Book Review - Point Of Entry by Peter Schechter
Category Book Reviews
So what would happen if nuclear terrorists and drug traffickers linked up to threaten the United States? Peter Schechter explores this twist in his first novel Point Of Entry. I got the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of the novel, and I really got absorbed into this one...
The United States wants to push an international sanction on Syria for their involvement in housing terrorists. There isn't a clear-cut majority in the UN Security Council to pass this, but Colombia's new female president is willing to deliver Latin American votes if the US changes some policies (like their Cuban embargo). Even though the US president isn't likely to change the current policies, he does start communicating with her via email accounts that no one knows about. In the process, they both start to fall for each other, although it would never work out in real life. When she discovers a plot by her political rivals to transport uranium via drug channels into the US for a nuclear bomb, she has to make hard painful choices. The right thing is to tell the president, but by doing so he'll end up sending troops into Colombia to find the material, thereby dooming her chances to remain in power. And if he reacts the way everyone wants him to, he'll destroy the woman he's fallen in love with as well as alienate an entire region. But to do nothing means that millions of Americans will likely die... What to do?
This book reads like the headlines of CNN. Many of the assumptions and situations underpinning the story-line are pulled from real events and current hostilities. While it might not be completely believable to think that two heads of state could carry on a cyber-relationship without discovery, it works well enough to set up the conflict between personal relationships and national responsibilities. And unfortunately I had *no* problem believing the logistics of how drug smugglers could get uranium past our borders. And that's scary...
If you're into thrillers based on current political headlines, grab this one and prepare to be somewhat unnerved...
So what would happen if nuclear terrorists and drug traffickers linked up to threaten the United States? Peter Schechter explores this twist in his first novel Point Of Entry. I got the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of the novel, and I really got absorbed into this one...
The United States wants to push an international sanction on Syria for their involvement in housing terrorists. There isn't a clear-cut majority in the UN Security Council to pass this, but Colombia's new female president is willing to deliver Latin American votes if the US changes some policies (like their Cuban embargo). Even though the US president isn't likely to change the current policies, he does start communicating with her via email accounts that no one knows about. In the process, they both start to fall for each other, although it would never work out in real life. When she discovers a plot by her political rivals to transport uranium via drug channels into the US for a nuclear bomb, she has to make hard painful choices. The right thing is to tell the president, but by doing so he'll end up sending troops into Colombia to find the material, thereby dooming her chances to remain in power. And if he reacts the way everyone wants him to, he'll destroy the woman he's fallen in love with as well as alienate an entire region. But to do nothing means that millions of Americans will likely die... What to do?
This book reads like the headlines of CNN. Many of the assumptions and situations underpinning the story-line are pulled from real events and current hostilities. While it might not be completely believable to think that two heads of state could carry on a cyber-relationship without discovery, it works well enough to set up the conflict between personal relationships and national responsibilities. And unfortunately I had *no* problem believing the logistics of how drug smugglers could get uranium past our borders. And that's scary...
If you're into thrillers based on current political headlines, grab this one and prepare to be somewhat unnerved...
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Comments
BTW, I know you live near the Columbia river, but the country's name is Colombia.
Posted by Bas At 08:49:56 On 05/12/2005 | - Website - |
As to the novel itself - I liked it a lot - particularly for a first novel. I read it almost straight through. Like Duffbert the romantic angle was a wee bit of a stretch but it moved the story along and did not detract at all from the tone and pace.
Posted by Vanya At 12:27:52 On 02/01/2006 | - Website - |
And I corrected the country spelling... my bad!
Posted by Duffbert At 19:39:54 On 05/12/2005 | - Website - |