![]() The result is a novel that’s both informative and gripping, though usually not quite at the same time. Exile showcases Patterson’s skill in crafting legal drama, his ambition in ameliorating political injustice, and his persistence in researching contextual information. Exile, his 14th novel, is no different: it is about the Israel/Palestine question - indeed, in effect it is a brief for a two-state solution. ![]() His novels tend to be “about” social debates such as guns, reproductive choice, and the like. ![]() Not coincidentally, Richard North Patterson has complained about being identified too closely as an author of legal thrillers, despite his success in the genre. Why this might be so is fairly straightforward: It’s difficult to maintain the requisite suspense or pacing if you always have to stop the narrative to do justice to the nuances of real-world phenomena, especially those with a long history. Either the show or novel sensationalizes the material in order to attract attention, or it subordinates the material to an exposition of some dynamic internal to the legal system. ![]() When a legal thriller lifts plots from the headlines of the day, though, its purpose is rarely to illuminate some social woe or to propose a solution. In a media universe where it is now possible to watch some flavor of Law & Order or CSI at any hour you’d like, it is de rigueur for legal thrillers to draw upon contemporary events for plots. ![]()
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