Scan barcode
A review by lynguy1
Deep State by Chris Hauty
5.0
DEEP STATE by Chris Hauty is the best political thriller that I have read in a long time. It is hard to believe that it is Hauty’s debut novel. The story takes place mostly in Washington D.C., but starts out in Texas.
Our protagonist, Hayley Chill is an ex-Army boxing champion and has become a White House intern. The new President is Richard Monroe who is controversial and divisive making for a polarized political situation. When the White House Chief of Staff is found dead in his home by Hayley, she finds a clue that suggests he may have been murdered. With this scenario the author’s story line progresses at a rapid pace.
We get to know Hayley well. Her character has depth and is extremely likeable. I became emotionally invested in seeing her succeed in life. She is a patriot above all else. Additionally, the secondary characters were well fleshed out. The author portrayed the right atmosphere for the story line. There are several twists and turns in the plot, but the twist near the end caught me completely by surprise. Wow! I did not see that coming.
The author lets us know what happens in the future to some of the secondary characters throughout the course of the book. Some readers may not like this. Some of this could have been done later in the book. However, it worked okay for me.
I can’t wait to read this author’s next book. Overall, it was action-packed, engaging, thought-provoking, suspenseful and compulsively readable. It contained the elements that I look for in a political thriller. Will this become a series focused around Hayley? I sincerely hope so.
Many thanks to Atria Books and Chris Hauty for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Our protagonist, Hayley Chill is an ex-Army boxing champion and has become a White House intern. The new President is Richard Monroe who is controversial and divisive making for a polarized political situation. When the White House Chief of Staff is found dead in his home by Hayley, she finds a clue that suggests he may have been murdered. With this scenario the author’s story line progresses at a rapid pace.
We get to know Hayley well. Her character has depth and is extremely likeable. I became emotionally invested in seeing her succeed in life. She is a patriot above all else. Additionally, the secondary characters were well fleshed out. The author portrayed the right atmosphere for the story line. There are several twists and turns in the plot, but the twist near the end caught me completely by surprise. Wow! I did not see that coming.
The author lets us know what happens in the future to some of the secondary characters throughout the course of the book. Some readers may not like this. Some of this could have been done later in the book. However, it worked okay for me.
I can’t wait to read this author’s next book. Overall, it was action-packed, engaging, thought-provoking, suspenseful and compulsively readable. It contained the elements that I look for in a political thriller. Will this become a series focused around Hayley? I sincerely hope so.
Many thanks to Atria Books and Chris Hauty for a digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.