The Next President

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable...
Review: ...how bad this book is. I've been a thriller lover most of my life, and am usually pretty forgiving of minor flaws as long as the story is good. Unfortunately, this book is one of those rare exceptions. The plot is very weak and extremely unbelievable and the characters are cardboard figures, uninteresting and poorly developed. The only reason I kept reading it was because of the mostly favorable reviews posted here and I figured the book HAD to get better. The only real mystery involved with The Next President is where was Joseph Flynn's editor and why was it published. The only thrill for me was when I finally came to the end. I know some of you reading this negative review will be skeptical of it since it is in the minority of reviews to date. However, I don't want to see you waste your time and money -- as I did.

Rating:
Summary: The Next President - Excellent Read
Review: Flynn does an excellent job of keeping this book fast, entertaining, and unexpected. His main weakness, however, is the lack of reality. He crosses the line to often by using stereotypical events, protagonists, and antagonists. Flynn makes up for it all with his creativity and fast-paced sequence of events. Over all I found this book to be well worth my time and investment.

Rating:
Summary: The Next President - Excellent Read
Review: Flynn does an excellent job of keeping this book fast, entertaining, and unexpected. His main weakness, however, is the lack of reality. He crosses the line to often by using stereotypical events, protagonists, and antagonists. Flynn makes up for it all with his creativity and fast-paced sequence of events. Over all I found this book to be well worth my time and investment.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!!! What Comes Next!
Review: I read this book in one day. It was very well written. Now I'll have to go back and read "Digger". I hope Mr Flynn writes another novel featuring J.D. Cade. The action was great, and the suspense was thick. I could not begin to guess who had set the whole premise in motion. The predicament Cade was placed in was incredible. I loved the interaction between father and son. The way Mr Flynn expressed the love of a father for his son was so touching. All the supporting characters were good. I recommend this book to all suspense readers.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I'm a big fan of political thrillers, but I found THE NEXT PRESIDENT lacking. A much more creative and thought-provoking presidential conspiracy is THE JINX, by Larry Kahn, a wonderful little surprise that I found browsing Amazon.com!

Rating:
Summary: Tightly wound suspense thriller!
Review: Joseph Flynn does it again with his latest effort, The Next President. As his previous novel Digger did before, this one kept me from getting a few good nights' sleep as I couldn't put it down. The internal struggle that J.D.Cade must endure, choosing between his own sons' safety, and the killing of a man who would be President, makes for a very quick read. With all the supporting characters, including ex-associates and current secret service agents, the twists and turns keep you guessing just who is behind the evil plot. J.D.'s romantic involvement with his targets' campaign chief takes romance to a whole new level. The book travels easily from the hectic pace of Los Angeles and a Presidential election, to the small southern Illinois and Missouri towns, where his son tries to work his own way out of a mess set up by J.D.'s tormentors. I look forward to the next novel from this talented writer whose books I can't put down.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but lack of reality
Review: Joseph Flynn, the author of DIGGER, delivers another winner with his newest book, THE NEXT PRESIDENT. This is the story of J.D. Cade, a former sniper and assassin for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After thirty years of trying to live a good life and raise a family, Cade's past has finally caught up with him. Certain members of the United States government want to use Cade's ability as a sniper to assassinate Senator F.D. Rawley, an African-American of integrity and determination who may very well become the first black president. To coerce Cade into committing murder, the life of his twenty-one-year old son, Evan, is threatened. The desire to protect his family is enough to propel Cade down a path he'd rather not take. His first attempt on Rawley's life comes close to succeeding, but an unexpected incident forces Cade to devise another plan that will bring him much nearer to the presidential candidate. He intends on infiltrating Rawley's presidential campaign by contributing a large sum of money, thereby getting his foot in the door with the possibility of personally meeting the candidate. What Cade doesn't anticipate is that he will grow to admire and respect F.D. Rawley, finding himself torn between wanting to protect his son and wanting to see this great man become the next president of the United States. While Cade attempts to figure out a way to save his family without assassinating the good Senator, his son, Evan, is back home in Illinois trying to stay alive long enough to find out why he is being framed for a murder he didn't commit...a murder that could once again start up a bloody feud between two families. When the moment finally arrives, will Cade be able to kill Senator Rawley, or will he be able to find a way out of his deadly dilemma and save the day? In THE NEXT PRESIDENT, Mr. Flynn has crafted a fascinating multi-layered novel that has several plots going at the same time and keeps the reader guessing right up to the end. The pace is fast and suspenseful, and there are a number of secondary characters that prove to be almost as interesting as the main ones. There's Daniel DeVito, the Secret Service agent who's instincts tell him that Cade is up to no good and is determined to be there when he makes a wrong move and Blair McCray, a police officer, who's father was murdered by J.D. Cade over thirty years before and now thinks that Evan may have killed his cousin. One theme that definitely stands out through the entire novel is the importance of family. When the people who are your blood are threatened, a person will do whatever it takes to protect them. This can lead to a fifty-year feud between two families, the assassination of a United States Senator, and a presidential candidate putting his own life on the line to save his grandson. THE NEXT PRESIDENT proves itself to be a worthy follow up to Joseph Flynn's second novel, DIGGER. This is an author who has the beginning of fabulous career ahead of him, and I certainly look forward to his next novel when it comes out. One last note, Mr. Flynn's first novel, THE CONCRET INQUISITION, is being reprinted this fall by Bantam Books. Be on the lookout for it!

Rating:
Summary: Plot Disaster
Review: The crazies come out of the woodwork when the first black presidential candidate makes a strong run for the White House. Nominated by his party, Franklin Delano Rawley is nearly scared out of the race by attempts to shut him down. There are several individuals and groups that want him out of the race, and quickly. The conspiracies run deep, and their motivations run deeper, as the eleventh hour approaches.

J. D. Cade, a successful businessman with a wild past, buys his way into the candidate's inner circle with a large donation. Cade, a former black ops sniper during the Vietnam war, becomes close to Rawley and his campaign staff. Maybe too close. The watch-full eyes of the Secret Service do not like new faces with mysterious backgrounds. A border-line agent makes it his mission in life to protect his charge by attempting to unravel the background and ulterior motives of newcomer J. D. Cade.

The reasons for changing the course of history are many. Some are altruist, but most are egotistical. Author Joseph Flynn writes about both, with some colorful variations. This is an extraordinary political thriller that is exciting but a little long winded at times. THE NEXT PRESIDENT is timely and entertaining, especially during an election year, which seems to be every year.

Rating:
Summary: political intrigue with dash,wit and danger
Review: This is Joseph Flynn's most fully developed work to date. The early promise shown in The Concrete Inquisition has been realized. The narrative advances without any wasted words, and the characters are believable, not stiff or laconic.

The political theme is timely, and the plot has enough surprises for the mystery junkie. I highly recommend this book, and will recommend it to my friends. It would make a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This is not the novel I would take on vacation. This thriller just didn't cut it with me. It was just too fake. J.D. Cade's ease at getting so close to the President and his campaign just seems so far fetched, as was DeVitos hatred and suspicions about him from their first meeting because he came off as a rich man but didn't have a manicure.

Mr. Flynn's previous novel 'Digger' was much better than this recent effort.

My recommendation is.....The library