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Balance of Power cover art

Balance of Power

Written by: Richard North Patterson
Narrated by: Patricia Kalember
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Publisher's Summary

Richard North Patterson’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 America’s most inflammatory issues–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 Washington–the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA).

Allied with the President’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 Kilcannon’s crusade–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 America’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 manipulated–Richard North Patterson weaves these engrossing themes into an epic novel that moves us with its force, passion, and authority.
©2003 Richard North Patterson (P)2003 Random House Inc., Random House Audio, A Division of Random House, Inc.
Espionage Political Suspense Legal Literary Fiction Genre Fiction
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What the critics say

“Richard North Patterson has a keen eye for how Washington really works. His portrait of the gun lobby is right on–both in terms of its power and its political tactics. A must read for anyone interested in the gun debate.” –FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

“Balance of Power is a rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics. Richard North Patterson has extraordinary insight into how Washington works, and a complex and heartfelt understanding of the effects of gun violence on our society. This is a great read by a masterful writer.” –SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

“Balance of Power is a compelling story, fully worthy of Richard North Patterson, which is made even more intriguing by its detailed insight into the world of special-interests politics in Washington, D.C.” –SCOTT TUROW

What listeners say about Balance of Power

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Langer MD

Average RNP Book. Needs A Different Narrator.

This politically charged book - confronting gun control - disappointingly devolves into a convoluted "Tort Reform versus Democrat Priorities" tactical/strategic conflict and relies on melodramatically silly "gun nut" action to inform the debate.
On the "Pro" side, Richard North Patterson provides a well-conceived and well-executed scenario involving the gun issue - centered on domestic violence-fuelled murders in the family of President 'Kerry Kilcannon' and his new First Lady 'Lara Costello-Kilcannon'. The book is well-paced and structured impressively (from bedrooms to courtrooms to the floor of the Senate and back again almost organically). The writing is intuitive & praiseworthy.
Unfortunately, the "Con": North Patterson introduces too many characters and storylines to keep the plot coherent (reintroducing the abortion controversy from 'No Safe Place' in the final few chapters is genuinely baffling) - and his exploration of illustrative hypothetical encounters crosses the line between "plausible" and "manipulative" (the author is straight-up guilty of creating Strawmen: the pro-2A guys on the other side of the debates look stupid defending almost cartoonishly evil exemplars of gun owners, gun advocates, and gun salesmen). Other North Patterson books tackling weighty topics like sensationalist media bias and late-term abortion are much more thoughtful, nuanced, and perspicacious than this heavy-handed treatment.

Reader Patricia Kalember worsens the situation with a below-average narration, too. To be certain, her diction, timbre, and cadence are creditable - but she reads mechanically for some reason. The lack of emotiveness fortuitously spares the listener some of North Patterson's more syrupy dialogue.. but also makes it quite clear that Kalember is reading a book lying open on her lap. The drawbacks to her technique far outweigh the benefits.

Altogether, 'Balance Of Power' is one of the weaker offerings from the author's catalog.. but still rates 6.5 stars out of 10. It's a reasonable investment of your time if you're a fan of the author like me.. the book is a "decent" effort on his part.
I just wish that Random House Audio had found someone else to deliver the audiobook version.

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Profile Image for Dale

Balance of power exceptional read

Patterson is an excellent writer. Characters become real with his detailed descriptions. The narration is true to the writer’s intent. I just found too many characters and hard to follow at times. Complex story and an American education in function of government would be useful
Overall I give this book a 9 out of 10

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1 person found this helpful