Shall We Tell The President-Book Review

'Shall We Tell The President' is a sequel to 'The Prodigal Daughter' - a sequel to 'Kane And Abel.'  I have been meaning to read this since the last 5 years (5 years ago was when I finished reading The Prodigal Daughter) but somehow, I never had the enthusiasm to get it going.


Finally, five years after I read The Prodigal Daughter, I got myself to read this book (in these 5 years I have made numerous attempts to read the book, but never got past 10 pages) and now that I am done reading, I am glad to say that it was one of the finest thrillers I have read.  A fine work of fiction, that keeps the readers on tenterhooks all throughout.  As rightly said by one of the critics, Archer, plays a cat-and-mouse with the reader and makes you want to turn the page.


To me, thrillers/Suspense fictions should always move at a rapid pace and this book does exactly the same.


'Shall We Tell the President' lives up to the expectations of Jeffrey Archer's style of having powerful themes, hard-hitting characterization and suspenseful plots.  Had this book been made into a movie during the 70's itself, it would have definitely become a cult movie of that time.

'Shall We Tell The President' picks up from where it was left in 'The Prodigal Daughter'-Florentyna Kane becomes the first woman president of America.  The plot quickly moves to two years into Florentyna's term as the President and she is banking on the Gun Control bill for her re-election to the White House again (which could be a hit or a miss).  The FBI receives an information about an assassination attempt on President Kane and before they could move any further on the investigation, all the investigating officers except for one are dead.  The director of the FBI and the surviving special agent have only six days to track down the people involved in this cold-blooded conspiracy.  All they know is that a senator is involved.  Can they trust anyone?  Will President Kane's dream crumble?  Will the Nation lose another President to an assassination attempt?

Interesting fact:
"Shall We Tell the President?, the final book in the Kane and Abel trilogy, was originally not written for the series. In the first version, published in 1977, Ted Kennedy played the part of the President. However, following its release, Archer wrote The Prodigal Daughter -- the sequel to Kane and Abel -- in which the chief character, Florentyna Kane, becomes the first female President of the United States. It seemed only logical to introduce this character in a revised edition of Shall We Tell the President?, which would give the book a natural link to Kane and Abel and The Prodigal Daughter."




Expert Opinions:

The only difference between this book and The Day of the Jackal, is Archer is a better writer.
-- Chicago Tribune


Here is terror, outrageous and top-notch.
-- Vogue


One of the top ten storytellers in the world.
-- Los Angeles Times


There isn't a better storyteller alive.
-- Larry King


Archer plots with skill, and keeps you turning the pages.
-- The Boston Globe


Cunning plots, silken style...Archer plays a cat-and-mouse game with the reader.
-- The New York Times


Archer is a master entertainer.
-- Time