Saturday 26 September 2015

Book Review: Rory Harden: The Populist

The Populist




























Author:  rory harden


Title:  The Populist


Genre:  crime, thrillers and mystery, political, humour, thrillers, literature and fiction, humour and satire, satire



Synopsis: Who thinks he has an answer to the Greater Persian Question? Who’s going to save a nation on the brink? What’s going down in the Libyan desert? Why all the motorcycles? What’s the deal with the iguanas? And, most of all... Who is John Dolt?
A fortuitous encounter in the bathroom section. Menacing objects in the African sky. A secret and luxurious fortress in the Costa Rican jungle. A strike of all the really productive people. A private army on the streets. An honest man thrust into the seat of power.


Review:  Really good book and it was easy to get into and l highly recommended this book to anybody and I was sent this book for review and l would tell people that you should step outside your comfort zone with books because it's good to add more authors and genres to your reading portfolio even if you don't read books like this and it was a real enjoyable storyline.

About the author: I've always been interested in literature and politics. I studied English Literature at Oxford University at a very political time - the early years of the Thatcher era. Later on, living and working in the US for eight years (North Carolina, Boston, Wall Street), I acquired a lasting fascination with American politics. (And a wife, too.) My books are political thrillers with a comic or satirical edge. They take a sceptical look at what American and British political ideas mean for the world at large. The Regime Change Man' is slightly futuristic. It's about 'regime change' in an oil-rich African country. But is it really all about oil? Well, maybe not. The hero is a wealthy but ethically-challenged businessman, Alan Michael Vickery. He's self-made. He's fought his way up. He's made enemies. And now he wants to advance his interests by getting into politics.

A big mistake. You might not like him much when you first meet him. But, by the end, you may just have changed your opinion.
'The Populist' is a contemporary political thriller with rather more of a comic and satirical slant. It's about what happens when an ordinary everyman gets swept up into high politics, and gets a one-time-only chance to make his mark. The hero is John Dolt - and heroes don't get much more ordinary. Will he be able to resolve the Greater Persian Question? There are sinister forces out there that would like to. And not in the nicest way, either.Meanwhile, England is wracked by 'disturbances', and the Prime Minister is desperate. Can John Dolt bring peace in our time? And at what price? 'The Plutocrat' is also a political thriller, largely US-based, and set in the near future. There's also a satirical edge to this book, but it's darker. It's less overtly comic than the 'The Régime change Man' or 'The Populist'. It's about what happens when people give up on their familiar political leaders and parties, and put their faith in a third-party candidate for President. In this story, he's called Willard Prince and he runs an exclusive hedge fund. He's incredibly successful and stupendously rich. Financial insiders believe that he has an 'edge'. But do the voters really know what they'd be getting? Who could stop him? The homeless woman who joins his campaign? The slacker-girl who gets mixed up with the Robin Hood Party? The Australian whistle-blower guy, who's on the run? And what if - as many people seem to fear - China has 'surpassed' America already?
The books all make use of interesting locations around the world - sometimes exotic ones. They're mostly places I've actuall visited. The action may take place in Africa, or Central America, or Australia, as well as in London or New York. The books may occasionally make fun of the James Bond-style spy novel, but those exciting locations are one of the things I enjoy in Ian Fleming's books. Most of all, though, I hope these books deliver solid entertainment value. That was certainly my intention.




 Edition: kindle, paperback and hardback




Star rating:   5 out of 5 stars

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