An international political thriller that successfully weaves together multiple storylines. After leaving her position as a former special assistant to the White House chief of staff, Maggie Raster hopes to use her political experience as a consultant--a career that's more in line with her deep ambitions. Then a celebratory night out ends in a sexual assault, and Maggie finds herself navigating an unexpected trauma. After an attempt to promote her new consulting career during a TV interview goes awry, she finds herself the focus of cable-news reports. Debut novelist Schorr deftly juggles multiple plotlines while anchoring the work in a fictional country known as the Kingdom, led by an ambitious crown prince who claims to be a progressive reformer. An acclaimed American journalist is murdered in the country, with all indications pointing to the prince's involvement. The thinly veiled portrait of the real-life murder of Jamal Khashoggi may turn off some readers, but Schorr works hard to provide realistic stakes, and his depictions of social media and the cable news cycle add strong verisimilitude. The plot hinges on a controversial $20 million poker tournament that the crown prince is hosting in the hope of establishing international goodwill. The main character of the poker-related sections is former World Series of Poker champion Kyler Dawson, who, in spite of his success at the poker table, is mired in debt and divorce; in the tournament, he's at odds with player Priya Varma, a courageous, beloved activist. Eventually, Kyler seeks out Maggie, seeing her as the only person with the skill to protect his reputation. Meanwhile, Maggie continues to handle the fallout of her assault. Much of the narrative centers on Kyler's poker exploits, including lengthy flashbacks that will seem overlong for those not well versed in the game. Also, Kyler's self-destructive tendencies aren't contrasted with a deeper interiority; even when readers may wish to root for him, Kyler falls into self-pity. Nevertheless, the high stakes of a potential standoff between the United States and the Kingdom provide electrifying energy as the novel reaches its climax. A well-paced and timely novel.
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October 1, 2021
DEBUT In the first political thriller by Schorr (a former New York City sex crimes prosecutor), an American journalist investigating government brutality in a fictional nation (the Kingdom) has just been murdered. Meanwhile, Maggie Raster has recently resigned from the White House to start her own political consulting firm, but she can't shake the trauma from a sexual assault by her ex-boss. Kyler Dawson is a poker player in desperate need of a win after recently losing millions. He has the opportunity to play in a $20 million jackpot tournament in the Kingdom. Because of the recent murder, Americans are boycotting the tournament and demanding that the U.S. government ban people from traveling to the Kingdom, so Kyler hires Maggie to help prevent the travel ban. This is a high-stakes political story that encompasses the lives of different people by bringing them all to a head amid diplomatic struggles between the United States and another country, which is believed to possess nuclear weapons. VERDICT This is a great purchase for all collections as it tackles some relevant political issues, the Me Too movement, and the growing incredibility of popular social platforms.
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