Ballots and Blood

by Ralph Reed

"Ralph Reed is on his way to becoming the master of political thrillers." 
-Sean Hannity 

A powerful senator with major influence over U.S. foreign policy turns up dead in an apartment leased by a dominatrix service. Thus opens acclaimed conservative Ralph Reed’s sizzling Ballots and Blood , which delves into Washington's underbelly guided by the gimlet eye of a political insider. 

When the police obtain the service's client list, it is sure to spark a bigger scandal. An FBI investigator suspects the murder is not what it appears, but when he threatens to uncover a clandestine plan to overthrow the Iranian government, the White House intervenes. Congress debates military action against Iran while terrorists plot more attacks. 

All this takes place during a bitter and hard-fought midterm election as both parties jockey for advantage, and the evangelical right-led by a prominent religious broadcaster-and Tea Party activists flex their newfound muscle. With war about to reignite in the Persian Gulf, razor thin margins at the polls, and a Washington madam threatening to reveal her high-profile clientele, the only sure thing is the nation's great uncertainty.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

My wife found this at our favorite used bookstore. It was shelved in the Christian Fiction section and is distributed by B&H. First, Ralph Reed knows his way around beltway politics. His characters at times come off as being copies of current or former politicians and their actions are founded in truth. Second, he can develop a mystery that makes sense and seems to be believable. In this book a US Senator is found murdered and it may be connected to CIA/NSA investigations on the Iranian Nuclear program. The problem is that even though it is a political thriller, it is masquerading as Christian Fiction. Granted it is not laden with expletives, like many in the Political Thriller genre, and characters have some kind of faith, many are associated with a group similar to the Family Foundation, but the issue is that their faith is not necessarily motivating their actions. The reflective introspection of many characters as they challenge their faith with secular politics are lacking or completely missing. Compared to others who write in the genre their is no overwhelming faith driven characterization.

I would put his prose and storytelling on the same level as Joel C Rosenberg and Davis Bunn but there are times that his writing seems a bit flawed. If you are looking for inspiration from a character who is a prayer warrior of a flawed character looking for faith in a broken world this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a David Baldacci without the cussing and gratuitous sex, this is your book. In reality it should be a political thriller written by a Christian instead of Christian Political Fiction. I may try and find one of the other two books in the series but I've got others in the que ahead of this one.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story, and quite engaging...but a bit too edgy for my tastes.

[Taryn Fink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited with the opening of this book, having just finished binge watching Bones. It started just like an episode, and I was hooked. Not far into the book, though, I ended up disappointed. There are far too many people in this book, and it got confusing quickly. Several story lines that seemed like major parts of the plot early on were just kind of dumped at different parts of the book, and never resolved. There was no climax, and the book ended dully. Additionally, I hope the author fired his editor, because there were words missing, spelling errors, grammatical issues, and several sentences that read like 7th graders had written them. What could've been an exciting political thriller just kind of wound on and on with no real point.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reed knocks another one out of the park with this political thriller, using the mid-term elections as the backdrop to fuel the excitement and mudslinging. Reed captures the dirty fight, while also layering it with terrorist intrigue and some down to earth political headaches the POTUS faces regularly.

In this the third installment of his political thriller series, some old issues come back to the surface: the ongoing issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities, a terrorist on the loose, and the fight between the White House and Senate. Add to that the mid-term elections and the murder of a popular senator and you have the ingredients for a great book. Reed's experience in the arena makes the book all the more believable and has the reader on the edge of their seat.

Even when all the cards are played and you think you know how it will tie up, he tosses a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more (as I do!!). Alas, we have to wait for the creative juices to flow and the publisher to get a book out of him. I can't wait for it and can see some of the interesting machinations that could arise.

Kudos, Mr. Reed. You have my vote!

[Valorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is nothing in/on this book that lets you know it is part of a series. So, I felt like I jumped into the middle of something. And the ending definitely was sudden and confusing. I picked it up in the discount section of a Christian book store, so thankfully only spent a couple of dollars on it.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect with this book. It was very interesting to read about the fictional but probably pretty realistic behind the scenes of Washington, DC. I enjoyed it. I would not be opposed to reading more by the author. It is a very different genre for me to read.