This mystery thriller reunites Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama for a political mashup full of suspense, intrigue, and laugh out loud bromance.
Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted—the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic.
Part noir thriller and part bromance novel, Hope Never Dies is essentially the first published work of Obama/Biden fanfiction—and a cathartic read for anyone distressed by the current state of affairs.
This book wasn't nearly as fun as I expected it to be. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but when you take this bizarre premise and put that cover on it you're bound to get a certain impression about what you'll be reading. Suffice it to say, I was a bit let down by this book. Not that a serious mystery is a bad thing, far from it, but just from that cover I was expecting a lot more camp than I got.
Former Vice President Joe Biden narrates this tale about an old friend's unexpected death, and the suspected conspiracy surrounding it. There were enough details throughout to make it believably written by Biden himself, though obviously I can't vouch for any of it being remotely true. The thread of "Bromance" that the book promises was extremely underplayed (again, not as campy as I expected) and a bit melancholy at times. Great for a character piece, but not really that comedic.
I guess when you get right down to it, this isn't a comedy. This isn't a buddy-cop story that happens to star the two leaders of the former administration. There aren't any laugh-out-loud moments. It's a mystery thriller set in Biden's home town. There's a bit of cheek here and there, poking a little fun at pop culture and the current white house, and the duo do manage to get into a couple crazy situations, but for the most part this book plays it completely straight.
For what I was expecting, Hope Never Dies was both better and worse than I expected. The quality of writing and storytelling was spectacular, the characters and world rich with details. But I was enticed with a "political mashup full of suspense, intrigue, and laugh out loud bromance", and while I might have smirked a bit, I was nowhere near laughing. So I'd say definitely pick this up for a good mystery/thriller, but hold off if you're looking for something hilarious.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
No comments :
Post a Comment
Let me hear you howl!