Saint's Rest

Rating:
Summary: Not up to par
Review: I have read several of Gifford's books and this is the first one that I didn't enjoy. I am being kind by giving 2 stars. The plot was completely unbelievable. Gifford's other books Wind Chill, Assassini, Praetorian, have some feeling of historical context. Not one of the characters is this book was convincing. Marines in uniform at a political convention! Come on. In the forward the author talks about doing research at the White House. Ok, he may have accurately described the oval office. I really was looking forward to reading this book because of the others that I have read and was disappointed. I had just enough interest in it to finish it. Don't waste your time if you were going to read it based on his previous work.

Gifford needs to stick with Nazis not Washington Pseudo-Thrillers

Rating:
Summary: A grat book that gets better with multiple readings
Review: Thomas Gifford's Saints Rest is a perfect example of how, sometimes, you've got to read a book more than once to understand it. When I first read the book, I have to say that I more or less agreed with the reviewer from Florissant, MO who didn't believe the characters or the story. But when I read it a second time, I found that Saints Rest was a brilliant study of American politics, and the lengths people will go to in order to gain, keep, or reclaim power.

Truth be told, there are some glitches of fact in the story. Though Gifford has clearly done a lot of research about the presidency and campaigns, he doesn't seem to have given a great deal of attention to certain other details, like the military. Also, I felt that he could have gone into greater detail about the Heartland Corporation's satellites, especially Earth Shaker.

But Gifford's strengths are also on display as well. The central characters -- Ben Driskill, Bob Hazlitt, General Taylor and President Charles Bonner -- are never less than completely believable. The conspiracy plot is plausible, if you accept both the immense power and resources of the conspirators and the fact that this novel is clearly set in the near future. And Gifford creates a magically real atmosphere; I felt as though I could have just as easily been watching these events on CNN or MSNBC, or reading about them in my local paper.

In summary, Saints Rest is a magnificent epic of power, politics, ambition and corruption, one that I highly recommend. Read it again -- it holds up even better every time.

Rating:
Summary: Dancing thru Washington politics
Review: While the author dances his way and guides the reader through the maze of national politics, he does have a bit of trouble with the music...or at least recognizing the musician. The musician, Mr. Gifford, is Johnny Mercer ... not Jimmy. People in Savannah are proud of their 'native son'. Rightly so. The book itself is a good companion to have on a lazy wet day. It's one to spend a few hours with while curled up in a favorite chair or under a shady elm in the late afternoon. A word of warning though. Do not take this book to bed with you. You may have trouble putting it down and getting some sleep. Your boss won't appreciate you napping at your desk the next day. If you must read this at bedtime, make sure you don't have to get up early the next morning. You might not make it.