Book Review - Jericho's Fall by Stephen L. Carter

Synopsis:  In an imposing house in the Colorado Rockies, Jericho Ainsley, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency and a Wall Street titan, lies dying. He summons to his beside Beck DeForde, the younger woman for whom he threw away his career years ago, miring them both in scandal. Beck believes she is visiting to say farewell. Instead, she is drawn into a battle over an explosive secret that foreign governments and powerful corporations alike want to wrest from Jericho before he dies.

First Line:  "On the Sunday before the terror began, Rebecca DeForde pointed the rental car into the sullen darkness of her distant past."

Random Quote:  "He gave her a long look, and, for a moment, she wondered whether he had penetrated her lie, if perhaps the experienced investigator realized that she was only guessing that the folder held Jericho's authobiography.  Then it occurred to her that she would never know."

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Review:  I really like Stephen Carter's other novels which manage to be both interesting thrillers and intelligent observation of politics and of the African American upper classes.  Carter is smart and writes well and I look forward to his books even though I don't always agree with his politics.

This one, however, was utterly disappointing.  I suspect that Carter wanted to write something fast and easy and this book is certainly that - and that's the problem.  There are many many thrillers out there and many many people writing them.  This one doesn't distinguish itself from any of the others out there and, in fact, isn't really quite as good as many of them.  It feels contrived and reads like that novel you bought at the airport to read on the plane.  There's nothing inherently wrong with that kind of novel, but Carter can do a whole lot more so this just flat out disappoints.

Reading Challenges:  Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010, 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 A to Z Reading Challenge, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge