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Condor #3
Condor and Falcon
President David Windsor's former Secret Service agent, Shane Thompson, is now a permanent partner in his life, and David is determined to see Shane receive the respect he deserves as the First Gentleman. Assigned the codename "Falcon," Shane will be taking on the traditional duties of the First Lady as David, codenamed "Condor One," continues his administration.
But the tests of the Presidency are still looming as David faces both domestic and foreign political challenges. Just doing his job could mean extreme danger for himself and Shane, the man he loves most in the world—the man David wants to marry, despite all the press and attention it will bring them and the possible repercussions on a run for re-election.
But the tests of the Presidency are still looming as David faces both domestic and foreign political challenges. Just doing his job could mean extreme danger for himself and Shane, the man he loves most in the world—the man David wants to marry, despite all the press and attention it will bring them and the possible repercussions on a run for re-election.
234 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2010
6 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
John Simpson
272 books125 followersJohn Simpson, a Vietnam-era Veteran, has been a uniformed Police Officer of the Year, a federal agent, a federal magistrate, and an armed bodyguard to royalty and a senior government executive. He earned awards from the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury. John has written articles for various gay and straight magazines. John lives with his partner of 35 years and three wonderful Scott Terriers, all spoiled and a breed of canine family member that is unique in dogdom. John is also involved with the Old Catholic Church and its liberal pastoral positions on the gay community.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 22, 2010
Condor and Falcon has so many good things going for it, and at the same time so many bad things going for it, that my head about exploded reading it.
1. I've read four books by this author, including the entire three-book Condor series, and for some reason I find the author extremely likable. It's very odd and unusual that I get a feeling for the writer of a book, but John Simpson strikes me as writing from the heart. I like him! And that goes a long way towards my rating of this book. I've never met him, but I can imagine engaging in a spirited discussion with him if we were ever to encounter one another. That is, assuming the bio is true. I have a friend who claims it couldn't be.
2. The pace of this book, and the other three Simpson books, is fast. It races like the wind. This is a very good thing in what I perceive to be meant to be a political thriller with romantic overtones.
3. The problem with the quick pace is that it happens because the book is told in ninety percent dialogue. There is almost no exposition and no description. I occasionally lost track of the speaker of the dialogue partly because of this but, most important, the author lost a lot of possibilities to give depth to the book because he just couldn't keep his characters from talking! There really isn't much emotional content in this book at all: just events, one after another. The author lost so much because of this pace. If he'd slowed down and allowed his characters to react to what had happened, the book would have been so much richer and more interesting.
4. Ah, if only the world were really this simple! The political actions taken by the president might be something some readers would cheer (he certainly believes in the death penalty, for instance), but his actions in the international arena and even in the domestic sphere were just not believable. Congress does, after all, have a say in things! As does the will of the people. Plus, so many drastic events took place in books one and two that were barely touched on in book three, when realistically the country would be still recovering from them. I looked hard trying to see if the author were writing tongue-in-cheek, but I don't think so. I think this is meant to be realistic drama, but to me it isn't.
5. After reviewing in my head the events of the first two books, I knew with great certainly what would happen as the action centerpiece of this one, and I was right. That kind of predictability isn't a good thing.
6. Given all that, I really do like these characters. I feel as if I barely know them even though I've read them for three books, but I still like them a lot, especially Shane.
7. Finally: even though my opinion of the first two books in this series is very similar to what I've written about Condor and Falcon, I still was eager to read this book. There is a distinct and fascinating readability to it. Certainly there is a huge chunk of imagination in this Condor series that is wonderful to behold.
In the end, I'm left with an exploded head, I suppose, because this book could have been so much more than what it is, but even so I have to say that I raced through reading it in less than a day.
1. I've read four books by this author, including the entire three-book Condor series, and for some reason I find the author extremely likable. It's very odd and unusual that I get a feeling for the writer of a book, but John Simpson strikes me as writing from the heart. I like him! And that goes a long way towards my rating of this book. I've never met him, but I can imagine engaging in a spirited discussion with him if we were ever to encounter one another. That is, assuming the bio is true. I have a friend who claims it couldn't be.
2. The pace of this book, and the other three Simpson books, is fast. It races like the wind. This is a very good thing in what I perceive to be meant to be a political thriller with romantic overtones.
3. The problem with the quick pace is that it happens because the book is told in ninety percent dialogue. There is almost no exposition and no description. I occasionally lost track of the speaker of the dialogue partly because of this but, most important, the author lost a lot of possibilities to give depth to the book because he just couldn't keep his characters from talking! There really isn't much emotional content in this book at all: just events, one after another. The author lost so much because of this pace. If he'd slowed down and allowed his characters to react to what had happened, the book would have been so much richer and more interesting.
4. Ah, if only the world were really this simple! The political actions taken by the president might be something some readers would cheer (he certainly believes in the death penalty, for instance), but his actions in the international arena and even in the domestic sphere were just not believable. Congress does, after all, have a say in things! As does the will of the people. Plus, so many drastic events took place in books one and two that were barely touched on in book three, when realistically the country would be still recovering from them. I looked hard trying to see if the author were writing tongue-in-cheek, but I don't think so. I think this is meant to be realistic drama, but to me it isn't.
5. After reviewing in my head the events of the first two books, I knew with great certainly what would happen as the action centerpiece of this one, and I was right. That kind of predictability isn't a good thing.
6. Given all that, I really do like these characters. I feel as if I barely know them even though I've read them for three books, but I still like them a lot, especially Shane.
7. Finally: even though my opinion of the first two books in this series is very similar to what I've written about Condor and Falcon, I still was eager to read this book. There is a distinct and fascinating readability to it. Certainly there is a huge chunk of imagination in this Condor series that is wonderful to behold.
In the end, I'm left with an exploded head, I suppose, because this book could have been so much more than what it is, but even so I have to say that I raced through reading it in less than a day.
December 10, 2011
I liked that this book focused more on David and Shane together, and I loved that they can be together openly now. The book still dealt a lot with the Presidency and with a good bit of drama in the job as well, which was well done. Some of David's ideas on how to solve things were great, but some were totally unrealistic. Too bad that Congress and the press would never let these ideas go through so easily. Then again, it's nice to hope it could all work out so well! An enjoyable read.
October 29, 2022
Great series
Looking forward to rest of series and more from the authorized he writes them for the best reads keck him out
Looking forward to rest of series and more from the authorized he writes them for the best reads keck him out
September 5, 2025
A really enjoyable and interesting experience, the continuing story is brilliant read I found I couldn't put it down until I finished it 😀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2010
Condor and Falcon is the third book in the Condor One series and the story picks up almost immediately where Talons of the Condor leaves off. President David Windsor and Shane Thompson have made their relationship public and, as the President’s life partner, Shane has quit the Secret Service to take on the White House duties of First Gentleman under the codename Falcon.
While the President is dealing with the aftermath of the highest incident of treason in American history, he continues to face challenges to his domestic and foreign policy initiatives and reforms, as well as to his open and public relationship with Shane from both within and without. As First Gentleman, Shane has taken on duties of his own and while some of these remain more traditional in nature, in keeping with the custom of previous First Spouses, many break new ground. Together David and Shane support each other in their public duties, and privately their relationship has greatly deepened as they contemplate marriage, adoption and a life together beyond the White House.
John Simpson continues to explore the “what if” possibilities of an openly gay President in the White House in this third, and likely final, installment in the series in much the same writing style as in the previous books. The story continues to be written in the first person point of view of the main character - David Windsor, providing an intimate view of life in the highest political office in the United States and the pace of the story remains frenetic as the author deftly captures the day-to-day realities of a sitting President. While there aren’t as many plot twists and turns as in the previous books, the political drama remains high with a few well-placed climatic events. And of all the books in the series thus far, Condor and Falcon is much more focused on the relationship between David and Shane with a most befitting ending to the story.
As one of the strongest elements of this story, the character of President Windsor continues to serve as a conduit through which the author explores creative policy alternatives and solutions to many timely domestic and foreign issues facing the United States such as, the environment and alternative energy, social issues, in particular gay rights, and the Middle East.
The difficulties I had with this book are similar to those I outlined in my reviews of the two previous books and relate to characterization, dialogue and the first person point of view. While the persona of President Windsor is well developed, I felt that characterization fell short in respect of David and Shane as men, and the dialogue between the two is, at times, forced and awkward. The first person point of view also presents some limitations in that the author tends to tell us rather than show us the story and sometimes gets marred in too much ancillary detail.
Despite these limitations, I enjoyed Condor and Falcon. Mr. Simpson’s vast and intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the American political system and the sense of realism the author brings to the issues with which this story deals, coupled with the ability to write compelling political drama with intricate plots bring together the necessary ingredients for good political fiction. But what I enjoyed most in this book and indeed in the series as a whole is that the author has opened the door to and explores the possibilities and promise of a future where sexual orientation will play no determining role in American political leadership and life.
For those looking to read Condor and Falcon, it is not a standalone novel. In order to truly appreciate the potential of this not too distant America that the author has created, I strongly recommend reading the first two books in the series Condor One and Talons of the Condor in sequence of publication before embarking upon this one.
NOTE: This review was originally published online by Rainbow Reviews on June 6, 2010.
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December 8, 2010I liked something about these enough to read all three - but the totally irrational fantasy-politics of these books just tired me out. I often felt like the book should have been titled 'A Gay Hawk Blows Up the World" instead of "Condor and Falcon".
I actually think he word diplomacy isn't used once in the world of trigger-happy peacenik, President Windsor. His ethos is eerily similar to that of Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element, who when sent to negotiate with the aliens who have commandeered the spaceship he is on, shoots one in the head and then says "OK, Now, who else wants to negotiate." Unlike Teddy Roosevelt, Windsor's motto would be "Walk loudly and carry a big nuclear warhead."
Though it's a fantasy I personally appreciate, the Mary-Sue politics of the books just became grating and I wanted it to end.
I actually think he word diplomacy isn't used once in the world of trigger-happy peacenik, President Windsor. His ethos is eerily similar to that of Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element, who when sent to negotiate with the aliens who have commandeered the spaceship he is on, shoots one in the head and then says "OK, Now, who else wants to negotiate." Unlike Teddy Roosevelt, Windsor's motto would be "Walk loudly and carry a big nuclear warhead."
Though it's a fantasy I personally appreciate, the Mary-Sue politics of the books just became grating and I wanted it to end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2016
Shane's and David's relationship is out in the open now, with Shane officially moving in and taking on some of the duties usually reserved for the First Lady. Meanwhile, international politics in the form of aggressive posturing from Iran are also keeping President David Windsor busy.
So, let's just get this out of the way: Yep, awkward dialogue is still awkward. But I dare say three books into the series people have either given up on it or more or less gotten used to the somewhat clunky writing style. This third book focusses a lot more on the relationship, with the action taking a bit of a backseat. The timejump at the end came a bit abruptly, might have been better IMO to end the book with and save the rest for the beginning of the next book.
So, let's just get this out of the way: Yep, awkward dialogue is still awkward. But I dare say three books into the series people have either given up on it or more or less gotten used to the somewhat clunky writing style. This third book focusses a lot more on the relationship, with the action taking a bit of a backseat. The timejump at the end came a bit abruptly, might have been better IMO to end the book with and save the rest for the beginning of the next book.
January 31, 2017
OMG 1st ill say the cover is hot!! And this is the best in the romance for David and Shane so far. They are out and Shane is doing things on his own to help the LGBT youth. There is still danger on David's life and bullet meant for him strikes Shane. Luckily he pulls through and is able to assist David when he meets with people in the Middle East informing them that he is pulling out and threatens them to not attack the US. I liked that we got to see the wedding between them, and them witnessing a new president since David and Shane agreed that David would not go for a 2nd term. I wont spoil anything but she has 2 wonderful sons.
June 28, 2011
As the series continues, there is still the assassination attempts and high drama like in the first two books. But this one focuses a little more on the relationship between David and Shane. Great story... looking forward to seeing how things go in the next phase of David and Shanes lives together.
November 17, 2012
Third in the Condor series - I enjoyed it as much as he first two. The ending did come rather quickly however which frustrated me a bit. Almost as if the author either ran out of ideas or, had a new idea for a new book and needed/ wanted to finish this one so he could get on with it .......
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April 4, 2013need to check when this was written was surprised that King William was datiing Lady Katherine.
March 7, 2015
A little unbelievable but I really love David and Shane as a couple.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews