If you are of a mind to scoff at a hero who is open about his Christian faith, and whose faith plays a role in the story, or if you are so sensitive to political correctness that you cannot stand anything negative about Islam, then this is not the book for you.

As neither of those things were problems for me; on the contrary, they were both plusses, I enjoyed Empire of Lies immensely. Klavan's prose is stellar and his plot gripping and plausible. The protagonist, though openly a Christian, is not any kind of saint or prude--on the contrary, he is absolutely human and very appealing.

Islamic terrorists and their apologists in the West are the villains, and Klavan skewers the unholy trinity of Hollywood, News Media, and the Universities with glee and precision, but never polemic. A most refreshing and engaging book.