The Race by Richard North Patterson (2007, Hardcover)

Richard North Patterson is adept at giving us a look inside various governmental, legal, and social issues. This time he's dealing with presidential politics, specifically a Republican primary race, a deadlocked convention, and a few honest politicians pitted against those who will stop at nothing to win. Some of the good guys are tragically flawed, but the bad guys are evil through and through. The Race deals with many hot-button issues, including right to life, abortion, the Middle East, terrorism, stem cell research, racial bias, the religous right, and gay rights. All these impact the close and often bitterly fought race for the presidential nomination, intertwining various personal histories with a compelling love story. There is plenty of drama to keep you turning the pages, and several plot twists that surprise the reader and complicate the story. This is Patterson at his best, which just seems to get better and better!

I like this author. The book did not disappoint. I recommend it for fans of this author. Very peritnent to these times.