Capitol Punishment

Art Jefferson #3

by Ryne Douglas Pearson

Praise for Ryne Douglas Pearson's novels...

"...a plot that is all too believable." New York Times for 'Capitol Punishment'

"A must... A gripping blend of techno-thriller and detective story... The suspense runs at a high pitch" Publishers Weekly for 'Cloudburst'

"Mind-boggling... A hyperreal whiz-bang novel by a gifted high-tech specialist" Kirkus Reviews for 'Cloudburst'

"Suspenseful and filled with precise descriptions of weaponry; will appeal to Tom Clancy's readers" Booklist for 'October's Ghost'

"Pearson delivers another riveting technothriller... Highly recommended" Library Journal for 'October's Ghost'

"...chillingly prescient..down-to-the-wire suspense" Publishers Weekly for 'Capitol Punishment'

"Action-packed and fast-paced... Keeps the reader flipping pages frantically" Library Journal for 'Simple Simon'

"Excellent entertainment from first page to last" Booklist for 'Simple Simon'

"Aerodynamic prose and superb pacing... A one-sitting book that will make the hours fly by" Publishers Weekly for 'Simple Simon'

"An interesting twist on the serial-killer thriller" Publishers Weekly for 'Top Ten'


In 'Capitol Punishment', Special Agents Art Jefferson and 'Frankie' Aguirre, who thrilled readers in Pearson's previous novel, 'October's Ghost', are back again. This time they are in pursuit of a white supremacist--John Barrish--who has in his arsenal a chemical weapon so lethal that the smallest amounts can cause mass death. Barrish has struck before, when four black children were killed in cold blood on their way to church. Now he is bolder, and his plan for destruction goes far beyond simple homicide, with plans to strike a blow at the heart of the American government in Washington, D.C.

Bone-chilling in its detailed accuracy, Pearson's novel of homegrown terrorism is a fast-paced, provocative thriller that shows just how deadly the mix of politics and high-tech sabotage can be. From the opening page to the culmination of events on the day of the president's State of the Union address, the action and intrigue in 'Capitol Punishment' never lets up.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1995

About the author

Ryne Douglas Pearson is an accomplished novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of several novels, including Cloudburst, October's Ghost, Capitol Punishment, Simple Simon, Top Ten, The Donzerly Light, All For One, Confessions, and Cop Killer. He is also the author of the short story collection, Dark and Darker. His novel Simple Simon was made into the film Mercury Rising. As a screenwriter he has worked on numerous movies. The film Knowing, based on his original script, was released in 2009 and opened #1 at the box office. Receiving Four Stars from Roger Ebert, who branded it ‘among the best science-fiction films I’ve seen’, it went on to earn more than $180 million worldwide. He has also done uncredited work on films such as the remakes of The Day The Earth Stood Still and The Eye.

Despite the often ‘dark’ nature of his novels and films, Pearson has been noted to have a ‘sweet, disarming quality’ by Entertainment Weekly–an accusation he has been unable to shake. When not writing he is usually thinking about writing, or touting the wonders of bacon in online conversations. He is addicted to diet soda and the sound of his children laughing. A west coast native, he lives in California with his wife, children, a Doberman Kelpie and a Beagle Vizsla.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Ryne Douglas Pearson's high-concept "Capitol Punishment" (1995), a white supremacist plans a lethal chemical attack to take down the U.S. government ... with the help of a group of black militants. It could happen, right? Well, not on FBI agent Art Jefferson's watch. He's a bit bland and has to share the stage with a sprawling cast of cardboard characters, but a fairly zippy second half left me liking it more than I expected. Literature it ain't, but maybe a decent action flick. Anyone got The Rock's number?

[Melissa Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!!

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Capitol Punishment,” Ryne Douglas Pearson brings back FBI agent Art Jefferson in the third of his “Art Jefferson Thriller” adventures. Pearson sets the hook quickly in Chapter 1 with a plot that sadly is a horrific and all too credible situation in today’s world. Some of the characters are perhaps a little stereotyped; nevertheless, the situation does ring too true. Regardless, Jefferson and many of the other major characters are well developed into people about whom the reader can care. This book is an engaging thriller, and I highly recommend it!

“Capitol Punishment” is a story of racial, ethnic hatred mixed with a healthy dose of biological weapons and terrorism. The story starts a bit slow, but then the pace rapidly picks up and leaves one wondering what will happen next! A 911 call begins the plot, and the sudden, mysterious deaths of the first responders, sets the mystery. Soon, the discovery of a nerve gas and the body of a chemist and another person bring FBI agents Art Jefferson and Frankie Aguirre into the picture. Soon the antagonist John Barrish is introduced, a cunning white supremacist, who has let his hatred simmer while in custody, but he is released for lack of evidence. With his release, he's ready to unleash his fury onto the government who he sees as being too liberal. Hate is a powerful weapon, and we follow Barrish’s clever plans, and the plot unfolds to a nerve jarring climax.

Perhaps my one real complaint is the errors – typos and otherwise – that I found in my Kindle edition of this book. This sadly seems to be a common occurrence in the e-book world. If you enjoy action thrillers, you will not be disappointed by “Capitol Punishment”. In addition, perhaps you saw the movie "Mercury Rising" staring Bruce Willis? Director Ron Howard bought the rights to Ryne Douglas Pearson’s "Simple Simon” and turned it into a movie; the movie was good - the book is better! "Simple Simon” is the fourth and unquestionably the best of the Art Jefferson Thrillers, and it is a MUST read!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot as tight as a drum and believable as the day is long, involving bi-coastal action with well crafted and very human characters made this a nice niche thriller. It takes talent to weave a story of terrorism, biological weapons and racial hatred with simple themes of simple human emotion and love for a fellow man, but author Pearson has done it well.

Readers meet everyone from inhabitants of California prisons to the President of the United States and the author takes them as they are, making each more or less believable and authentic. To get five stars, I'd want to see more character development done for the FBI hero character and his fellow do-gooder, UCLA Psychiatrist and - oh just by the way - love interest, but the focus here is on the action and I can live with that issue.

The writing is well done and easy to understand while not being dumbed down. No plot errors come to mind, and in fact it could have been difficult to discern or understand the intricacies of the book if not handled well. Editing seems first rate and I didn't run across the run-on sentences, glaring spelling and grammar errors, or other signs of sloppy work that seem to plague many of the kindle bargains and freebies I've chosen of late. This is a very good sign and bodes we'll for encouraging interest in the writer rather than sending readers away in droves as some others may well have been doing as a result of either incompetence or sloppiness.

I certainly will be more apt to be looking for this author's books in the future after this positive experience.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special Agents Art Jefferson and Frankie Aguirre have to deal with a possible nerve gas attack. Who is behind the future attack and where will it be are the questions. John Barrish, racist, bigot and head of the Aryan Victory Organization is on trial in the deaths of 4 Black girls. The judge has to let him go due to insufficient evidence. The race is on. There are 2 canisters with the deadly nerve gas unaccounted for. Jefferson and Aguirre have to find them before they can be used. Good thriller lots of twists.

[Rich K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and all too believable scenario. Characters are a bit archetype, but the fast pace forgives that. My most serious complaint, the eBook version I read for kindle had many glaring typos and errors in it, such as words that were correctly spelled, but made no sense in a sentence. Clearly a different word was intended, but a computer inserted "whatever" matched its autocorrect. Sloppy for a professional, but did not greatly diminish the read.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and well written. It was well plotted and although there were a multitude of characters, most were sufficiently developed to grab the reader and hold their interest. The ending was quite satisfactory.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid plot with plenty of action. I thought it started off kind of slow, but really picked up about 1/3 of the way through the book. I haven't read anything else by Mr. Pearson, but I have "Simple Simon" on my Kindle to read.

Definitely a good book and one that I would recommend to others.

[Lori Schiele · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot was good, but it was too difficult to follow with too many characters to keep track of. Much like going to a party with 30 people you've never met and spending so much time trying to remember their names that you can't enjoy the party.

[Marjie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fear and hate

A story about white haters and black haters, their terrorism and trying to take out the government, each intending to get their way with control, stepping into the breach.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written. Believable plot. Solid characters that you can care about. I got this one through Pixel of Ink. I'll look for more from Mr Pierson.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable thriller.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Pearson does a great job developing the characters and the plot. Definite must-read.

[Ken Weinert]

False

[Ronald Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good read. Left some questions unanswered.

[John Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

kind of sad in certain parts