Empire of Lies by Andrew Klavan (2008)
If you frequent Big Hollywood or Pajamas TV, you may recognize the name Andrew Klavan from his video series "Klavan on the Culture." I have been impressed by his no-nonsense approach to political issues and culture for a couple years or more myself, but had never had the opportunity to delve into his main career, author, until recently. Klavan has been a published author for at least a couple decades, with a couple of his novels turned into major motion pictures: True Crime, starring Clint Eastwood, and Don't Say A Word, starring Michael Douglas.
Empire of Lies is the story of a man haunted by his past--the life he used to live in New York and Long Island long after he has moved to middle America and become a good family man and upstanding pillar of the community. When he has to visit Long Island to sell his mother's old house, his past catches up to him: he is contacted by an old girlfriend, he discovers a girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the whole thing is wrapped up in what may be a terrorist plot on New York City...or may be just a huge misunderstanding or lie told by those close to him.
The book deals with issues of political correctness and media perceptions in a way that I have not previously seen before. The protagonist is taken down a dark road to discover the truth before it's too late and the ride is spellbinding. Empire of Lies is a well-written novel that kept me turning pages long into the night after I should have gone to sleep. I took a chance on Klavan's fiction in the bargain bin at a local bookstore, but I have no objection now to paying full-price for his books. It's always fun to discover a new author for your library...even when he's not really a new author.
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