What do you think?
Rate this book
From Us
Political satire conservative readers can love. As for liberals … not so much. America’s in trouble. The Senate’s at war with itself while the House founders anew. Judges twist laws and journalists bend truth. Violent riots light up evening skies.A rich financier plans murders to tip the balance of power his way. What’s to stop him?Mostly three white-collar a disgraced spy, a blonde with a drinking problem, and a cop forced to retire early. They’re thieves, who dare not contact the authorities.But self-preservation drives these misfits. They have exotic skills and dangerous friends. They even have a chance.
355 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2018
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 9, 2019
In Randall Jarmon’s latest thriller, "From Us", the United States is in dire straits. The Senate and the House of Representatives are in turmoil, with the major parties at each other’s throats. Judges considered left of centre are bending the laws of the land to reflect their “progressive” views, while those more conservative jurists are pulling in the opposite direction. The newly elected president has lurched the country to the Right and the largely leftist media are rebelling. Sound familiar so far? Such is the background to this fascinating story; hopefully, that is the point where it parts company with reality. A wealthy Swiss financier decides to turn tables by orchestrating two high profile murders. If he succeeds, it may tip the balance of power in the Senate in the opposite direction. A clandestine organisation is engaged to stop him but they require assistance. Enter one Rudy Baskin. Rudy is an ex-cop — NYPD — where he finished up in Internal Affairs and was hated by just about everyone in the force. He is a whiz at IT and has useful friends in high — and low — places. And, with a bit of luck and a fair wind, he just might be able to pull off the impossible.
Randall Jarmon has a style of his own. "From Us" is written in the first person which is not that unusual but interspersed with Rudy’s narrative are encrypted satellite phone conversations, e-mails and articles extracted from newspapers and blogs. At first, I found this device a bit distracting but it soon grew on me. It is a unique method of showing the reader, in a narrative written in the first person, what is going on elsewhere. I suspect that like Rudy, the author has a better than average knowledge of IT himself, otherwise he has an exceptional imagination when it comes to modern technical devices and what they are capable of. It is refreshing to see the main character in a novel who isn’t perfect in every way. Rudy is in his fifties, he’s overweight, not very good looking and gets involved in criminal activities. Yet somehow, he is endearing and you find yourself egging him on, both as to what he has been hired for and his personal relationship with Lucinda, his boss and love interest. It is clever characterisation. As for the story itself it is a genuine thriller, with twists and turns in the plot right through to the surprising and pleasing ending. "From Us" is topical and right up to date. It’s an incredible tale, a real page turner and a riveting read.
Randall Jarmon has a style of his own. "From Us" is written in the first person which is not that unusual but interspersed with Rudy’s narrative are encrypted satellite phone conversations, e-mails and articles extracted from newspapers and blogs. At first, I found this device a bit distracting but it soon grew on me. It is a unique method of showing the reader, in a narrative written in the first person, what is going on elsewhere. I suspect that like Rudy, the author has a better than average knowledge of IT himself, otherwise he has an exceptional imagination when it comes to modern technical devices and what they are capable of. It is refreshing to see the main character in a novel who isn’t perfect in every way. Rudy is in his fifties, he’s overweight, not very good looking and gets involved in criminal activities. Yet somehow, he is endearing and you find yourself egging him on, both as to what he has been hired for and his personal relationship with Lucinda, his boss and love interest. It is clever characterisation. As for the story itself it is a genuine thriller, with twists and turns in the plot right through to the surprising and pleasing ending. "From Us" is topical and right up to date. It’s an incredible tale, a real page turner and a riveting read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review