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Extraordinary Rendition
When Ali Hussein, suspected terrorist and alleged banker for Al Qaeda, is finally transported from Guantanamo Bay to the US mainland to stand trial, many are stunned when Byron Carlos Johnson, a preeminent lawyer and son of a high-profile diplomat, volunteers to represent him. On principle, Johnson thought he was merely defending a man unjustly captured through Rendition and water-boarded illegally. But Johnson soon learns that there is much more at stake than one man’s civil rights.
Hussein’s intimate knowledge of key financial transactions could lead to the capture of - or the unabated funding of - the world’s most dangerous terror cells. This makes Hussein the target of corrupt US intelligence forces on one side, and ruthless international terrorists on the other. And, it puts Byron Carlos Johnson squarely in the crosshairs of both.
Pulled irresistibly by forces he can and cannot see, Johnson enters a lethal maze of espionage, manipulation, legal traps and murder. But when his life, his love, and his acclaimed principles are on the line, Johnson may have one gambit left that can save them all; a play that even his confidants could not have anticipated. He must become the hunter among hunters in the deadliest game.
Written by no-holds-barred-attorney Paul Batista, Extraordinary Rendition excels not only as an action thriller, but as a sophisticated legal procedural as well. Batista’s keen legal mind and feel for suspense bleed onto every the page. Smart. Fast. Heart-pounding. A legal thriller of the highest order.
Hussein’s intimate knowledge of key financial transactions could lead to the capture of - or the unabated funding of - the world’s most dangerous terror cells. This makes Hussein the target of corrupt US intelligence forces on one side, and ruthless international terrorists on the other. And, it puts Byron Carlos Johnson squarely in the crosshairs of both.
Pulled irresistibly by forces he can and cannot see, Johnson enters a lethal maze of espionage, manipulation, legal traps and murder. But when his life, his love, and his acclaimed principles are on the line, Johnson may have one gambit left that can save them all; a play that even his confidants could not have anticipated. He must become the hunter among hunters in the deadliest game.
Written by no-holds-barred-attorney Paul Batista, Extraordinary Rendition excels not only as an action thriller, but as a sophisticated legal procedural as well. Batista’s keen legal mind and feel for suspense bleed onto every the page. Smart. Fast. Heart-pounding. A legal thriller of the highest order.
- GenresFictionLegal Thriller
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First published July 31, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 22, 2012
Ali Hussein immigrated from Syria to the United States looking for a better life. He became an accountant and started a family. Then on a trip to Germany he was captured by the US Government, suspected of being a money handler for Al Qaeda. He was held for over 9 years without charges being filed. In that time he was tortured and questioned endlessly.
When he was brought to trial, Byron Johnson volunteers to represent him. This is just the beginning of troubles that Byron never imagined. The Prosecution for the United States begins to infiltrate Bryon's life at every level possible.
There were a couple of issues that I had with this book. One had to do with Ali Hussein. I never really understood if he was a terrorist or not. I guess it doesn't really matter, your lawyer's job isn't to question your guilt or innocence. Also there was a question whether or not Ali was using Byron to pass account information along to his Imam via Koran passages. I was confused as to whether or not this was true or it was just an accusation. I was also not particularly pleased with Bryon and his woman hopping. He went from falling all over Christina to sleeping with Helen like it was nothing.
Overall it was a pretty good book. It was better than I was expecting. The topic of rendition is a pretty terrifying one, so it's interesting to explore it from a safe distance.
When he was brought to trial, Byron Johnson volunteers to represent him. This is just the beginning of troubles that Byron never imagined. The Prosecution for the United States begins to infiltrate Bryon's life at every level possible.
There were a couple of issues that I had with this book. One had to do with Ali Hussein. I never really understood if he was a terrorist or not. I guess it doesn't really matter, your lawyer's job isn't to question your guilt or innocence. Also there was a question whether or not Ali was using Byron to pass account information along to his Imam via Koran passages. I was confused as to whether or not this was true or it was just an accusation. I was also not particularly pleased with Bryon and his woman hopping. He went from falling all over Christina to sleeping with Helen like it was nothing.
Overall it was a pretty good book. It was better than I was expecting. The topic of rendition is a pretty terrifying one, so it's interesting to explore it from a safe distance.
April 16, 2013
Byron Johnson is partner in a Wall Street law firm who, at the apex of his career, volunteers to take on the case of Ali Hussein. Ali is a Syrian national who lived and worked in the US for ten years as an accountant prior to being arrested in Europe over 9 years earlier. Byron learns that Hussein has finally been brought back to the US for trial after being kept, without charge, in solitary confinement at various places around the world and has been tortured and beaten during those nine years. He feels that justice should be done and the man should be charged with something, offered a fair trial and have the right to defend himself in a court of law. This is where the story begins.
Extraordinary Rendition is a fast paced, eloquent, witty, sometimes disturbing account of a lawyer facing an uphill battle against forces within the US government which are hell bent on getting a conviction. Members of nameless government departments, the FBI, Homeland Security and the CIA have worked for years to uncover the invisible millions of dollars which they believe travel around the world almost unseen and untraceable. These are the dollars used to fund terrorist activities. They believe Hussein is the mastermind behind securing funding for, amongst other things, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. For nine years they have tried to make him confess and for nine years he has protested his innocence.
Here’s an extract from Chapter 2. Byron Johnson has called a meeting with the US governments lead lawyer, Hamerindapal Rana, who is prosecuting the case. He is trying to establish the nature of the charges and arrange a date for the indictment:
Rana said, “Mr Johnson, you must understand we will indict Mr Hussein at a time and in a place of our own choosing. It may be an hour from now. It may be six months from now. And it may be in Miami and it may be in Juneau Alaska, with Sarah Palin as judge.”
In the five minutes since the start of the conference, Byron had let go of any pretence that this would be what he liked to call a ‘good, cordial meeting,’ He said, “Mr Rana, the man is now in jail in the United States. He’s been in detention more than nine years by my count. I don’t think you have the right to delay indicting him indefinitely.”
“You think so Mr Johnson?” Like his clothes, Hal Rana’s voice was elegant, almost British-accented. Byron, who had the sense that Rana must have spent time in an English boarding school, was intrigued. Rana continued, “The Congress and the president don’t see it your way. We have an anti-terrorism bill that gives us the option to decide when to indict and where to indict, We don’t need to be concerned by whatever speedy trial rights your client may have, because he has none. And, in this case we can indict him anywhere in the country and he can’t complain that it’s the wrong place.”
“So you are going to pick a state where the jury is most likely to convict, right?”
“We’ve been thinking about Oklahoma, Mr Johnson. We relish the idea of putting a terrorist on trail in front of an Oklahoma jury near the site where McVeigh blew up the federal building.”
“I don’t think that’s fair.”
“You don’t? Then you have to complain to Congress. I am just a simple country lawyer.”
This story feels chillingly realistic. Nobody is quite who they seem to be and sometimes it is hard to know who the bad guys really are. Paul Batista paints a disturbingly blurred line between the terrorism of the offenders and the terrorism of the prosecutors. Justice, it seems, depends on good men doing something out of the ordinary to protect the tenets of law. This doesn’t happen every day, certainly not if a lawyer wants to rise to great heights in their career and gain the ultimate prizes: success and accolade.
I couldn’t put this book down. It is brilliantly written, the characters are realistic and it offers real insight into the intricacies of the US legal system, especially those rather complex, controversial and challenging laws pertaining to Extraordinary Rendition and national security. There is another bonus in this book; any lover of New York City will be enthralled by the many vivid descriptions of places, buildings and landmarks in the city. It made me pine to be back there. Of course, like any good thriller there are many twists and turns in the tale. The one at the end left me asking more questions than it answered. I’m still wondering about it now!
Extraordinary Rendition was published in July 2012 by Astor + Blue Editions. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just brilliant!
Extraordinary Rendition is a fast paced, eloquent, witty, sometimes disturbing account of a lawyer facing an uphill battle against forces within the US government which are hell bent on getting a conviction. Members of nameless government departments, the FBI, Homeland Security and the CIA have worked for years to uncover the invisible millions of dollars which they believe travel around the world almost unseen and untraceable. These are the dollars used to fund terrorist activities. They believe Hussein is the mastermind behind securing funding for, amongst other things, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. For nine years they have tried to make him confess and for nine years he has protested his innocence.
Here’s an extract from Chapter 2. Byron Johnson has called a meeting with the US governments lead lawyer, Hamerindapal Rana, who is prosecuting the case. He is trying to establish the nature of the charges and arrange a date for the indictment:
Rana said, “Mr Johnson, you must understand we will indict Mr Hussein at a time and in a place of our own choosing. It may be an hour from now. It may be six months from now. And it may be in Miami and it may be in Juneau Alaska, with Sarah Palin as judge.”
In the five minutes since the start of the conference, Byron had let go of any pretence that this would be what he liked to call a ‘good, cordial meeting,’ He said, “Mr Rana, the man is now in jail in the United States. He’s been in detention more than nine years by my count. I don’t think you have the right to delay indicting him indefinitely.”
“You think so Mr Johnson?” Like his clothes, Hal Rana’s voice was elegant, almost British-accented. Byron, who had the sense that Rana must have spent time in an English boarding school, was intrigued. Rana continued, “The Congress and the president don’t see it your way. We have an anti-terrorism bill that gives us the option to decide when to indict and where to indict, We don’t need to be concerned by whatever speedy trial rights your client may have, because he has none. And, in this case we can indict him anywhere in the country and he can’t complain that it’s the wrong place.”
“So you are going to pick a state where the jury is most likely to convict, right?”
“We’ve been thinking about Oklahoma, Mr Johnson. We relish the idea of putting a terrorist on trail in front of an Oklahoma jury near the site where McVeigh blew up the federal building.”
“I don’t think that’s fair.”
“You don’t? Then you have to complain to Congress. I am just a simple country lawyer.”
This story feels chillingly realistic. Nobody is quite who they seem to be and sometimes it is hard to know who the bad guys really are. Paul Batista paints a disturbingly blurred line between the terrorism of the offenders and the terrorism of the prosecutors. Justice, it seems, depends on good men doing something out of the ordinary to protect the tenets of law. This doesn’t happen every day, certainly not if a lawyer wants to rise to great heights in their career and gain the ultimate prizes: success and accolade.
I couldn’t put this book down. It is brilliantly written, the characters are realistic and it offers real insight into the intricacies of the US legal system, especially those rather complex, controversial and challenging laws pertaining to Extraordinary Rendition and national security. There is another bonus in this book; any lover of New York City will be enthralled by the many vivid descriptions of places, buildings and landmarks in the city. It made me pine to be back there. Of course, like any good thriller there are many twists and turns in the tale. The one at the end left me asking more questions than it answered. I’m still wondering about it now!
Extraordinary Rendition was published in July 2012 by Astor + Blue Editions. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just brilliant!
August 28, 2014
What would it be like for an American lawyer to have the job of defending an accused enemy of the state in a dictatorial country? It would be much like fictional Byron Carlos Johnson’s undertaking in Paul Batista’s Extraordinary Rendition, except Johnson was working in the United States of America. Post 9/11, there were many changes in the legal system in response to concerns for national security, including establishing a new category of “enemy combatants,” whose rights are extremely limited. Batista’s novel takes this factual state of affairs somewhat further.
Byron Johnson is a successful partner in a large New York law firm. He has been asked to represent Ali Hussein, a suspected Al Qaeda money manager. Hussein has been the subject of “extraordinary rendition,” the practice of sending prisoners to countries that allow torture of those prisoners. Hussein was held and routinely beaten for several years in various countries, but has not been charged with a crime, and has not been allowed to see any visitors. The U.S. government has finally decided to bring Hussein back to the US. for trial. Johnson accepts the case on a pro bono (without charge) basis. The government allows Johnson to speak to Hussein, but only for very brief meetings.
Johnson is not even told what the charges are against Hussein. The government insists that Johnson should just get Hussein to confess, because the need for “national security” overrides any democratic principles relating to the rights of the accused. But Johnson wonders:
"…did the Constitution give Ali Hussein as a foreign national arrested overseas the right to a speedy trial, to effective representation by a lawyer, to a freedom from cruel and unusual punishment and to other constitutional guarantees?”
It’s a reasonable question, but the answer is fairly clear: No.
Johnson’s work on behalf of Hussein begins to take so much time (on a non-paying) basis that for this and a few other reasons his partners expel him from the firm. Nevertheless, he soldiers bravely on with the assistance of Christina Rosario, a beautiful Columbia law student who had worked for his firm as a clerk the previous summer. Johnson’s burden is greatly increased because, not only is he not given a copy of the indictment, he is also denied access to the government’s evidence due to “national security” concerns.
[The state secrets privilege is a common-law evidentiary rule that permits the government “to block discovery in a lawsuit of any information that, if disclosed, would adversely affect national security.” (Ellsberg v. Mitchell, 709 F.2d 51, 56 (D.C. Cir. 1983) The Department of Justice (DOJ) under George W. Bush radically expanded the use of the state secrets privilege, transforming the privilege, according to critics, into an alternative form of immunity that shielded the government and its agents from accountability for systemic violations of the law.]
Johnson enlists the aid of Simeon (“Sy”) Black, a free lance reporter closely modeled on Seymour Hersch. Through Black’s contacts, one of whom is a very competent private detective, Johnson learns a great deal about some shadowy (presumably CIA and Department of Homeland Security) thugs who are dictating case strategy and management to the government’s lawyers.
All of the people helping Hussein come into danger themselves, as the tension ratchets up for a riveting conclusion.
Evaluation: In brief, the legal portions were well done, the caricatured bad guys unnecessary, and the "romantic" scenes should have been omitted, or at least, rewritten.
Byron Johnson is a successful partner in a large New York law firm. He has been asked to represent Ali Hussein, a suspected Al Qaeda money manager. Hussein has been the subject of “extraordinary rendition,” the practice of sending prisoners to countries that allow torture of those prisoners. Hussein was held and routinely beaten for several years in various countries, but has not been charged with a crime, and has not been allowed to see any visitors. The U.S. government has finally decided to bring Hussein back to the US. for trial. Johnson accepts the case on a pro bono (without charge) basis. The government allows Johnson to speak to Hussein, but only for very brief meetings.
Johnson is not even told what the charges are against Hussein. The government insists that Johnson should just get Hussein to confess, because the need for “national security” overrides any democratic principles relating to the rights of the accused. But Johnson wonders:
"…did the Constitution give Ali Hussein as a foreign national arrested overseas the right to a speedy trial, to effective representation by a lawyer, to a freedom from cruel and unusual punishment and to other constitutional guarantees?”
It’s a reasonable question, but the answer is fairly clear: No.
Johnson’s work on behalf of Hussein begins to take so much time (on a non-paying) basis that for this and a few other reasons his partners expel him from the firm. Nevertheless, he soldiers bravely on with the assistance of Christina Rosario, a beautiful Columbia law student who had worked for his firm as a clerk the previous summer. Johnson’s burden is greatly increased because, not only is he not given a copy of the indictment, he is also denied access to the government’s evidence due to “national security” concerns.
[The state secrets privilege is a common-law evidentiary rule that permits the government “to block discovery in a lawsuit of any information that, if disclosed, would adversely affect national security.” (Ellsberg v. Mitchell, 709 F.2d 51, 56 (D.C. Cir. 1983) The Department of Justice (DOJ) under George W. Bush radically expanded the use of the state secrets privilege, transforming the privilege, according to critics, into an alternative form of immunity that shielded the government and its agents from accountability for systemic violations of the law.]
Johnson enlists the aid of Simeon (“Sy”) Black, a free lance reporter closely modeled on Seymour Hersch. Through Black’s contacts, one of whom is a very competent private detective, Johnson learns a great deal about some shadowy (presumably CIA and Department of Homeland Security) thugs who are dictating case strategy and management to the government’s lawyers.
All of the people helping Hussein come into danger themselves, as the tension ratchets up for a riveting conclusion.
Evaluation: In brief, the legal portions were well done, the caricatured bad guys unnecessary, and the "romantic" scenes should have been omitted, or at least, rewritten.
August 20, 2014
Written by lawyer and author Paul Batista, Extraordinary Rendition is a thriller about an attorney caught up between defending in an assumed terrorist and the fighting the US government's agenda.
Bryon Johnson is a senior attorney at a prestigious US law firm who takes on a pro-bono case via one of his firms former clients. The defendant, Ali Hussein, is an American-born Muslim who is “suspected” of being a money handler for Al Qaeda and is held for over 9 years without charges being filed. As Bryon investigates his newest client's case, the story starts twisting between various roadblocks put up by U.S. government agencies.
The reader is often left in a state of ambiguity, as you are not really sure of Hussein's guilt. If he is the terrorist the Government believes he is, a major intelligence "lynchpin" is at stake; and while that would not change most readers opinions of the torture he endured, it does have an impact on one's perspective of the storyline.
Extraordinary Rendition is a worthy read, and the pace of the storyline was a nice mix between detail and action. It was admittedly a genre outside of my usual reading comfort zone, but I won't hesitate to read another by Batista.
Bryon Johnson is a senior attorney at a prestigious US law firm who takes on a pro-bono case via one of his firms former clients. The defendant, Ali Hussein, is an American-born Muslim who is “suspected” of being a money handler for Al Qaeda and is held for over 9 years without charges being filed. As Bryon investigates his newest client's case, the story starts twisting between various roadblocks put up by U.S. government agencies.
The reader is often left in a state of ambiguity, as you are not really sure of Hussein's guilt. If he is the terrorist the Government believes he is, a major intelligence "lynchpin" is at stake; and while that would not change most readers opinions of the torture he endured, it does have an impact on one's perspective of the storyline.
Extraordinary Rendition is a worthy read, and the pace of the storyline was a nice mix between detail and action. It was admittedly a genre outside of my usual reading comfort zone, but I won't hesitate to read another by Batista.
October 29, 2012
Please go to my blog to read my review.
http://fiveflavorsofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://fiveflavorsofbooks.blogspot.com/
September 3, 2017
Well, once again I can say that Paul Batista is a solid story-teller. His book about the first fictional civil trial of a suspected terrorist is unique and he creates a cast of mysterious characters whose loyalties the reader can never really figure out. The writing is quality and there is a strong story here, complete with legal drama, espionage, and millions of dollars in hidden banks across the globe. For some, this will perfectly satisfy their qualifications for a thriller.
In my case, I was again put off by the total focus on the legal aspect of this book (which is just further proof that legal dramas must not be my cup of tea). The basis of the story somewhat intrigued me, but the way the plot was executed made for a very long and boring read. Even when someone gets killed this does nothing for the story. My senses were so dulled down by that point, that any attempt at shock and awe by murder just fell short for me. In a thriller I want action, suspense, fighting, something! I was barely interested in whether Ali Hussein really was a terrorist (really that was the only thing I wanted to find out) and even that didn't pan out into anything. The story just sort of ends without any real closure on the case other than that the world found out about what the US government did to Ali Hussein. It was a slow book that ended fruitlessly.
As I said with Paul Batista's last book, this might be right up your alley. You might completely disagree with everything I thought about the book being boring and slow. You need to gauge what is important to you in a thriller before taking on this book. If you love legal drama and the court room, then give it a shot. But if you lean more in my direction, and prefer heart racing, action packed thrillers then I can tell you that this book did not live up to that promise.
*I received a free copy of this book for this review from the author.
In my case, I was again put off by the total focus on the legal aspect of this book (which is just further proof that legal dramas must not be my cup of tea). The basis of the story somewhat intrigued me, but the way the plot was executed made for a very long and boring read. Even when someone gets killed this does nothing for the story. My senses were so dulled down by that point, that any attempt at shock and awe by murder just fell short for me. In a thriller I want action, suspense, fighting, something! I was barely interested in whether Ali Hussein really was a terrorist (really that was the only thing I wanted to find out) and even that didn't pan out into anything. The story just sort of ends without any real closure on the case other than that the world found out about what the US government did to Ali Hussein. It was a slow book that ended fruitlessly.
As I said with Paul Batista's last book, this might be right up your alley. You might completely disagree with everything I thought about the book being boring and slow. You need to gauge what is important to you in a thriller before taking on this book. If you love legal drama and the court room, then give it a shot. But if you lean more in my direction, and prefer heart racing, action packed thrillers then I can tell you that this book did not live up to that promise.
*I received a free copy of this book for this review from the author.
September 2, 2014
Audiobook Review
4 1/2 Stars
An extraordinarily terrifying story that begs the question: Who is the terrorist?
A detainee who doesn't know where he's been held, how long, or why. A lawyer who must represent him under unnamed crimes, bound by a law he is prohibited from seeing, a Kafkaesque nightmare. The government of the U.S. will do anything to win, and they do.
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Byron Carlos Johnson, a long-time Civil Law partner in prestigious firm, is tapped to represent Ali Hussein, an alleged terrorist who has been held incommunicado for years in prisons unknown. He will be the first man tried for unspecified crimes in a United States non-military court. Johnson feels compelled to represent him. By doing so, he stumbles blindly into a rigged chess game where he's the pawn. With a plethora of bad guys vexing him at every turn, Johnson finally realizes the dupe and takes countermeasures. Some are successful, some not. But the action is non-stop.
This book weaves a terrific courtroom drama with trust and betrayal, racism, violence and politics. In his early 60's, Johnson has some sort of coming of age experience where his naive view of life explodes into shards.
At times, the characters feel a little shallow and type-cast. The ending is somewhat Pollyanna, but at that point the reader needs to come down from the wild action, as does the character so a softer denouement is in order.
I stayed up till 1 a.m. to finish this book and couldn't sleep afterward. If you read it, you should be scared.
4 1/2 Stars
An extraordinarily terrifying story that begs the question: Who is the terrorist?
A detainee who doesn't know where he's been held, how long, or why. A lawyer who must represent him under unnamed crimes, bound by a law he is prohibited from seeing, a Kafkaesque nightmare. The government of the U.S. will do anything to win, and they do.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byron Carlos Johnson, a long-time Civil Law partner in prestigious firm, is tapped to represent Ali Hussein, an alleged terrorist who has been held incommunicado for years in prisons unknown. He will be the first man tried for unspecified crimes in a United States non-military court. Johnson feels compelled to represent him. By doing so, he stumbles blindly into a rigged chess game where he's the pawn. With a plethora of bad guys vexing him at every turn, Johnson finally realizes the dupe and takes countermeasures. Some are successful, some not. But the action is non-stop.
This book weaves a terrific courtroom drama with trust and betrayal, racism, violence and politics. In his early 60's, Johnson has some sort of coming of age experience where his naive view of life explodes into shards.
At times, the characters feel a little shallow and type-cast. The ending is somewhat Pollyanna, but at that point the reader needs to come down from the wild action, as does the character so a softer denouement is in order.
I stayed up till 1 a.m. to finish this book and couldn't sleep afterward. If you read it, you should be scared.
August 13, 2016
This is one of the worst books I've read in a really long time. The author spends so much time making digs at every conservative/right-wing person(Bush, Palin, Rudy Giuliani, Bill Oriely, Ann Coulter, etc.), and promoting his liberal idealism that he forgets to have any sort of climax for the book. The story goes absolutely nowhere, and the book was a complete waste of time. If your a liberal and enjoy a completely biased point of view on Islamic terrorists and American conservatives you might enjoy it, but if you have any sense of reality you'll find it to be a complete waste of time.
July 25, 2013
Paul Batista's "Extraordinary Rendition" takes a hard look at the U.S Government's handling of suspected terrorists picked up overseas since 9/11 and kept outside of the normal justice system. The plot and the characters are sometimes over the top but otherwise it's a well written and intriguing story. I now want to read Batista's first book as well.
Kindle download.
Kindle download.
May 19, 2013
Not a genre I usually read, but I liked it! Entertaining, exciting, interesting. Nice storytelling and not too bloody. Good entertainment.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews