The Race

Patterson captures the good, the bad, and the ugly of the American political process. Senator Corey Grace, decorated hero from the first Gulf War, campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination in a vivid look at contemporary politics. Michael Boatman's seamless delivery is crisp and clear. His straightforward approach allows listeners to feel the full force of ruthless politics with painful clarity. The beauty of Boatman's narration may well be his resistance to overplaying the story's drama as Grace takes on the most incendiary issues of our time--racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, and gay rights. Patterson and Boatman prove to be a pair of gifted storytellers. T.J.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

August 27, 2007
Leaving courtroom thrills behind, Patterson crafts an absorbing and suspenseful account of a dirty run for the Republican presidential nomination. Sen. Corey Grace, a Republican from Ohio, became a public hero during the Gulf War after surviving the crash of his jet and enduring months of captivity and torture. Thirteen years later, he's 43 and one of a national magazine's 50 “sexiest men alive.” Corey has a real shot at winning his party's nomination—if, as his advisers constantly remind him, he can just rein in his impulsiveness, his party-line crossing votes and his habit of telling the truth. When Corey falls for sexy African-American actress Lexie Hart, who comes to Washington to lobby for stem cell research, Corey's advisers wring their hands. But they soon have more pressing matters to deal with: among the other candidates in the Republican field are evangelist Rev. Bob Christy and Sen. Rob Marotta of Pennsylvania—a man under the de facto control of Machiavellian campaign director Magnus Price, “The Darth Vader of American politics.” The perfidy and mendacity that follow mesmerize as much as they ring true.

November 26, 2007
Sen. Corey Grace is the most charismatic and compassionate conservative Republican to ever run for president. He believes in women's choice, gay rights, gun control and stem cell research. Ordinarily, these would be suicidal platform points, but the other two candidates—a bombastic but honorable hard-line evangelist and a loutish Senate majority leader who is backed by a Machiavellian media giant—stand a good chance of splitting the far right vote. Patterson is best-known for his thrillers, but The Race
is long on lore and shy on suspense. It's also filled with all-too-familiar political events and characters that are almost parodies of people living or dead. Grace has several well-written speeches that Michael Boatman delivers with the wise and wry voice of reason. Boatman also captures the dramatic baritone of the evangelist; the smarmy and nasal senator; and the evil media baron who sounds a bit Australian. Boatman does a fair job of imitating the voices of real-life characters but saves his best mimicry for a rancorous radio pundit whom Patterson has given a fictional name. Simultaneous release with the Holt hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 27).

Starred review from March 1, 2008
Patterson has produced a thoughtful and provocative look at American politics in this novel, and it is even more timely because of the 2008 Presidential election. He focuses on one element of contemporary politics that has many people concerned: the growing influence of evangelical Christians in the political process. It's not so much a question of whether God should be a part of a politician's life but whether one person's personal definition of "God" is more important than someone else's. Corey Grace, the moderate, charismatic, moral center of this story, is running for President on the Republican ticket. His opponents include an evangelist who bases every decision on biblical teachings and who accuses anyone who is not a born-again Christian of being unpatriotic and satanically motivated. Corey doesn't help the matter much by carrying on a clandestine affair with a liberal African American actress, but as the election nears, the attacks against him become more personal and more destructive. Actor Michael Boatman (Spin City; CSI: Miami) is an excellent reader who infuses the narrative with the power it deserves. Listeners will relish the often disturbing look at modern American politics that Patterson skillfully delivers. Highly recommended. [Macmillan Audio also has versions of The Race available: 6 CDs. abridged. 7 hrs. 2007. ISBN Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA

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