It's an engaging read, but with some serious narrative flaws. For one, too much time is spent campaigning against socialized health care, especially since it had nothing to do with the plot. Second, the plotline is achingly dull. Essentially, Clancy describes what is about to happen, and then it happens. Plans don't go awry; complications are hinted at, but they never come to fruition. There's some interesting political intrigue, but apart from that, the characters meet their goals without too much of a hitch.

This is a problem because the struggle to achieve your goals in a complex political setting is the reason you read a Tom Clancy novel. He doesn't have particularly strong characters or prose. Normally a dramatic and riveting plot is enough, but this time it felt flat and dull. Perhaps it would have held more sway if I were old enough to remember the assassination attempt that is fictionalized in this story. Or if I were the least bit Catholic.

Perhaps not.