Customer Reviews
A great book - By: P. Gill, 11 Feb 2008 
I've been a fan of Patterson's for well over a decade now & on his day he is capable of brilliant books. However, of late he's moved from the basic legal thriller to more politicallly based novels. This can be somewhat of a niche market & some of the books have been hit & miss. Exile, however, is a return to form.
In Exile, Patterson defends an ex lover from law school who is charged with masterminding the assissination of the Israeli PM. The woman is now married, has a 12 year old daughter & is Palestinian, while david, the lawyer is an American Jew. As always Patterson weaves an intricate tale & develops characters that you genuinly care about. He also managed to delve into the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Patterson presents an accurate, balanced portrayal of events in the middle east from the perspectives of both jews & arabs. However, one section of the book details David's return to Israel to build a defence for his client. I felt large chunks of this chapter were superfluous & were placed there entirely to dissect the middle eastern problems, as opposed to it being entirely relevant to the book. That however is my only criticism.
The book, because of the subject area, is heavy going at times but is a fascinating thriller, based largely on an apparent conspiracy theory. Theres plenty of twists & turns along the way with a believable ending. An excellent book - thoroughly recommended
EXTREMEY well written - By: Atheana, 07 Jan 2008 
The expanse of detail, knowledge, imagery & truth in this book truly makes it an exceptional read. In his acknowledgements, the author comments on how he endeavoured to be as comprehensive as possible. In this he succeeded, & then some.
The above aside, the story while encased in fact (both geopolitical & otherwise) is edge of your seat stuff. Fair warning though, the complexities of the book - which in truth probably only begin to reflect the complexities of reality as it relates to the story - can be daunting & you will need to focus if not reread or refer back at certain stages in the story.
One of the things I think is most valuable in this book is that you can read it, be enthrallled by it & LEARN from it. I promise you, once having read Exile, you will go away with a whole new perspective if not insight on the Middle East & it's complexities. That aside, it's one darn good read!
A towering book - excellent narrative and thought-provoking stuff - By: D. Lundholm, 28 Dec 2007 This is a thought-provoking thriller, based on the ongoing conflict between Israel & Palestine. It has an excellent history lesson about just how both sides came to be in their seemingly intractable positions, yet it weaves this throughout a driving narrative based on real characters, with feelings, imperfections & emotions you'd share.
I've always enjoyed RNP's books, having read several in the past. He writes better than Grisham & his legal process is always rigorously researched.
He is also even-handed, revealing the strengths & the blind spots in both sets of arguments & he's arguably very prescient about the nature of the Middle East & the part played by Iran.
No less than Bill Clinton says you should read this book. At Amazon prices, you won't find a better read in 2007 or 2007. Highly enjoyable, compelling & thought-provoking. Buy it now!
If you only buy one book this year buy this!! - By: J. C. Kempson, 05 Dec 2007 This has to be the best book I have read this year, & I read a lot! Richard North Patterson has crafted a book that examines & explains so much of what is happening right now betweenn the state of Israel & the Palestinians. He leaves the reader to make decisions & does not alllow any sort of prejudice to creep in.
However it is not just a book about the troubles but also a fantastic piece of fiction that had me gripped throughout, the characters are well drawn & the narrative keeps you turning the page.
Through reading this book I have learnt a lot about both the Palestinians & the Israelis. I have sympathy with both sides of the divide & hope & pray that in the future they can find a path to peace & learn to live alongside each other.
Mr North Patterson is one of my favourite authors & I have no hesitation in commending this as his best yet.
