Party Games [Kindle Edition]

This is not a genre I would usually read, as I don't follow Politics. I do, however, like legal thrillers and courtroom dramas, so it wasn't such a stretch. I am so glad I read this book. I had real problems putting it down and found myself getting annoyed when my Other Half came home and interrupted me! I could easily visualise all of the characters and although the novel deals with backstabbing, deals, dodgy journalists, scandals, switching allegiances and downright skulduggery, there is a strong romantic theme running throughout the novel, as we see the relationships behind the politicians. How the past shapes the future is also important, as is trying to keep any sort of private life private. The balance of power between politicians, journalists and other 'players' is also very interesting to see unfold. The novel really made me wonder about matters I hadn't given much thought to before. I found Rodney odious, although I empathised with him to some extent because of his past. I liked the dubiety over the relationship between Rodney and his close colleague, as well as the eventual relationship between that colleague and another who had been recently sacked. I could well believe that life in Westminster is very similar to this. Also, people stealing their colleagues' thunder and taking the credit themselves is another concept I could clearly see happening on a relatively regular basis. Jeremy having to be placid and keep everyone in line, reminded me a little of a mother hen, trying to keep the peace. I believe there will be a sequel to this novel and I am very much looking forward to it. The pace of the novel and the multitude of events which happened and secrets which were unveiled, made for a compelling read.
I have rated this novel 4 stars, as it would have benefitted from a professional proofread. I understand this is now being rectified. Had it been, and if I were rating on storyline alone, I would easily have rated it 5 stars. An author I am delighted to have discovered.

The first page reminded me immediately of the ending of Michael Dobbs political trilogy House of Cards.Would this be as riveting? Given that HofC benefited from an excellent TV adaptation and was written by a very experienced author, that would be a hard level to reach for a first time author, but it gets pretty close.
Our main worry must be - are our political leaders as self-interested and lacking in empathy as this narrative portrays? Do they actually spend most of their time on furthering their careers? And is the press quite as irresponsible as shown? Unfortunately for us I suspect the author has it bang on!
The action is centred on the Conservatives in opposition, but could easily have been any party at any time. Maybe the characters could have been closer to real life- no Etonians and only two who went to Oxford amongst the main players? But the resumes at the beginning (a nice touch) do show hardly a proper job between them, which does seem right.
Despite an occasional lapse into chick-lit, the plot advances quite plausibly and kept me up late for several nights. The characters develop nicely as bits of their backgrounds are introduced, and some good twists ensure that you cannot be sure what is coming. The finale is quite unexpected and I'm looking forward to a sequel (and maybe even a TV adaptation :-))

Anyone following the current political scene will be well familiar with the tales of treachery, double dealing and backbiting that are all too often reported about the Westminster playground, and it often leaves us wishing we could look even further behind the scenes. This tale of the tribulations of opposition leader Rodney Richmond takes a further step into that murky world - and it's all too credible. Rather than spoil the surprise beyond the author's own preview, I'll just say that if you like political suspense (from Dobbs to Archer), you'll love this one - all the more so for the promised sequels as this is just the first part of an intended trilogy.