How far will a
candidate go to become president? Erica Sparks—America’s top-rated cable-news
host—is about to find out.
Mike Ortiz is a
dynamic war hero favored to win the White House. Standing by his side is his
glamorous and adoring wife, Celeste. But something about this seemingly perfect
couple troubles Erica. Is Celeste really who she seems? And most importantly,
what really happened in that squalid Al-Qaeda prison where Mike Ortiz spent
nine months?
But more than the
nation’s future is at stake. Erica’s relentless search for the truth puts the
life of her preteen daughter Jenny in danger, even as Erica’s own dark past
threatens to overtake her.
In her latest
Newsmakers thriller, New York Times bestselling author and Fox
News legal analyst Lis Wiehl weaves a taut and chilling story. The
Candidate is packed with political intrigue and media manipulation as
the lust for power turns deadly indeed.
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| From Barnes and Nobles |
My Review:
I
have enjoyed Lis Wiehl's novels in the past. Her novels feature relatable
characters, an unique mystery that is usually somewhat related to what is going
on in the world today. With her newest release, The Candidate, Wiehl really jumps into the mind and playing field
of the presidential campaign. The
Candidate is a realistic view of what could go on behind the scences, but
with a character that I have come to empathize with.
The
writing is strong and concise. I had no problem following Erica, the heroine
and reporter, as she told the story. The subplot was told by Celeste, Mike
Ortiz's wife. Mike Ortiz is the presidential candidate the story reveals
around. While the tension involves Erica trying to figure out more about Ortiz's
background before he became a candidate, the story's tension is much deeper
than Erica or I truly imagine. The pace kept me engrossed in the story. I
really enjoyed how much research Wiehl put into the story by discovering and
making an Al-Qaeda prison come to life. It was a horrible setting to be held
hostage in for a couple of months. I cringed as I watched Erica travel through
the prison walls in Iraq.
As
for the characters, I really empathized with Erica. All she has ever wanted to
do was be a top-notch reporter, and it appears all her dreams are coming true,
but she also wants to be a great mother to her eleven-year-old daughter Jenny.
This struggle is real with every working parent in today's culture, so it was
easy to come alongside Erica and feel her pain. Wiehl does a good job at
delving into the worries and thoughts of Erica as she decides between hunting a
new lead or spending time with Jenny. On the other hand, Celeste, the second
viewpoint, is a multi-complicated character. She wants higher power and pushes
her husband, Mike to reach the pentacle of his career. I had a hard time liking her as a character
because she was too "perfect."
With
this novel published by Thomas Nelson, a leading Christian publishing company,
there really wasn't a lot of spiritual elements in the story, so fans of the
ABA market could enjoy this book just for the mystery. Fans of James Patterson
and J. B Robb might devour The Candidate.
A
word of caution . . . Wiehl does include a relationship between two women that
made me cringe and flip through a number of pages. The perspective of the
character had her lusting after the other woman with the other woman responding
to that lust. While ABA readers probably won't mind it, but since this book is
published by Thomas Nelson, Christian readers will probably turned away by this
element of the story. I wouldn't recommend passing this book off to young
mystery readers, only mature audiences.
The Candidate by Lis Wiehl
has a realistic heroine who struggles between motherhood and her career, a
mystery that is necessary for today, but there is a scene between two women
that really made me want to put the novel down.
I
received a complimentary copy of The
Candidate from Thomas Nelson publishing and the opinions stated are all my
own.
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Stars
Would you or have you put down a novel with a gay couple or foul language? I know I have.
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