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Ben Kincaid #16
Capitol Conspiracy
Oklahoma defense attorney Ben Kincaid has found himself smack in the middle of more than a few controversies and deadly predicaments-and the unexpected leap from his modest Tulsa law offices to Washington, D.C.'s Senate chamber hasn’t taken the edge off Ben’s knack for stepping into the line of fire. Now the idealistic junior senator is plunged into the thick of lethal intrigue when a shocking campaign of terror against key government officials rocks the nation's capital. The nightmare begins with the abduction and murder of the director of Homeland Security; escalates with the killing of the Senate minority leader, who is felled in his office by an envelope laced with weaponized poison; and comes to a shattering climax at the site of the Oklahoma City Memorial, where a fusillade of sniper fire meant for the president claims unintended victims. In all, twelve people perish in the melee, while Ben himself narrowly escapes a car-bomb blast that leaves his best friend, Tulsa cop Mike Morelli, comatose. But the smoke has barely cleared when the stunned nation is sent reeling yet again by the president's impassioned call to amend the U.S. Constitution with an antiterrorism law that would drastically curtail civil liberties. It's a hot-button issue guaranteed to bitterly divide the Beltway and the country. The chief executive has handpicked Ben to help harvest the support that will make the amendment a reality. Shaken by the carnage, Ben embraces the president's radical cause, and alongside unlikely new political allies he takes the battle for the controversial bill to the Senate floor. But he can't ignore his growing suspicion that what’s haunting Capitol Hill isn’t the specter of foreign terrorism but something much closer to home. Now, with his ever-resourceful chief of staff-his wife, Christina–and along with his support team backing his play, Ben sets squares off against what could be the most dangerous Goliath he's ever challenged. Capitol Conspiracy is a bravura William Bernhardt performance-bursting into action on the very first page, and crackling with breathless suspense, sharp wit, crafty twists, and timely thrills clear through to the last. "From the Hardcover edition."
Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2008
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About the author
William Bernhardt
99 books514 followersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 27, 2010
Bernhardt is one of my many favorite authors. I've saved memorable quotes. P. 375 "These are perilous times, unique in our national history. The greatest danger we face is not terrorists, but the thudding impact of unexamined certainty. doubt is healthy. doubt is evidence of thought."
I learned about "legislative holds". A senator can anonymously object to a bill, thereby stopping it from ever reaching a debate. A senator can except pork for withdrawing the objection, then passing the objection on to another senator.......ad infinitum!
The more "gravitas" a senator has, the bigger the reward for getting nothing done. jchees, what a system.
No wonder not a whole lot gets done.
I learned about "legislative holds". A senator can anonymously object to a bill, thereby stopping it from ever reaching a debate. A senator can except pork for withdrawing the objection, then passing the objection on to another senator.......ad infinitum!
The more "gravitas" a senator has, the bigger the reward for getting nothing done. jchees, what a system.
No wonder not a whole lot gets done.
August 7, 2015
Capitol Conspiracy by William Bernhardt.
Hideously violent before even getting into any story. This was my 2nd try at attempting to read a mystery by this author and my last. Obviously he can't write and depends upon those few readers who relish base writing.
Don't waste your time or money. Sorry I had to give this book any star.
Hideously violent before even getting into any story. This was my 2nd try at attempting to read a mystery by this author and my last. Obviously he can't write and depends upon those few readers who relish base writing.
Don't waste your time or money. Sorry I had to give this book any star.
April 9, 2014
re-read April 2014. i raised it from a 4 to 5 stars.
The nightmare begins with the abduction and murder of the director of Homeland Security; escalates with the killing of the Senate minority leader, who is felled in his office by an envelope laced with weaponized poison; and comes to a shattering climax at the site of the Oklahoma City Memorial, where a fusillade of sniper fire meant for the president claims unintended victims. In all, twelve people perish in the melee, while Ben himself narrowly escapes a car-bomb blast that leaves his best friend, Tulsa cop Mike Morelli, comatose. But the smoke has barely cleared when the stunned nation is sent reeling yet again by the president’s impassioned call to amend the U.S. Constitution with an antiterrorism law that would drastically curtail civil liberties.
good reading.
The nightmare begins with the abduction and murder of the director of Homeland Security; escalates with the killing of the Senate minority leader, who is felled in his office by an envelope laced with weaponized poison; and comes to a shattering climax at the site of the Oklahoma City Memorial, where a fusillade of sniper fire meant for the president claims unintended victims. In all, twelve people perish in the melee, while Ben himself narrowly escapes a car-bomb blast that leaves his best friend, Tulsa cop Mike Morelli, comatose. But the smoke has barely cleared when the stunned nation is sent reeling yet again by the president’s impassioned call to amend the U.S. Constitution with an antiterrorism law that would drastically curtail civil liberties.
good reading.
May 1, 2012
Ben Kincaid, freshman senator from Oklahoma, is newly married and attending an event inOklahoma City with the president when an apparent terrorist kills fourteen people including the first lady. Ben's lifelong friend is wounded and is rendered comatose when the president's limo expplodes. As a result Ben agrees to serve as point man for the president's drive for an antiterrorist amendment to the Constitution that could eliminate the Bill of Rights. But not all the evidence points in the right direction. Very appropriate and thoughtful reading considering the Oboma administration's take on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Everyone should read this novel and think about the implications.
July 20, 2008
This is the third book I've recently read that seemed as though its author was tired of his series' main characters and didn't quite know what to do with them. Ben didn't strike me as a well-fleshed character at all, but I did love Christina. As for the plot, that was completely predictable, and the lectures on the Bill of Rights got to be too preachy for my tastes. And I was turned off by the graphic descriptions of torture and sex. All that being said, I really want to go back and read some of the earlier books in the series, to see if they're more compelling.
February 7, 2009
While I enjoyed the storyline of the book, it was very poorly researched. Most books in this genre make sure they get the little details right (e.g., building names, complicated processes), but this book does not. It labels the congressional office buildings with the wrong names, it mislabels bills in the U.S. Senate, and generally has a poor understanding of the legislative process. Researching these small things to make the back story more realistic would have gone a long way for me liking the book better.
February 11, 2009
Another Kincaid novel. A seemingly terroristic attack on the president ends in the death of the first lady. The president introduced a constitutional amendment that would make the Patriot Act seem pale. Since the times seemed so dire the American people embraced the amendment. Congrees approved it and then it was up to the Senate. Naturally, Ben Kincaid got involved to find the truth.
The author's purpose is to make us think twice about willingly laying aside our amendment rights even in a crisis. Very good book to make you think.
The author's purpose is to make us think twice about willingly laying aside our amendment rights even in a crisis. Very good book to make you think.
December 7, 2017
A good, old-fashioned, blow-em-up, the-fate-of-the-free-world-is-on-you, sexy ninja-girl, faithful-sidekick-loving, political thriller from Oklahoma's most-published author. Under the entertainment, though, there is the tough, persistent conundrum of the modern free world: How much freedom are we willing to barter for safety? Fair warning, though--this author knows how to write violent scenes, and he's not afraid to do it.
February 5, 2013
Nothing too special in this novel that may prove a worthwhile read for some 4 of 10 stars
July 2, 2017
This was a very good read! The book had plenty of political intrigue and kept me guessing right up to the very end. And threw an unexpected curve ball that made me say WOW.
May 7, 2017
I'll give credit to Capitol Conspiracy for turning what is essentially a legislative debate into a gripping, faced-passed, full-fledged national security/political thriller. The debate in question is a fictional constitutional amendment that would hold portions of the Bill of Rights in abeyance during times of national emergency.
There are a few problems with the novel. The premise itself is workable, even compelling. However, neither the book nor the supporters of the emergency amendment explain the purposes for which the amendment would be needed. They just insist that it's necessary to prevent future terrorist attacks. How? Would the emergency amendment allow domestic eavesdropping? Waterboarding? Thermal sensor detection on suspected homes without a warrant? In other words, what was missing from the debate within the book was a few concrete examples of policies that the proposed amendment was designed to enable. It was too vague.
The second problem is that the fault lines of the debate are drawn simply between Republicans and Democrats. We are told in this book that Republicans all get on board with the amendment because they are for law and order. Democrats oppose it because they are for civil liberties. This is too simplistic. Many Republicans are traditional and wouldn't readily sign on a major constitutional overhaul. A broad spectrum of conservatives (from Rand Paul to George Will to Ted Cruz) support civil liberties and don't want to give too much power to the government. So, too broad a brush. I can live with political bias, but inaccurate attribution comes across as contrived plot device.
The third problem I had was with the protagonist Ben Kincaid. I didn't really understand his character. He is a newly minted U.S. senator who just married a beautiful, smart woman who also serves as his chief of staff. Ben is a survivor of a terrorist attack that takes place in the beginning of the novel. Rather than calling his newlywed wife to tell her where he is and that he is okay, he sits at the bedside of a guy injured in the terrorist attack who is his close friend. I understand visiting a friend in the hospital. But not calling your wife? Or being a U.S. senator and not letting your chief of staff know you survived a nationally televised terror attack? Very odd. Also, Ben's wife has a strong sex drive but he seems naïve, indifferent, uninterested, or boyish around her. He keeps calling back to Oklahoma for updates about his friend. This bromance at the expense of normal marital relations with his new wife is peculiar.
Fourth, there is an issue later in the book of saying one thing and doing another. In politics this is normally the kiss of death. But the person who does this is treated as a hero. Politics is one of the fields where your word is your bond. So going back on your word but being in Congress and celebrated nationally didn't add up.
Fifth... some reviewers (mostly women) pointed out there was excessive violence and sex in this novel. I didn't notice the book being unusually violent. I read lots of thrillers, and there was nothing out of the ordinary here. If anything, this had a little less violence than a typical police procedural or national security thriller. But sex? Yes. There was something odd here. There were a couple of very random, very kinky S&M sex scenes in this book. These scenes barely advanced the storyline. So, yes, those were gratuitous and a bit shocking considering that my expectation was to read a congressional thriller, not erotica. Don't listen to the audiobook on a road trip with your kids in the car!
Yet, somehow, the book had all the above weaknesses, but it still managed to be readable and entertaining. I enjoyed learning some of the behind-the-scenes ways that bills get considered by politicians. There were also interesting tidbits about the president's motorcade, Cadillac One, and the secret service operations--things that didn't get mentioned or shown in "West Wing." The book poses some interesting what if's: what if the first lady were assassinated--how would the nation react? What if the first lady had been unfaithful--would that change the public's view?
Not a bad way to spend a long flight.
There are a few problems with the novel. The premise itself is workable, even compelling. However, neither the book nor the supporters of the emergency amendment explain the purposes for which the amendment would be needed. They just insist that it's necessary to prevent future terrorist attacks. How? Would the emergency amendment allow domestic eavesdropping? Waterboarding? Thermal sensor detection on suspected homes without a warrant? In other words, what was missing from the debate within the book was a few concrete examples of policies that the proposed amendment was designed to enable. It was too vague.
The second problem is that the fault lines of the debate are drawn simply between Republicans and Democrats. We are told in this book that Republicans all get on board with the amendment because they are for law and order. Democrats oppose it because they are for civil liberties. This is too simplistic. Many Republicans are traditional and wouldn't readily sign on a major constitutional overhaul. A broad spectrum of conservatives (from Rand Paul to George Will to Ted Cruz) support civil liberties and don't want to give too much power to the government. So, too broad a brush. I can live with political bias, but inaccurate attribution comes across as contrived plot device.
The third problem I had was with the protagonist Ben Kincaid. I didn't really understand his character. He is a newly minted U.S. senator who just married a beautiful, smart woman who also serves as his chief of staff. Ben is a survivor of a terrorist attack that takes place in the beginning of the novel. Rather than calling his newlywed wife to tell her where he is and that he is okay, he sits at the bedside of a guy injured in the terrorist attack who is his close friend. I understand visiting a friend in the hospital. But not calling your wife? Or being a U.S. senator and not letting your chief of staff know you survived a nationally televised terror attack? Very odd. Also, Ben's wife has a strong sex drive but he seems naïve, indifferent, uninterested, or boyish around her. He keeps calling back to Oklahoma for updates about his friend. This bromance at the expense of normal marital relations with his new wife is peculiar.
Fourth, there is an issue later in the book of saying one thing and doing another. In politics this is normally the kiss of death. But the person who does this is treated as a hero. Politics is one of the fields where your word is your bond. So going back on your word but being in Congress and celebrated nationally didn't add up.
Fifth... some reviewers (mostly women) pointed out there was excessive violence and sex in this novel. I didn't notice the book being unusually violent. I read lots of thrillers, and there was nothing out of the ordinary here. If anything, this had a little less violence than a typical police procedural or national security thriller. But sex? Yes. There was something odd here. There were a couple of very random, very kinky S&M sex scenes in this book. These scenes barely advanced the storyline. So, yes, those were gratuitous and a bit shocking considering that my expectation was to read a congressional thriller, not erotica. Don't listen to the audiobook on a road trip with your kids in the car!
Yet, somehow, the book had all the above weaknesses, but it still managed to be readable and entertaining. I enjoyed learning some of the behind-the-scenes ways that bills get considered by politicians. There were also interesting tidbits about the president's motorcade, Cadillac One, and the secret service operations--things that didn't get mentioned or shown in "West Wing." The book poses some interesting what if's: what if the first lady were assassinated--how would the nation react? What if the first lady had been unfaithful--would that change the public's view?
Not a bad way to spend a long flight.
November 15, 2017
Another great installment in a good fun series
I have really been enjoying this series. The series has changed a bit from a kind of combination of courtroom thriller and detective novel, in the earlier books in the series, to more of a political thriller in the last three or so novels.
It has been interesting to see the character grow while we are still exposed to the same cast of characters we met in the early books.
There are plenty of reviews that talk about the plot of the book so I will leave that to others. I will just say that this book was some where between slightly above average to above average when comparing it to the rest of the series.
If a courtroom drama/detective story series that eventually morphs into a political thriller sounds interesting to you. Get a copy of the first book in the series and start reading!
I have really been enjoying this series. The series has changed a bit from a kind of combination of courtroom thriller and detective novel, in the earlier books in the series, to more of a political thriller in the last three or so novels.
It has been interesting to see the character grow while we are still exposed to the same cast of characters we met in the early books.
There are plenty of reviews that talk about the plot of the book so I will leave that to others. I will just say that this book was some where between slightly above average to above average when comparing it to the rest of the series.
If a courtroom drama/detective story series that eventually morphs into a political thriller sounds interesting to you. Get a copy of the first book in the series and start reading!
October 2, 2025
I actually need to know what the author thinks about the current political climate because the way this book was written in 2008 and is eerily similar to the last month is kinda bonkers. Besides all that I disagree with the ending of the book, the twist wasn’t really supported by the whole rest of the book but oh whale the rest was good
January 20, 2019
Formulaic story, far fetched plot, unnecessary violence. I have read most of this series and probably will not read the few others. Overdosed on the series. Still like Ben and his group, but this one is skippable. Clue should have been length of book. Way too long.
November 29, 2020
Love political novels
I was riveted on this book. It seemed so current and believable because of the mess the country is in because of misguided and corrupt politicians and ignorant sheep in the general public.
I was riveted on this book. It seemed so current and believable because of the mess the country is in because of misguided and corrupt politicians and ignorant sheep in the general public.
June 13, 2019
This is a Ben Kincaid novel where he finds another conspiracy within the government...shock. I liked it as I do all of his!
August 4, 2024
Great series
This book is another good read by Bernhardt. Keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. Hope he continues this series with Ben and Christine.
This book is another good read by Bernhardt. Keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. Hope he continues this series with Ben and Christine.
September 12, 2024
The series is now about politics instead of the law so I’m moving on to something different. I still like the Ben and Christina combo but politics annoy me. Personal preference.
October 23, 2024
What a weak and hard ot like main character. I just felt frustrated by him the whole time. There was a good twist, so that made it two stars.
January 25, 2026
Terrific....
Loved the novel. Very organized and intriguing. Very disappointed with the ending..
Waiting for the next stage but it just ended.
Loved the novel. Very organized and intriguing. Very disappointed with the ending..
Waiting for the next stage but it just ended.
January 7, 2009
Since 9/11 most authors have been pushing politics into their writing. At least Bernhardt did it more honestly by taking his main character who was a Tulsa lawyer and sending him to Washington DC as a Senator. I liked Ben better as a lawyer and I don't always agree with his politics, but it's much better than Stuart Woods who throws in politicals digs thru his fluff mysteries. Or better than Sara Paretsky who throws in all kinds of stupid political garbage in her Warshawski series [totally out of character for her leading character]. If I want to read about politics I will grab a political thriller like this one or Brian Haig or some of the other authors!
May 1, 2010
Ben Kincaid is in the middle of another controversy as he sits in Senate for the state of Oklahoma. This one I found very interesting in that the plot was based on an amendment to the U.S. Constitution with an anti-terrorism law that would curtail civil liberties. Of course with any Bernhardt novel you also have a couple of murders that Ben must also solve. In this one not only does the President fall into an assassination attempt but it happens twice! I can't put this series down and look forward to the next adventure.
December 24, 2010
I keep on reading this series of novels that involve the affable lawyer-senator Ben Kincaid. With all the other books it's no wonder that the White House can function without him. These novels are by no means deep but are just a pleasant get-away from the everyday grind. This novel is no different. A president fighting for his seat because of the 25th Amendment, a nuclear bomb threatening the east coast and a middle east dictator trying to bring the U.S. to there knees. What better way than to sit down with a good book.
August 15, 2014
In this outing, newly minted Senator Kincaid has to face a terrorist threat and needs the help of all of his team to get the bottom of things, without getting himself or anyone else killed. Ben allows us to learn along with him the less obvious aspects of Senatorial life and introduces us to some interesting new characters, with significant power and equally significant secrets. This one throbs with danger and action in a manner even exceptional for this always exciting series. Great job.
April 21, 2009
Bernhardt is usually one of my favorites. The torture scene he opens this book with is very graphic and painful to read. The plot then becomes quite predictable, and characters seem to be just standing around waiting to act out the usual political sitcom routine. Good Book to read at bedtime it made me sleepy.
September 16, 2010
I don't really enjoy suspense thriller. I thought this one was a little to complicated and got out of the writers control. Some times the plot needed help and it resorted to convenient fixes and sometimes the plot just didn't make sense. Maybe it was because the motives were not well developed. Plot got in the way too of itself. Also, too much sex, it was not necessary.
March 12, 2013
The book kept me reading till the end despite some rather contrived dialogue and a definite political bias. I usually NEVER read a series out of order and would not have read this had I realized that it was part of a series. Now I will find and read the others and see if some of the other goodreads reviews of this book apply to them..they sure do not apply to Capitol Conspiracy.
October 19, 2013
I should have known better than to give this series another try. This is the fourth and last one I have read. They are almost too silly to finish. Perhaps as Young Adult fiction they compare favorably with others aimed at that audience.
It's hard to believe that the same author who wrote Dark Eye did this one.
It's hard to believe that the same author who wrote Dark Eye did this one.
June 5, 2008
Can't help it, I love political thrillers and this is a great one. Lessons about the importance of the Bill of Rights and how easily they can be eliminated. Twists and turns, and edge-of-your-seat,fast-paced and hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews