Exile

By: Richard North Patterson

Narrated by: William Hope

'Richard North Patterson has outdone himself - Exile is his best novel yet.' Bill Clinton

From one of America's most compelling novelists comes the mesmerising story of a lawyer who must defend the woman he loves against a charge of conspiring to assassinate a prime minister.

David Wolfe's life is approaching an exhilarating peak: he's a successful San Francisco lawyer, he's about to get married, and he's being primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif - the woman with whom he had a secret affair in law school -he begins a completely unexpected journey. The next day, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco; soon, Hana herself is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. Hana may well be guilty but David cannot turn away the one woman he can never forget...

Culminating in a tense and startling trial with international ramifications, Exile is that rare novel that both entertains and enlightens. At once an intricate tale of betrayal and deception, a moving love story, and a fascinating journey into the lethal politics of the Middle East, this is Richard North Patterson at his most brilliant and engrossing.

Critic reviews

Exile is an astonishing book, a hugely entertaining human drama that also offers remarkable insight into the lethal conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Richard North Patterson has outdone himself - Exile is his best novel yet. (Bill Clinton)

Stephen King, in one of his novels, has his main character reflect that ‘Patterson and DeMille are probably the best of the current popular novelists.' I could not agree more... (Nelson DeMille)

Torn from the headlines…Exile delivers.

Through his artful writing, Patterson presents compelling arguments for both sides while avoiding a preachy tone - a pitfall a lesser writer easily could succumb to. Weaving a powerful love story into this vast portrait of political divisiveness is no small feat, but Patterson does it gracefully... In Exile, Patterson has redefined himself as a writer willing to take risks while seeking to understand one of the world's seemingly unsolvable problems.

Instructive and Entertaining

A brilliant book, written to instruct and entertain, For those with a limited knowledge of just how Israel came to be, and what that action cost the Palestinian people, this book is for you. Patterson does not come down on either side of the argument, just iterates that there is no answer, except one that requires both sides to see the folly of continuing the status quo.
Excellent. In every way.

I loved this book with minor exceptions. i

I found this book utterly fascinating. it made me stop and think about all that I know about the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, all I think I know, and more. I found myself looking at it from both sides with a more open mind, although, not it did not change my core beliefs. I found myself slipping out to care to salvage a few extra moments of listening time whenever I could. Although it seemed to drag on in spots it carried itself very well.

Intriguing but........

I got through the book just to see how it would end. So much hate on both sides, but slightly tilted. That might be how things really are, I pray not. The narrator did a wonderful job with just the right emotion all through the book.

It's a story of love and hate and passion and a lot more. It could happen in today's world and that's really scary. The only thing I thought was missing was more interaction with the truly guilty one.

I would not listen to this again, so I'm going to return it.

Sadly Predictable Story Sharply Defined Characters

The story is as old as the campfire. Romeo and Juliet in the person of Hanna and David, a Palestinian and a Jew each carrying his or her own ethnic and religious baggage. Mr. Patterson pulls at us to understand the plight of the Palestinians while tipping his cap to the two thousand years of pogroms directed at the Jews. In the end the characters are extraordinarily sharply drawn and completely realized. Without giving away too much, the denouement is never really in doubt and sadly predictable. I enjoyed the characterizations in the first half of the book, though David was a bit of cliché. You will see the end coming from the very publisher's blurb. Still the writing was excellent. I am on the fence whether I would recommend it.

Deep, RIVETING END. NEEDS to be a movie.

It started out a bit slow, I actually got confused for awhile. But this man CAN WRITE AN ENDING! I don't usually listen AGAIN. But I just might this one.

William Hope is an astonishing narrator. Really great production.