State of Terror
by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. Simon & Schuster 2021. 486 pp.
The new Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, has just returned from an assignment in Korea which did not go well and is now faced with a crisis that occurred in London. A bus had blown up, killing almost everyone on board. It appears to be a warning that it will happen again and probably in the United States.
Ellen sets out to try and track down this terrorist. There are so many false leads and dead ends, and it seems there are so many people she cannot trust in the government. Fortunately, her best friend and colleague Betsy, who has also worked for the government, is someone she knows she can trust has joined her to help look for some answers.
One of the suspects is a dangerous enemy of the country who’d been in jail but recently released. While trying to track him down she travels to several foreign countries to follow leads but comes up empty.
They finally realize that three bombs have been planted – one probably in the White House- and time is running out to find them.
It is quite suspenseful and well written. One would hope well written as Hilary Clinton has actually been the Secretary of State, run for President and written a number of books. Louise Penny has been a successful writer herself. It does give one pause and unease to wonder how much in the book is based on some of Clinton’s experiences as Secretary of State.