If you can’t find this book in the fiction section, check current affairs.
Political thrillers aren’t my go-to at the moment, as I’d rather be removed from the current politics of the world we live in than be immersed in it during my reading time. But I’m so glad this cracking novel was on my TBR list. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read for a while, and one I’m recommending to friends.
Recently elected president Richard Monroe – populist, controversial and divisive – is at the centre of an increasingly polarised Washington, DC. Never has the partisan drama been so tense or the paranoia so rampant. In the midst of contentious political turf wars, the White House chief of staff is found dead in his house.
The novel’s protagonist, Hayley Chill is former military and a champion boxer. She’s left the army and is now a White House intern. She’s tough, tenacious and rather unusual. She discovers a single clue that suggests the chief of staff died from something other than natural causes, and it seems there may be a deep conspiracy running beneath the surface of everyday events: powerful government figures are scheming to undermine the rule of law – and democracy itself.
Soon, allies are exposed as enemies, once-dependable authorities fall under suspicion, and it seems no one is who they say they are. The unthinkable is happening. The Deep State is real.
This is Chris Hauty’s debut novel, and it’s an excellent one. Hauty is a screenwriter by trade and that shines through here in the tight plotting. Hayley’s past is seamlessly woven into the book, and each chapter leaves you wanting more. A page-turner is an understatement.
Male authors have to work hard to win me over when their main protagonist is female. Hauty does so quickly. Hayley is a fantastic heroine. He sets her character up before the action really starts, giving the reader time to get to know her. What follows in this gripping book is that you really care about Hayley Chill.
As with many authors who have Hollywood backgrounds, you can really see Deep State as a film. But don’t think for a second that that means it lacks substance. On the contrary – it’s clever, a moral minefield of a story, with a fabulous female lead and writing that sings. This utterly absorbing and frighteningly real political thriller is definitely one for the weekend, when you have time to devour it in one sitting.
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