Exile
Non-series
Richard North Patterson
Henry
Holt (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-8050-7947-5 (0805079475)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-7947-0 (9780805079470)
Publication Date: January 2007
List Price: $26.00
Synopsis (from
the publisher): David Wolfe's life is approaching an exhilarating peak:
he's a successful San Francisco lawyer, he's about to get married, and
he's being primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and
he hears the voice of Hana Arif--the Palestinian woman with whom he had
a secret affair in law school--he begins a completely unexpected
journey. The next day, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by
a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco; soon, Hana herself is
accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. Now David faces an
agonizing choice: Will he, a Jew, represent Hana--who may well be
guilty--or will he turn away the one woman he can never forget?
The most challenging case of David's career requires that he delve deep
into the lives of Hana Arif and her militant Palestinian husband, both
of whom have always lived in exile. Ultimately, David's quest takes him
to Israel and the West Bank, where, in a series of harrowing
encounters, he learns that appearances are not at all what they seem.
Review:
Richard North Patterson has crafted an international legal thriller in Exile
that is at its best in the courtroom but also manages to deftly balance
the ideologies and realities of the Middle East without being
patronizing to either side.
David Wolfe, a successful and politically well connected attorney in
San Francisco is asked to defend a woman, Hana Arif, who is accused of
being behind the assassination of the visiting Prime Mininster of
Israel by a survivor of the suicide bomber team. One complicating
factor: Hana and David had a secret affair while in law school. Another
more complicating factor: Hana is Palestinian and David is Jewish.
Believing Hana to have been set up by person or persons unknown, David
agrees to represent her and creates a defense that may bring to light
secrets that some are willing to kill to keep hidden.
Much of the story in Exile
takes place in Israel and the Occupied Territories, even if current
events play out in the US. And Patterson devotes about a quarter of the
book to a brief history of the conflict there in the guise of a trip
David takes to the region to learn more for his defense of Hana. But,
as he is told by a trusted friend, "Israel is not a place that lends
itself to easy understanding. For that, you'll need a guide."
Patterson, himself, tries to be that guide in providing what certainly
appears to be a fair representation of the Middle East situation. He
has obviously done a vast amount of research on the subject, and he is
to be applauded for the impartial way in which it is presented. But is
there a lesson to be learned here? As David is told upon his arrival in
Israel: "[The lesson] is simple. Don't ever think you understand this
place."
The courtroom scenes are riveting. It's easy for the reader to imagine
themselves part of the jury, watching the dynamics of the prosecution
and defense, straining to hear every word of the witnesses, trying to
sort out what is fact and fiction, what is hypothetical and rhetorical.
Clearly the best part of Exile,
it's somewhat unfortunate these scenes are relatively brief.
In a final ironic twist, and much like the situation in the Middle East
itself, Exile
ends leaving much unresolved. There is no "happily ever after"
conclusion here. Though the case ends, the future for its participants
is unknown and the mystery of who exactly was behind the assassination
of the Israeli Prime Minister remains just that.
Special thanks to FSB Associates for providing an ARC of Exile for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Exile? How would you rate it?
Novels by this author …
The
Outside Man
Little Brown (Hardcover), April 1981
ISBN-10: 0-316-69362-6 (0316693626)
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-69362-2 (9780316693622)
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the Night
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The
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Knopf (Hardcover), November 1995
ISBN-10: 0-679-42989-1 (0679429891)
ISBN-13: 978-0-679-42989-0 (9780679429890)
Silent
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Knopf (Hardcover), December 1996
ISBN-10: 0-679-45040-8 (0679450408)
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Dark
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Knopf (Hardcover), August 1999
ISBN-10: 0-679-45043-2 (0679450432)
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Protect
and Defend
Knopf (Hardcover), December 2000
ISBN-10: 0-679-45044-0 (0679450440)
ISBN-13: 978-0-679-45044-3 (9780679450443)
Balance
of Power
Ballantine (Hardcover), October 2003
ISBN-10: 0-345-45017-5 (0345450175)
ISBN-13: 978-0-345-45017-3 (9780345450173)
Conviction
Ballantine (Hardcover), January 2005
ISBN-10: 0-345-45019-1 (0345450191)
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Exile
Henry Holt (Hardcover), January 2007
ISBN-10: 0-8050-7947-5 (0805079475)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-7947-0 (9780805079470)
Eclipse
Henry Holt (Hardcover), January 2009
ISBN-10: 0-8050-8772-9 (0805087729)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8772-7 (9780805087727)
The
Spire
Henry Holt (Hardcover), September 2009
ISBN-10: 0-8050-8773-7 (0805087737)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8773-4 (9780805087734)
Omnimystery
keywords for Exile
...
Location(s) referenced: San
Francisco, California, Israel.
