Absolute power is certainly an intriguing title for a book. When I initially came across this particular book, I assumed it would be about someone with enormous power, either using their power for good or for evil. This is because, we live in a world where people use their power, irrespective of how little it may be, for either benevolence or malevolence; with the latter always ahead of the former.
Naturally, I was intrigued and decided to indulge. One thing I can say for sure is that this book was a real wonder to me.
Plot Summary.
The book “Absolute Power” tells the tale of Luther Whitney, a professional thief who breaks into one of the luxurious mansions of Walter Sullivan for a regular heist. Soon enough, he finds himself witnessing a shocking crime where the President–Alan Richmond– and his aides assault and murder a young Christine Sullivan.
In no time, he becomes the target of a ruthless cover-up plan. Luther is left with the options of either varnishing from the surface of the earth and burying the truth in the process or using his prowess to stay alive and expose the truth.
This crime thriller mystery novel is fast paced and very enjoyable. From the very first chapter, one can tell that the book is going to be an interesting read. The author masterfully showcases the themes of corruption, power-struggle and deceit; themes that we experience every now and then.
The characters were well developed. Take Luther Whitney for example, he was a very compelling and down to earth man in his fifties. Choosing to be a professional thief was just formidable but his daughter never saw it as such; I mean who in their right senses would?
Nevertheless, he was one of the most intelligent characters in the book. Luther carefully thought through all his decisions, showing how meticulous he was.
On the flip side, there was Alan Richmond, the alleged president of the United State who was inwardly cunning, ruthless and power-hungry but very charismatic when dealing with the public.
Alan was an embodiment of someone I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy. He stopped at nothing to maintain his power and protect his reputation, even if it involved killing loads and loads of people. The fun part about all of it was the fact that he never had to do all the bad things himself, instead, he just gave the orders and his aides (the secret service officials) did all the dirty work.
Another character that I felt more pity than hatred for was Kate Whitney as she held a grudge against her father for years. Not only did she hold this grudge but went on to spend a great part of her life putting criminals, like her father, behind bars just to spite him.
One other thing I like about the book is how quickly certain scenes unfolded as it helped to keep me on edge. One of such scenes was when Jack Graham asked to meet the detective handling the murder cases immediately after receiving a box with the murder weapon. At this point, everyone was so close to discovering the truth behind the initial and follow-up murders but something came up, leading to a ruckus and the consequent loss of the box with the murder weapon.
However, I feel there were some scenes that were unnecessarily prolonged. At some point, it felt like the author was just adding a few more lines just to increase the book’s word count.
Overall, I feel that this was a good read and if I am to rate it, I would give it a 3.5/5.0 rating because just like every other piece created by a human, the book had its shhortcomings but that didn't make it any less of a good book.
Recommendation
Absolute power is a gripping and thought-provoking crime thriller with an intricate plot, complex yet well developed characters and moral depth. It's my first read from this author but I'm certain I would like to come across another of his pieces.
If you are a fan of crime, thrillers or mystery novels then this would be an interesting read for you.
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