A Booklist Best Mystery 2016 America, 1972. A cynical and dangerous time. It is the eighth and final year of the administration of President Dan McCormick, the first leader of what is promising to be a political family dynasty. Now his younger brother Terry McCormick is poised to become the next president. But the war in Vietnam which the McCormick family has so strongly supported and defended has now become unpopular. And what s worse for Terry McCormick is that defense analyst Alan Hirsch has gone into hiding and taken the top secret Pentagon Report with him, a report that can only stain the treasured McCormick legacy. Corrupted by war and ambition, the McCormicks mark Hirsch for termination."
James Patrick Hunt is the author of several books and e-books. He was born in Surrey, England in 1964 and graduated from St. Louis University with a degree in aerospace engineering in 1986. He graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1992. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he writes and practices law.
I’m shocked this book wasn’t rated higher. I’ve read other novels by Mr. Hunt and enjoyed them as well. Once Upon a Time in Camelot did NOT disappoint. It was fast-moving, interesting and a definite page turner. If I was forced to come up with some criticism, I thought the ending came about a bit quick but yeah, I’m just being picky.
The title lets you know right away that this book is about the Kennedy family. The premise is that JFK is not killed and is re-elected. I thought this would be interesting. Instead the author has characters (and we know exactly who they are) say and do things that would never have happened. RFK in real life ran as an anti war candidate but in this book he is a big defender of the Vietnam War. It’s fiction so the author can do whatever he wants. I was in college during this time and this book just seemed all wrong.
I had to give it up after seven chapters. The writing was repetitive and the characters were flat. The premise was cool, which is why I picked it up in the first place. However I couldn't get past the author trying to hold my hand through the minute actions the characters did through their day while at the same time telling me over and over again how Dan McCormick was so awesome.
The premise is terrific but I didn't go for the result. Thought there was a lot of repetition. If the story would have stayed with the alternative history regarding the political premise that Kennedy lived, it would have been a lot more interesting.
Decent read, however I had two problems that stood out to me while reading. 1) You cannot use a silencer on a revolver 2) how did an M4 rifle appear in the trunk of a rental car to be used is an assignation attempt? Poor editing to overlook the obvious