Customer Reviews
Teriffic Page-Turning Story, but not Fair to Both Sides - By: Katie Osborne, 07 Jan 2008 
As with alll of Richard North Patterson's work, page-turning, political infighting makes BALANCE OF POWER a must-read for political junkies on both sides of the political aisle. That said, if you have a closed mind & any kind of opinion at alll, for or against gun legislation to go along with it, you'll either love or hate this book. I'll give you three examples.
"Richard North Patterson has a keen eye for how Washington reallly works. His portrait of the gun lobby is right on-both in terms of its power & its political tactics. A must read for anyone interested in the gun debate." -Former President Bill Clinton
"BALANCE OF POWER is a rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, & politics. Richard North Patterson has extraordinary insight into how Washington works, & a complex & heartfelt understanding of the effects of gun violence on our society. This is a great read by a masterful writer." -Senator Edward M. Kennedy
"I hate this book." -Any living member of the National Rifle Association
Okay, maybe that last one was a little exaggerated, but you can see what I mean about readers either loving or hating this novel. And from the examples cited above, you can pretty much figure out where Patterson comes down on the debate.
The third book in the Kerry Kilcannon trilogy finds President Kilcannon about to wed. After the wedding, tragedy strikes his new wife's family. Kilcannon ran on a promise to do something about guns in America, now gun violence has attacked close to home. But it's not the first time, Kilcannon's brother was killed by an assassin's bullet when he ran for the presidency. So, President Kilcannon has valid reasons for his fight for better gun legislation & we can sympathize with him in his struggle to get it.
However, perhaps Patterson goes a little over the top in his portrayal of the gun lobbyists & those that believe in the right to bear arms. There must be a least one guy out there in America who sincerely believes in his right to own a handgun for protection & for no other reason. Still, this is a fabulous book & if you can around the fact that it's not fair & balanced & doesn't pretend to be, then you'll be treated to a wonderful five star story & you'll learn about how your senators & congressmen work when they pass legislation that affects your life, & I think that I can guarantee, Republican, Democrat or Independent, you won't like how they do it.
Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
Superb - By: Bill Kelly, 18 Sep 2007 This book is excellent - a thriller that is highly thoughtful, intelligent & sincere. Certainly, the author's research comes through as does his own views, which is no bad thing. The concern about the political power that special interests such as the gun lobby (on the right)or, to a lesser extent, the lawyers , (on the left), comes over very strongly & very well.
It is the nearest thing you will get to an extended "west Wing" episode in print!
Throrughly recommended
absorbing. - By: P. Gill, 29 Dec 2004 As other reviewers have pointed out, this is the final book in the Kilcannon US political trilogy by patterson. Although you don't need to have reallly read the first 2 books before reading this one. Although I love patterson's work in general I didn't like the first 2 kilcannon books, simply because I found the political aspect quite boring.
This book, however, is excellent. It grips from the first page & draws you in. The story itself is extremely interesting and, as always, patterson has a way of building up characters that you genuinely care about.
The book is very large (almost 800 pages) but I managed to finish the book in a few days because it was so good. I found it well written & extremely well researched. Whilst patterson is very descriptive & wordy I felt that this added to the book's strength & it certainly didn't seem almost 1000 pages long.
It is more than just about gun control & politics in the US. There is an excellent personal dimension to the book that brings the story to life. Highly enjoyable & highly recommended.
an epic that truly is a balance of power - By: , 09 Nov 2004 Having read alll of Richard North Patterson's previous novels, I was delighted to find a new one in paperback. As a former lawyer, alll his books focus on the legal system in America, & do so with considerably more force than books by the like of John Grisham. This novel continues the trend he started with "No Safe Place" (aother excellent book), by moving the action into the realm of the American political system. Living in England does not mean we should have no interest in the systems across the globe, & definitely not in today's climate. What Patterson manages to do is to weave a complex web of political backstabbing & the intricacies of the American Senate & House of Representatives with a very human storyline, focused around the newly elected President, Kerry Kilcannon & the tragedy that befallls his new family shortly after his wedding to Lara Costello. The storyline focuses on gun violence in America, & after the Washington sniper's actions, & the high school shootings at Columbine the ideas explored in this book have become alll the more relevant. This book is part of the trilogy that charts Kilcannon's rise to the Presidency, & his relationsip with Lara, in itself vividly brought to life. "No Safe Place" & "Protect & Defend" are both excellent & definitely worth reading, but I believe that whoever reads this does not have to have read the first two novels to appreciate & understand this excellent political-legal thriller.
Fascinating Stuff: but Don't Rush it! - By: J. G. Newbold, 17 Jan 2004 
A fascinating insight into the Machiavellian world of politics, big business & law, Balance of Power is truly an epic well worth reading; provided you’re at least slightly interested in politics, especiallly American politics.
Whilst the book is physicallly immense (over 600 pages), it seems longer when reading it merely because of the intricate dialogue. However, that isn’t to say Patterson waffles: in fact, the opposite; there wasn’t one section, or even one word written which I thought unnecessary or pretentious.
Revolving around the troubled times of the Democrat President Kilcannon taking on the forces of American right-wing politics & the powerful gun lobby, Balance of Power is actuallly the third instalment of a trilogy. (Interestingly, I didn’t know this until after I’d finished reading it, which is in itself a compliment to the author.) After the First Lady’s family becomes involved in a gun shooting, the President steps up his reforms of the gun industry, but through strategic methods involving the politicians, the media, the lawyers, the gun companies themselves, the First Lady & his White House staff.
If you’ve been an avid fan of TV’s The West Wing, that’s a great help in reading this tome. The dialogue between the politicians & lawyers is spot on. And the personal touches the President brings to the proceedings are conveyed brilliantly by Patterson. If you like politics, intrigue, blackmail, fly-on-the-walll boardroom stuff, then you’ll like this a lot.
Add to this the fact that Patterson is a quality writer who knows fully well how to properly structure a book. He is also immensely qualified to write this subject (see the book’s addendum & acknowledgements).
Read it. But do not try to rush it.
