Author: Chris Hauty
Book: Deep State
Published: January 2020
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Thriller
Source: Paperback
Rating
Synopsis:
Haley Chill has fought all her life. She left her impoverished, West Virginia childhood behind her to join the army and become a member of the infantry, where she excelled at boxing. She is used to fighting. Now the battlefield is different. Haley has become an intern at the White House. The other interns see her as an outsider without a college degree. However, the newly elected and controversial President Richard Monroe and his chief of staff take a liking to her.
When she discovers the chief of staff dead in his house, she finds a single clue that suggests he didn’t die of natural causes. So now, she is fighting not only for her life but for the country she swore to defend. But who can she trust?
Review:
Chris Hauty has put together the makings of an exciting political thriller. Set in Washington D. C., where the nation’s players seek to protect their power bases and will stop at nothing to guard their fiefdoms. Into this setting comes an intern who is ex-military with no college degree: the first strike against her. Her military training makes her an efficient aide to the chief of staff and the president: more reasons to dislike her. She is loyal to her country and not prepared to let the deep state ruin it. These are reasons enough to kill.
While all the elements are there, including some exciting twists, the execution is somewhat lacking. Information dumps diffuse the suspense and feelings of imminent peril. Haley Chill has all the making of a sympathetic protagonist, but her humanity seems shallow for some reason. The result is the book was not a fast passed thrill, and I never quite connected with her. However, it was still an interesting read.
Kurt's Frontier 