Can an honest man become president? In this timely and provocative novel, a maverick candidate takes on his political enemies and the ruthless machinery of American politics Corey Grace -- a handsome and charismatic Republican senator from Ohio -- is plunged by an act of terrorism into a fierce presidential primary battle with the favorite of the party establishment and a magnetic leader of the Christian right. A decorated Gulf War Air Force pilot known for speaking his mind, Grace's reputation for voting his own conscience rather than the party line -- together with his growing romance with Lexie Hart, an African-American movie star - has earned him a reputation as a maverick and an iconoclast. But Grace is still haunted by a tragic mistake buried deep in his past, and now his integrity will be put to the test in this most brutal of political contests, in which nothing in his past or present life is off-limits. Depicting contemporary power politics at its most ruthless, The Race takes on the most incendiary issues in American culture: racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, gay rights, and the rise of media monopolies with their own agenda and lust for power. As the pressure of the campaign intensifies, Grace encounters betrayal, excruciating moral choices, and secrets that can destroy lives. Ultimately, the race leads to a deadlocked party convention where Grace must resolve the conflict between his romance with Lexie and his presidential ambitions -- and decide just who and what he is willing to sacrifice.

Customer Rating:
Summary: An author on the wane
Comment: One of the sadder things in sports is watching a once-great athlete clinging to his career, the glory days long since past. In writing, Richard North Patterson is not quite there yet - and unlike athletes, there's always a better chance at a comeback - but The Race is the latest in a run of several books that shows he's not the novelist he once was.

The Race focuses on the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Senator Corey Grace is a young star in the party, rising to the Senate after being a P.O.W. during the First Gulf War. He is a man of ideals that put him at odds with the party: pro-choice, pro-stem cell research and with assorted other "liberal" views. What's worse, in a party that often capitalizes on racism, he is dating a black actress (adding a second meaning to the title).

Running against Grace is the Senate Majority Leader, Rob Marotta who feels entitled to the nomination due to his service and Fundamentalist Christian televangelist Bob Christy. Marotta actually owes Grace his life, but that won't stop him from any sleazy attempt to get the office. Christy, on the other hand, has views are distinctively extreme, but also has an integrity that will form an unusual bond with Grace.

Despite the standard disclaimer that this is a work of fiction, you can tell that certain characters are stand-ins for real life figures. For example, the unctuous Magnus Price has a rather obvious resemblance to Karl Rove and media magnate Alex Rohr is a thinly veiled Rupert Murdoch.

The big flaw with The Race is common to Patterson's other recent novels: he is more interested in political discussion than in a story. And while I may agree with a lot of Patterson's apparent politics, they should supplement the story, not override it. And despite Grace's nominal party affiliation, he is really closer to a Democrat than a Republican, though a race for the Democratic nomination wouldn't give Patterson a chance to tear into the far right.

In certain ways, Patterson is prescient, with parallels occurring to our real 2008 Presidential race. And even if Patterson is losing his sense of storytelling, he is still a decent writer. A lot of opinion about the book will probably be dictated by the political leanings of the reader, but if you can overlook the slant, you'll find that this book is just average, at best, and another disappointment for those who remember when Patterson wrote good books.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Very interesting and timely
Comment: En route to a summer beach vacation, I was jonesing for some more Richard North Patterson, and was thrilled to find a new paperback release just in time for my trip. Even more exciting - on the verge of the political conventions, this book paralleled much of what has been going on in the news lately with the presidential campaigns, so it was a very entertaining way to see the news from a different angle.

The Race is certainly a page turner, and written in that informative, entertaining (infotaining?), political Patterson style. It may have been a bit rushed in order to be released in time for the 2008 campaigns - the characters didn't seem as well-developed as my favorite Patterson politicos such as Kerry Kilcannon and Christopher Paget, but the storyline and intrigue didn't disappoint.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: This Political Story is Better than Real Life
Comment: Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R26WR9OCPQSHLZ Sick of politics? Actually, this book is a good story that is more exciting than real life. What is so good about it and who would enjoy it? See my video book review! Frank Derfler author of "A Glint in Time" www.GreatGuyBooks.com

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Customer Rating:
Summary: More inside information than story
Comment: Richard North Patterson's latest political novel The Race may not be set in the same world as his other political thrillers (there are no Kilcannons here), but it doesn't take long for readers to experience a sense of deja-vu. For starters, the main character, Senator Corey Grace is a younger version of Patterson's earlier character Senator Chad Palmer. Imagine John McCain's war record with Barack Obama's ideals but without either politician's sense of pragmatism. This incorruptible Presidential candidate navigates his way through a nasty primary campaign complete with thinly veiled surrogates for Karl Rove, Colin Powell, Rupert Murdoch, Matt Drudge, Jim McGreevy, Sean Hannity and Halle Berry.

Most of The Race focuses on the ins and outs of the campaign trail and nominating convention, though there is a special emphasis on gay marriage, which apparently is Patterson's latest interest. Honestly, after the 2008 Democratic primary season, even Patterson's most dramatic campaign scenarios are no match for actual events. The controversial romance between the charismatic white senator and the popular black actress seems a bit contrived, as do the random acts of terrorism that somehow propel Grace into the national spotlight at just the right moment. Last but not least, while I'm glad to see Patterson can still deliver a surprise ending, the one in The Race was so unbelievable it felt cheap.

I hate to say it, but I miss the days when Richard North Patterson wrote stories, not these colorful term papers on whatever subject he feels we need enlightenment. Ever since Protect and Defend, storytelling has taken a back seat to special interest advocacy, and while his books are always well written, they no longer have the charm and appeal of his earlier works.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: An Escapist Fantasy for Political Junkies
Comment: Ah, summer! The traditional season for road trips. For me, that also makes summer the season of books on tape.

Or in this case, books on CD.

Choosing books to listen to (as opposed to read) is a tricky proposition, especially if you're going to be listening to it while covering endless miles of blacktop. Road books are meant to be diversionary. Rather than making a reader think or feel, they are simply to keep a reader entertained. For that, Richard North Patterson's The Race works.

Heavy on deus ex machina and unremarkable in its plot, Patterson manages to hold an audience with a quick pace and (for Democrats) a thoroughly satisfying tarring of current Republican politics. One does not need a doctorate in Literary Criticism to figure out which real life person for which the fictional characters are meant to be stand-ins - and none of them come out looking good.

Politics aside, this is standard 'beach' fare. Engaging while mindless, exciting but instantly forgotten, and easily read (or listened to) within the course of a vacation. In fact, the seven CDs of the audio book undoubtedly took longer to get through than the paper and glue version would have.

The ending was lame, certain descriptions and turns of phrase appear regularly, the characters are flat, and the movie is certainly in the offing, but for what it's meant to be, The Race will leave the reader satisfied.

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