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Summary
Summary
From the bestselling author of "Capitol Offense" comes his most thrilling and explosive novel to date. Ben Kincaid is back in Washington with a temporary appointment. While he's in a meeting in the Oval Office, a national emergency erupts.
Author Notes
William Bernhardt is the author of many books, including Primary Justice, Double Jeopardy, Silent Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, and Death Row. He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction, and in 2000 he was presented the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large."
A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service.
He lives in Tulsa with his children, Harry, Alice, and Ralph. (Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ben Kincaid has lost his bid to be elected to the U.S. Senate in Bernhardt's less than credible 18th thriller to feature the honorable Oklahoma lawyer (after Capitol Offense). Ben's wife, Christina McCall, also a practicing attorney, has moved the family law firm to Washington, D.C., and is in charge of operations, while Ben works on legal issues for the newly elected U.S. president, Roland Kyler. Ben is at the White House with the president, the vice president, and other cabinet members when they learn that the nation is under missile attack. Ben and the others rush to an underground shelter deep beneath the White House, where the vice president makes a bid to replace Kyler, who's been acting bizarrely. This results in a trial of sorts, with Ben defending the president. A side plot starring Seamus McKay, a CIA agent in the James Bond mold, takes place topside while the trial grinds on below. At times the action borders on the silly, though series fans are unlikely to mind. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Sometimes you have to know when to stop or at least when to take a long break. The Ben Kincaid series, closing on its twentieth anniversary and slowly running out of oomph for six or seven books now, has finally hit empty. It's as if Bernhardt no longer knows what to do with his character, or he's simply bored with him. In his latest outing, the Oklahoma defense attorney turned (briefly) senator is now appointed to the White House Special Counsel office. During a high-level meeting in the Oval Office, a national emergency sends everyone scrambling into a bunker beneath the White House, where Ben soon finds himself defending his friend, the president, against an aggressive and manipulative vice president. At stake: the leadership of the free world. This is a wildly implausible book you can feel Bernhardt manhandling characters and events to suit the needs of his story. Bernhardt can still be a talented and compelling storyteller see 2009's excellent Elliot Ness novel, Nemesis, for example but you won't find much evidence of that here. This installment of the Kincaid series is definitely for completists only.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Excerpts
Excerpts
Chapter One April 14 7:17 a.m. (Two hours before) Ben Kincaid stood rigid and still as his wife, Christina McCall, adjusted his tie, smoothed the lie of his shirt, and ran a lint brush over the shoulders of his navy blue suit coat. "There," she said, taking a step back to survey the view. "Now you look like someone who's ready to advise the leader of the free world." "That's a relief." "Remember to smile and say something nice about his wife. And don't remind him about--" She stopped in midsentence. "Wait just a minute." She hiked up the leg of his blue slacks. "Are you seriously wearing red socks?" Ben's eyes moved downward. "They're my lucky socks." "No." "But I need all the luck--" "No." She pointed toward the clothes closet. "Change." Ben obeyed without further protest. Of course, he always made a great show of being put out when Christina made these sartorial demands, but in truth, he didn't mind a bit. Given that he had no sense of fashion and was partially color-blind, he needed all the help he could get and was capable of accepting it without feeling his manhood was threatened. For years his mother had picked out and paired up all his clothes. Now she had passed the torch to his wife. All this meant, he reminded himself as he changed into a pair of blue socks, was that he was a very fortunate man. The irony was that, once upon a time, Christina had been known for her dubious fashion sense, for dressing more like a member of the Sex Pistols than a practicing attorney. All that had changed last year when Ben made his run for a Senate seat. In addition to the five thousand other consultants they'd consulted, they'd hired a fashion consultant to tell them how to dress for formal functions, casual events, and television appearances. For Christina, it was a road-to-Damascus experience. Now she had the reputation of being one of the sharpest dressers in Washington. Ben had been asked more than once if she had acquired a fashion degree at some point in her past. With her gorgeous red hair styled in a fetching shoulder-length coif, Ben found her absolutely stunning. Not that he was prejudiced or anything. "That's more like it," she said when he reemerged. "And just for the record, you're not wearing those Superman boxer shorts, are you?" "I'm not planning to strip at the White House." "Yes, and nothing unplanned ever happens to you, does it?" "Good point. No, I'm clean." "Thank you." She smiled, and the smile made his spirits soar. Such a beautiful woman. Her face seemed to absolutely glow. Was it all his imagination? She even seemed taller these days. Although he supposed that could have something to do with the heels. "Anything else you need, mon cher amour?" "No. I'd better go. Traffic is terrible this time of day. And it still takes half an hour to get cleared to enter the White House." "Still?" "Yup." Ben had been working for almost two months now as a member of the president's legal team. Robert Griswold was the official special counsel to the president, but he had a staff of four lawyers. After his Senate defeat Ben had been appointed to fill a temporary vacancy on that staff. Despite the loss--not exactly unusual for a Democrat in Oklahoma--Ben's rankings in popularity polls remained high nationwide as a result of his work during his brief time in the Senate, particularly his work on the controversial Emergency Council bill, which garnered nationwide daily coverage. His oration on the floor of the Senate was widely Excerpted from Capitol Betrayal: A Novel by William Bernhardt All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.