From Publishers Weekly
Gun control and tort reform are the thorny issues tackled in this political drama, with Patterson hero Kerry Kilcannon ensconced in the White House and planning his marriage to former television journalist Lara Costello. Kilcannon (last glimpsed in Protect and Defend) has been president for less than a year when he is caught up in a potentially disastrous domestic crisis. Lara's sister, Joan, is brutally beaten by her husband, John Bowden, and Kerry, who rescued his own mother from his violent father, lets emotion get the better of him, asking the California DA to intervene. Meanwhile, in the political arena, Kerry is battling an NRA-type group called Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA). When the fuse Kerry lit under John Bowden explodes predictably (Bowden goes on a killing spree in an airport while the Kilcannons are away on their honeymoon), Kerry sees red and goes after the manufacturer of the gun Bowden used. The gun lobby circles wagons around the SSA and pushes a tort-reform bill called the Civil Justice Reform Act, which protects the manufacturers of any "products" from litigation by victims of criminals. Congress kowtows to America's captains of industry, with guns as the focal point: "gun immunity hung in the balance of power between the President and the senator who intended to displace him." This is a Democratic nightmare scenario, and the novel paints a grim picture of the challenges facing gun-control advocates. Patterson is known for his intricate law-and-politics-laced crime fiction, but lawmaking trumps suspense in this novel and may leave his fans wanting for more. Patterson is a strong supporter of gun control-as he notes in an afterword-and his passion is evident here. Readers seeking pure entertainment may be disappointed, but those with the patience to follow the involved plot will learn much about gun policy debate.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
President of the United States Kerry Kilcannon and TV journalist Lara Costello plan to marry in the first few months of his first term in office. Then the gun lashing of Lara's sister brings to a head the fight between the gun industry and those who oppose it. Patricia Kalember's reading creates a tale without fire. She relates the narrative word by word, never getting caught up in the possibilities of the drama. Without any conversational tone in her delivery, the story lacks warmth and intimacy. Overall, this rendition is a lackluster disappointment. J.P. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Newly elected Democratic president Kerry Kilcannon faced the abortion issue in Protect and Defend (2000), and now he has to tackle the Second Amendment. While preparing for his wedding to Lara Costello, a beautiful journalist, Kerry has been helping her sister, Joan, escape from her abusive husband, John. Just after Kerry and Lara's wedding, John shoots and kills Joan, her young daughter Marie, and Joan and Lara's mother, Inez. Kerry and Lara, along with the nation, are stunned by the tragedy, and Kerry decides that something must be done about the gun industry. His opponent is the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA), a powerful gun lobby that wields an incredible amount of influence over the Republican Party. The war is waged on two fronts: Lara's sister, Mary, sues a gun company and the SSA, while Kerry must fight a bill the SSA is trying to push through the Senate and the House immunizing gun companies from lawsuits such as Mary's. This complex novel has a fascinating debate at its heart. To his credit, Patterson has done his research, and though it's clear which side he's on, he does a good job of presenting all the arguments. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
“A rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics . . . This is a great read by a masterful writer.”
—SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

“ALWAYS KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT. Patterson has the rare gift of enthralling as he informs.”
—The Guardian (London)

“REVEALING . . . WILL LEAVE YOU LOBBYING FOR MORE.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“PATTERSON TURNS UP THE HEAT.”
—The Dallas Morning News

“A MUST READ.”
—FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

“THOUGHT-PROVOKING . . . [Patterson’s] passion for politics, public discussion, and gun control are infectious and admirable.”
—USA Today

“[A] SPELLBINDING NOVEL . . . Patterson’s extensive research, plot skills, and ability to create engaging, authentic dialogue set his writing apart. . . . believable and eloquent.”
—Associated Press

“Balance of Power is a compelling story, fully worthy of Richard North Patterson, which is made even more intriguing by its detailed insight into the world of special-interests politics in Washington, D.C.”
—SCOTT TUROW

“A masterpiece . . . From the first page, President Kilcannon faces plot twists that challenge his resourcefulness and moral character.”
—The Tulsa World

“Compulsive reading . . . An engrossing blend of courtroom and political drama.”
—The London Times

“IMPORTANT READING, EVEN ESSENTIAL . . . Patterson masterfully touches all the right historical reference points to lure us into his story. . . . The image of the gun—and what to do about it as a society—linger long after the covers close.”
—Ft. Myers News Press

“Patterson has done his homework, and Balance of Power presents a clear picture of the arguments and political realities on both sides of the debate.”
—The Denver Post

“A powerful, in your face, condemnation of the American political system that abets gun violence . . . Patterson makes no apologies as he denounces a system in which money buys Congressional votes [and] ethics mean nothing.”
—The Midwest Book Review

“A harsh, persuasive indictment of the politics that breeds gun violence in America . . . bare-knuckle, page-turning, political infighting. For ordinary folk, it’s good stuff. For political junkies, think Harry Potter.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“One of [Patterson’s] best . . . Fascinating . . . A thoughtful exposition of an important issue . . . [Balance of Power] will entertain, challenge, inform—and, just maybe, open a few minds.”
—Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA)

“Balance of Power and Protect and Defend stand as a remarkable project in popular fiction: an extension of the genre of the legal thriller to explore the morality and strategies of U.S.’s greatest civic controversies.”
—The Guardian (London)


Review
?Richard North Patterson has a keen eye for how Washington really works. His portrait of the gun lobby is right on?both in terms of its power and its political tactics. A must read for anyone interested in the gun debate.? ?FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

?Balance of Power is a rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics. Richard North Patterson has extraordinary insight into how Washington works, and a complex and heartfelt understanding of the effects of gun violence on our society. This is a great read by a masterful writer.? ?SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

?Balance of Power is a compelling story, fully worthy of Richard North Patterson, which is made even more intriguing by its detailed insight into the world of special-interests politics in Washington, D.C.? ?SCOTT TUROW


From the Hardcover edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

President Kerry Kilcannon and his fiancee, television journalist Lara Costello, have at last decided to marry. But their wedding is followed by a massacre of innocents in a lethal burst of gunfire, challenging their marriage and his presidency in ways so shattering and indelibly personal that Kilcannon vows to eradicate gun violence and crush the most powerful lobby in Washington - the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA).

Allied with the President's most determined rival, the resourceful and relentless Senate Majority Leader Frank Fasano, the SSA declares all-out war on Kerry Kilcannon, deploying its arsenal of money, intimidation, and secret dealing to eviscerate Kilcannon's crusade - and, it hopes, destroy his presidency. This ignites a high-stakes game of politics and legal maneuvering in the Senate, the courtroom, and across the country, which the charismatic but untested young President is determined to win at any cost. But in the incendiary clash over gun violence and gun rights, the cost to both Kilcannons may be even higher than he imagined.

And others in the crossfire may also pay the price: the idealistic lawyer who has taken on the gun industry; the embattled CEO of America's leading gun maker; the war-hero senator caught between conflicting ambitions; the female senator whose career is at risk; and the grief-stricken young woman fighting to emerge from the shadow of her sister, the First Lady.

FROM THE CRITICS

USA Today

Patterson combines serious contemporary issues -- domestic violence, presidential politics, late-term abortion -- with an accessible writing style that has resulted in seven consecutive international best sellers. — Deirdre Donahue

Publishers Weekly

Gun control and tort reform are the thorny issues tackled in this political drama, with Patterson hero Kerry Kilcannon ensconced in the White House and planning his marriage to former television journalist Lara Costello. Kilcannon (last glimpsed in Protect and Defend) has been president for less than a year when he is caught up in a potentially disastrous domestic crisis. Lara's sister, Joan, is brutally beaten by her husband, John Bowden, and Kerry, who rescued his own mother from his violent father, lets emotion get the better of him, asking the California DA to intervene. Meanwhile, in the political arena, Kerry is battling an NRA-type group called Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA). When the fuse Kerry lit under John Bowden explodes predictably (Bowden goes on a killing spree in an airport while the Kilcannons are away on their honeymoon), Kerry sees red and goes after the manufacturer of the gun Bowden used. The gun lobby circles wagons around the SSA and pushes a tort-reform bill called the Civil Justice Reform Act, which protects the manufacturers of any "products" from litigation by victims of criminals. Congress kowtows to America's captains of industry, with guns as the focal point: "gun immunity hung in the balance of power between the President and the senator who intended to displace him." This is a Democratic nightmare scenario, and the novel paints a grim picture of the challenges facing gun-control advocates. Patterson is known for his intricate law-and-politics-laced crime fiction, but lawmaking trumps suspense in this novel and may leave his fans wanting for more. Agent, Fred Hill. (Oct.) Forecast: Patterson is a strong supporter of gun control-as he notes in an afterword-and his passion is evident here. Readers seeking pure entertainment may be disappointed, but those with the patience to follow the involved plot will learn much about gun policy debate. Major ad/promo; author tour. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

AudioFile

Power politics, gun control issues, and courtroom drama play out in Richard North Patterson's latest thriller. The plot revolves around a strong-minded first lady, Lara Costello, whose family is destroyed in a murderous assault. Patricia Kalember does a good job with the president's wife and with a brave female lawyer who runs afoul of the gun lobby, but the story is also full of male politicians and lawyers. Kalember fails to bring the men off convincingly, so listeners hear them as much the same. Neither plot nor narration have much inventiveness, but fans of power struggles and backroom deals will hardly notice. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews