terrorism is of course, a theme.

The story is fraught with allusions to terrorism and the lame duck president seems to see a terrorist behind every bush. When reality proves that they are not there, his insistence simply trumps reality.
Thus we are taken on a merry chase for terrorists, real and imagined. What is real is that the daughter of the president elect has been kidnapped. Whether or not she survives is made very clear in the first pages of this book. The rest is the convoluted tale of this kidnapping and its results.

The thread, no, rather the wide ribbon of religion that runs throughout this story often strikes a discordant not, cropping up in conversations and situations where rather than enhancing, it distracts. This was a promising story that for me failed to thrill but some mystery did indeed remain. Although the reader may believe that the ending would lead us in a certain direction, instead it was a good solid surprising end. Sadly, I found the finish to be the best of the book. ( )

First-rate political thriller. The current administration is ultra-religious and willing to do anything to advance their agenda. Sometime between the November election and the January inauguration, the President-elect's daughter is kidnapped. He's counting on one man to find her, even though that man is being targetted, not just by the kidnapper, but also by members of the administration. Whose side is everyone on?

(If not for the ghostly subplot, I'd have probably given it 5 stars.) ( )

When Alli Carson, the president-elect Edward Carson’s daughter, is kidnapped, her parents are frantic to do anything to get her back. They call on agent Jack McClure, Carson’s old friend, to rescue Alli. Jack has recently lost his daughter Emma in a car accident - and Alli Carson was Emma’s best friend, making him even more determined to save her. As Jack attempts to solve the case, he can’t escape memories from his past as they combine with his current situation to make his mission urgent and his reconciliations emotional and compelling.

This is definitely a thriller. The opening prologue is intense, and reveals to the reader some of the outcome, but then ends on a cliffhanger that left me wanting the answers. Instead, we get a trip into the past, both Jack’s personal past and the origins of the case that he is set to solve. At first this is frustrating, but then the storylines pick up and the book races by. The clues all come together and the outcome is very satisfying. In the process, I found myself getting very attached to Jack. He is dyslexic and so is one of my closest friends; I could recognize their joint frustration and that made me feel for him even more. Beyond that, I could recognize his distress at his lost daughter from my own observations, and his determination that his friends not suffer the same pain. If he couldn’t save Emma, he’d do his best to save her best friend. He’s both skilled and dedicated, which makes for a very powerful story and does lift this book above the range of the typical thriller, adding in a human element. His recollections of the past both touch the reader and power the main narrative along, as one couldn’t do without the other.

Another thread that intrigued me in this narrative was Lustbader’s alternate future, where the government has become entirely conservative Christian and is determined to stay that way. As a result, underground atheist factions have popped up, ready to show the world that those who don’t follow organized religions aren’t bad people and in fact are logical, not crazed killers like the government has claimed. Unfortunately, these men are blamed for Alli’s kidnapping, which results in some interesting political manuevering as well.

I enjoyed this book. It has a solid, exciting narrative, relatable characters, and diverse settings. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a great read, not just those who already enjoy political thrillers. I’m not normally a reader of them, but I’m very glad I read this book. It will be released on August 19th, 2008.

For an author interview, see my blog post at http://chikune.com/blog/?p=156 ( )

First Daughter
By Eric Van Lustbader
400 pp. Forge $25.95

Faith, dyslexia and politics mix to create a mysterious and deadly plot in First Daughter. This novel of intrigue is a fast-paced thriller with all the ingredients of good writing: "Are the good guys really good?" "Oh, I can see that happening!" "Whoa! Didn't see that coming!" Eric Van Lustbader has penned a timely piece that is sure to be widely enjoyed.