2009 # 41

James W. Huston - The Price of Power - Finished - 3/16/2009

PB - 501 A brief outline of this one. Pirates seize an American Flag ship in the waters off Indonesia. The president sends the navy to retake the ship with orders that no lives be lost. The ship is boarded, the crew has been killed, While chasing the pirates a Navy plane is shot down and the pirates are heading towards the pilots. The pirates are chased to an island and attacked with Navy causalities, a kidnapped American missionary is killed and a number of pirates are captured an brought to the US for Trial. The President initiates the arrest and court marshal of the Admiral in charge of the action. A young lawyer leaves his job as aid to the speaker of the house to defend the Admiral for free.

The Speaker is trying to impeach the President for being a pacifist and not defending US interests abroad.

This is longer than I planned, but it is a complicated novel with several plot lines going at once. Its a mixture of courtroom drama and military action and power politics. Once the players are identified it moves right along and enjoyed it.

ISBN - 0-380-73160-6, Suspense, Pages - 488, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.5