Acts of Mercy

by Bill Pronzini, Barry N. Malzberg

Hardcover; Very Good; Signed by author Bill Pronzini; Dust Jacket - Very Good; First edition. A very good book in a very good dust jacket. Mild shelf wear. Suspense novel.

251 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1977

About the author

Mystery Writers of America Awards "Grand Master" 2008
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1999) for Boobytrap
Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee (1998) for A Wasteland of Strangers
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) for Sentinels
Shamus Awards "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) 1987
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1982) for Hoodwink

Married to author Marcia Muller.

Pseudonyms:
Robert Hart Davis (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Jack Foxx
William Jeffrey (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Alex Saxon

Reviews

[Stephen Brayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot

A chilling, ingenious brain-teaser by two masters of the psychological thriller. Nicholas Augustine was a rancher and a railroad enthusiast, a popular maverick whose meteoric rise to the Presidency dumbfounded every self-styled expert in Washington. But scandal threatens when someone is murdered in the White House. Loyal secret service agent Christopher Justice will do anything to protect the President. A masterful thriller of murder in the White House.

My Analysis

Based on previous books by Pronzini, I figured this would be more a whodunit than a thriller, you know, like the blurb says. LOL.

Well, it’s sort of a whodunit, because the reader understands there are murders, but Justice and everyone else (except the murderer) thinks everything could be an accident.

So, there are several side stories in this book. You have the President trying to overcome a statement made that may have dissed the Jewish population; you have an advisor in love with the First Lady; you have members of the President’s party wanting him to either back out and/resign.

And you have an individual who may have trouble with multiple personalities and who feels that to save the President that people must die.

Lots of personalities and troubled lives in this book.

An energetic climax but a confusing ending. It left me wondering – who was the murderer?

My rank:

Purple Belt

[विकास 'अंजान' · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
Enjoyed it. The end was a bit weird but it was intriguing none the less.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A political thriller. First published in 1977; the ending stunned me then. Thought about it for decades, re-read it again.

[Mick McMahon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save your time ... low quality and not very interesting as well as unbelievable.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A political thriller first published in 1977. A surprise ending that stunned me for decades. Finally read it again.