Deep State
A Thriller
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4.0 • 772 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
THE INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
“One of the more surprising double-reverse plot twists...in some time.” —The New York Times
In this “propulsive, page-turning, compelling, fragmentation grenade of a debut thriller” (C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author), a deadly plot against the president’s life emerges from the shadows of the Deep State.
Recently elected President Richard Monroe—populist, controversial, and divisive—is at the center of an increasingly polarized Washington, DC. Never has the partisan drama been so tense or the paranoia so rampant. In the midst of contentious political turf wars, the White House chief of staff is found dead in his house and West Wing intern and ex-Army grunt Hayley Chill is positive that it’s not from natural causes.
Determined to find the truth, Hayley uncovers shocking evidence that a wide-ranging conspiracy is running beneath the surface of DC in an effort to undermine the rule of law—and democracy itself. Soon, Hayley is in a race against time to reveal the truth and save the life of the next victim: the president.
“Deep State rings eerily true [and] will keep you turning pages well into the night” (Jack Carr, former Navy SEAL and author of The Terminal List).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Action movie screenwriter Chris Hauty makes a smashing debut with this fast-paced political thriller. Hayley Chill is a combat veteran and a champion welterweight boxer, so taking a job as a White House intern seems like a walk in the park. But when the chief of staff dies unexpectedly, Hayley discovers a conspiracy against the president that involves DC’s most powerful insiders. Deep State is a sharply observed, white-knuckle joyride with its feet firmly planted in reality, but it doesn’t come down on one side of the aisle or the other. Hauty never stops shuffling the deck of good guys and bad guys—and his heroine is a true badass who seems destined for an action-packed future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Screenwriter Hauty makes his debut with an engrossing, if flawed, political thriller. Army veteran Hayley Chill, an intern for Peter Hall, the White House chief of staff, is in the right place at the right time one winter evening to help Secret Service agent Scott Billings take down two intruders headed for the White House. After drinks at a D.C. bar, the two spend the night at Scott's place in suburban Virginia. In the morning, Hayley goes to Hall's Washington home, where she finds him dead, apparently of natural causes. A boot print in the melting snow outside the house suggests foul play to Hayley, who eventually uncovers a conspiracy to assassinate the U.S. president, populist Richard Monroe. A refreshing change from the typical male action hero, Hayley is a capable, kick-ass, and sharp woman from unassuming roots. Unfortunately, the sudden climactic revelation, which would have worked on the screen, will have readers skimming back to see if the moment has been foreshadowed and earned (it hasn't). Hauty shows enough talent to suggest he can do better next time.
Customer Reviews
Suspenseful
Kept me guessing.
All the Elements are There
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.
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.
Recommend reading this book
Fast paced and unpredictable.