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The Architects of Control
IT ISN'T JUST COMING FOR YOUR JOB. IT'S COMING FOR YOUR VOTE.
"Greene expertly weaves a thrilling political tapestry that is equally topical and timeless... sure to excite and delight fans of political thrillers and tales of deep-seated corruption."—Kirkus Reviews
★★★★★ "A nonstop, hair-raising adventure."—Foreword Reviews
"Smart, sobering political thriller of chicanery in the Maine woods."—BookLife by Publishers Weekly
A small town in northern Maine voted exactly as designed. They didn't rig the vote. They rigged the voters. Now it's being scaled for the presidential election.
When Deputy Robert Pures investigates a hit-and-run in the Allagash Woods, he finds five strangers in a fishing camp: no gear, no English. The trail leads to a solar installation that isn't producing power. It's consuming it.
An unlikely alliance forms to expose the truth: a grieving deputy and his daughter, a Norwegian election observer, and a former intelligence analyst with a past she can't outrun.
They have six weeks to Election Day.
A political thriller about AI, data centers, and a rural town as a testing ground for power.
Robert Harris meets Louise Penny meets Paul Doiron.
Bright lights. Long shadows.
"Greene expertly weaves a thrilling political tapestry that is equally topical and timeless... sure to excite and delight fans of political thrillers and tales of deep-seated corruption."—Kirkus Reviews
★★★★★ "A nonstop, hair-raising adventure."—Foreword Reviews
"Smart, sobering political thriller of chicanery in the Maine woods."—BookLife by Publishers Weekly
A small town in northern Maine voted exactly as designed. They didn't rig the vote. They rigged the voters. Now it's being scaled for the presidential election.
When Deputy Robert Pures investigates a hit-and-run in the Allagash Woods, he finds five strangers in a fishing camp: no gear, no English. The trail leads to a solar installation that isn't producing power. It's consuming it.
An unlikely alliance forms to expose the truth: a grieving deputy and his daughter, a Norwegian election observer, and a former intelligence analyst with a past she can't outrun.
They have six weeks to Election Day.
A political thriller about AI, data centers, and a rural town as a testing ground for power.
Robert Harris meets Louise Penny meets Paul Doiron.
Bright lights. Long shadows.
- GenresThriller
324 pages, Hardcover
Published June 23, 2026
About the author
Harold Greene
3 books18 followersHarold Greene is a Scandinavian writer living in Maine. A former United Nations staffer with postings across four continents and a Master's from the London School of Economics, he now works with rural leaders in Maine on community resilience. His writing examines power and how it manifests in daily life. His debut novel, The Architects of Control (Black Trumpet Press, June 2026), is a political thriller set in northern Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 23, 2026
A really engaging read. The slow reveal of the conspiracy was engaging and believable (if frightening!). The global/international aspect of it, as well as the engaged political plot line was a great scaffold for the story. A thoughtful and troubling view of our near future.
June 23, 2026
The Allagash woods, northern Maine near the Canadian border , in the not too distant future. A massive solar farm has been erected over many hectares of land outside the town of New Denmark by Brightleaf, a company whose representatives had made convincing arguments regarding the company’s integrity as well as many benefits for the community, including a new fire station complete with brand new fire engine.
The Architects of Control is an intense, exciting, imaginative political thriller. Here in Australia where our population is less than a tenth of America’s we have compulsory voting, and each voter’s name is crossed off the electoral role as they register on the day of the election. The system is probably open to rorting of some sort; I don’t know how effectively it could be done, but I’m sure that if it can happen, it will. But what if, instead of rigging the votes, it could be made possible to rig the voters’ minds? The death of democracy by stealth!
Meanwhile, back in New Denmark, Deputy Robert Pures is dealing with the discovery of some unusual illegal immigrants, and also a critical incident involving young Deputy Anders Erikson. Robert is a grieving widower whose daughter, Lucy, is the town manager. Robert’s beloved wife, Sarah, is introduced into the book in the prologue so I suggest you tuck her away into a safe space in your mind before you proceed with your reading.
Regardless of which side of the divide you are on in relation to American politics, if you like political thrillers you will love this. Harold Greene has written a superb story about politics now, and into the possibly foreseeable future.
The Architects of Control is an intense, exciting, imaginative political thriller. Here in Australia where our population is less than a tenth of America’s we have compulsory voting, and each voter’s name is crossed off the electoral role as they register on the day of the election. The system is probably open to rorting of some sort; I don’t know how effectively it could be done, but I’m sure that if it can happen, it will. But what if, instead of rigging the votes, it could be made possible to rig the voters’ minds? The death of democracy by stealth!
Meanwhile, back in New Denmark, Deputy Robert Pures is dealing with the discovery of some unusual illegal immigrants, and also a critical incident involving young Deputy Anders Erikson. Robert is a grieving widower whose daughter, Lucy, is the town manager. Robert’s beloved wife, Sarah, is introduced into the book in the prologue so I suggest you tuck her away into a safe space in your mind before you proceed with your reading.
Regardless of which side of the divide you are on in relation to American politics, if you like political thrillers you will love this. Harold Greene has written a superb story about politics now, and into the possibly foreseeable future.
August 20, 2026
Compelling and so important!
I read this in one sitting, thank you! Thank you for the reminder we must all be vigilant and act when we can in any way that helps save our fragile democracy. Scary an hopefully a new wave has begun.
I read this in one sitting, thank you! Thank you for the reminder we must all be vigilant and act when we can in any way that helps save our fragile democracy. Scary an hopefully a new wave has begun.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"The Architects of Control" is a fast-paced, thrilling tour of the intricate corruption of globalism as viewed from a small cabin in rural Maine. Billed as a political thriller, the book reads like a page turner while touching on deeper themes of corruption, elite control, and the importance of community.
Greene's writing navigates deftly between the nuances of global politics and the beauty of the Maine woods, reflecting his wide personal experiences as an author. A well-considered novel that elucidates the interconnected anxieties of today's dystopian reality, it also reminds the reader that there is still integrity in the world with the pure goodheartedness of the characters. From Tormund, the naively trusting Norwegian elections observer, to Lucy, the clever heir to her mother's mysterious resistance "Nightjar Network," to the rough but dedicated Robert Pures, Greene's characters pinpoint the importance of quiet resistance and care for our neighbors.
At it's heart, "The Architects of Control" is a love letter to Maine's nature - Greene casts the vast expanse of woodland in northern Maine as a direct contrast to the corrupt, overindulgent world of global politics and financial control. Brightleaf - the villainous cover company for election interference - creates a tech-based scar on the Maine woods. In contrast, the book's protagonists find solace and grounding in these same woods, and Greene's descriptions of the quiet of an evening ski, the calm of fishing wild rivers, and the peace of well known remote hiking trails brings the reader the same comfort.
"The Architects of Control" is both terrifying and heartening, reminding us of the importance of using our own brains, empathy, and communities to fight society's seemingly inevitable slide towards corruption and control.
Greene's writing navigates deftly between the nuances of global politics and the beauty of the Maine woods, reflecting his wide personal experiences as an author. A well-considered novel that elucidates the interconnected anxieties of today's dystopian reality, it also reminds the reader that there is still integrity in the world with the pure goodheartedness of the characters. From Tormund, the naively trusting Norwegian elections observer, to Lucy, the clever heir to her mother's mysterious resistance "Nightjar Network," to the rough but dedicated Robert Pures, Greene's characters pinpoint the importance of quiet resistance and care for our neighbors.
At it's heart, "The Architects of Control" is a love letter to Maine's nature - Greene casts the vast expanse of woodland in northern Maine as a direct contrast to the corrupt, overindulgent world of global politics and financial control. Brightleaf - the villainous cover company for election interference - creates a tech-based scar on the Maine woods. In contrast, the book's protagonists find solace and grounding in these same woods, and Greene's descriptions of the quiet of an evening ski, the calm of fishing wild rivers, and the peace of well known remote hiking trails brings the reader the same comfort.
"The Architects of Control" is both terrifying and heartening, reminding us of the importance of using our own brains, empathy, and communities to fight society's seemingly inevitable slide towards corruption and control.
September 1, 2026
This is an engaging thriller that delves into A1-driven manipulation of elections, and the quiet courage of regular people who refuse to look away. It’s set against the rustic beauty of rural Maine, where the woods and the people who inhabit them are very good at keeping secrets, and each vote is supposed to count. The four people standing between the truth and a stolen election are a town manager, an election observer from Norway, a former intelligence analyst, and a deputy still grieving his wife. Now the investigation is getting too personal for each of them, and with the election only six weeks away, no one has a clue what the outcome of it will be, and who will be caught in the crosshairs.
September 20, 2026
VERY IMP0RTANT BOOK!
This is an extremely well-written book. The characters are believable, the plot is engrossing and descriptions are vivid. ABOVE ALL ELSE, THIS NOVEL FEELS ALL TOO REAL IN THESE DARK TIMES OF ATTEMPTS BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION TO MESS WITH OUR RIGHT TO VOTE AND THE POWER OF OUR VOTE! The details concerning how manipulation of voter beliefs is the subject of this book. The author is VERY well-informed and goes into GREAT DETAIL about how the popular vote could be altered.
A very important work!
This is an extremely well-written book. The characters are believable, the plot is engrossing and descriptions are vivid. ABOVE ALL ELSE, THIS NOVEL FEELS ALL TOO REAL IN THESE DARK TIMES OF ATTEMPTS BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION TO MESS WITH OUR RIGHT TO VOTE AND THE POWER OF OUR VOTE! The details concerning how manipulation of voter beliefs is the subject of this book. The author is VERY well-informed and goes into GREAT DETAIL about how the popular vote could be altered.
A very important work!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This book kind of freaked me out, lol. It was a little too real, but the best fiction is always tied into facts, IMO, either way I love this book. Would have given it a six star if a could for the personal note the author wrote me on the front page, but unfortunately 5🌟 is all I can do. Absolutely phenomenal story!
September 12, 2026
A very good story about controlling the media and deep fakes that seem very close to reality we live in these days.
An eye opening as close to real life story about how we all can be manipulated in our thinking which can easily bee done with AI deepfakes. This book reminds us we are living in a scary world
An eye opening as close to real life story about how we all can be manipulated in our thinking which can easily bee done with AI deepfakes. This book reminds us we are living in a scary world
September 10, 2026
This book hooked me from the start and kept me hooked throughout the entire book. I loved the short chapters and the author had me emotionally invested in the characters. It's not a genre I read a lot of but I will recommend this book and I will definitely read more by this author!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This story grabbed me from the beginning and moved fast. Very relevant to everything that is going on in our world right now. Highly recommend you find a copy and get everyone you can to read it before the midterm elections.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was very kindly sent a copy of this book; all my opinions are my own.
This was a WILD ride, especially thinking ... it could totally happen!
Greene sets the stage beautifully by starting with a seemingly open-and-shut case that gets taken from local authorities and handed to ICE and the FBI, but then his partner dies, which goes against every single thing, and he starts digging deeper. Once his daughter is loped in, and two election observers that really, truly didn't even realize they were stumbling into this mess, you've got yourself a book.
The writing style is gripping and engaging, and Greene has a talent for using short sentences right where they need to be, to underline what action's happening and point out how dangerous it is. The story itself is actually ridiculously chilly: how would YOU react if you learned you'd basically been trained, by AI, to vote a certain way?
It's not rigging, and yet it's totally rigging. It's just rigging in this new era where AI is steadily gaining ground.
A page turner from start to finish, I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves even remotely intrigued by the blurb. I promise, you get a whole lot more than just that, and it's written in a tight, concise manner that won't have your attention straying for even a minute.
Thank you again to Mr. Greene for kindly sending me a copy of this book. I absolutely loved reading it!
This was a WILD ride, especially thinking ... it could totally happen!
Greene sets the stage beautifully by starting with a seemingly open-and-shut case that gets taken from local authorities and handed to ICE and the FBI, but then his partner dies, which goes against every single thing, and he starts digging deeper. Once his daughter is loped in, and two election observers that really, truly didn't even realize they were stumbling into this mess, you've got yourself a book.
The writing style is gripping and engaging, and Greene has a talent for using short sentences right where they need to be, to underline what action's happening and point out how dangerous it is. The story itself is actually ridiculously chilly: how would YOU react if you learned you'd basically been trained, by AI, to vote a certain way?
It's not rigging, and yet it's totally rigging. It's just rigging in this new era where AI is steadily gaining ground.
A page turner from start to finish, I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves even remotely intrigued by the blurb. I promise, you get a whole lot more than just that, and it's written in a tight, concise manner that won't have your attention straying for even a minute.
Thank you again to Mr. Greene for kindly sending me a copy of this book. I absolutely loved reading it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Being a political junky, the plot captivated me from the beginning. The more I read, the more I fell in love with the characters too. Good beginning to end.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews