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State of Terror

The Unputdownable Thriller Straight from the White House

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State of Terror

By: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Louise Penny
Narrated by: Joan Allen
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About this listen

A Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller!

‘A rip-roaring, brilliant page-turner, but it’s also timely, cheeky, important and wonderfully, courageously provocative. What great fun!’ – James Patterson

‘Smart and fast and twisty, State of Terror is a dazzlingly unpredictable political thriller. I loved it’Kathy Reichs

Take a ringside seat in the high-stakes world of international politics . . .

After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in. Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, is determined to do her duty for her country. But she is about to face a horrifying international threat . . .

A young foreign service officer has received a baffling text from an anonymous source. Too late, she realizes it was a hastily coded warning. Then a series of bus bombs devastate Europe, heralding the rise of a new rogue terrorist organization who will stop at nothing in their efforts to develop their own nuclear arsenal.

As Ellen unravels the damaging effects of the former presidency on international politics, she must also contemplate the unthinkable: that the last president of the United States was more than just an ineffectual leader. Was he also a traitor to his country?

State of Terror is a compelling and critically acclaimed international political thriller co-written by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th secretary of state, and Louise Penny, a multiple award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling novelist.
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Praise for State of Terror:

‘Clinton and Penny are each a force on their own - put together they are unstoppable’ – Karin Slaughter

'This is as close as you’ll get to being in the White House Situation Room with a secretary of state.' – The Times

'Fast-paced and packed with insider knowledge.' – Daily Mail

'The perfect political thriller . . . a glimpse into the world of our most powerful politicians.' - Ann Cleeves

Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Cyber Warfare

Critic Reviews

Pretty darn good...the real appeal of the novel, apart from a fuel tanker’s worth of political score-settling, is that this is as close as you’ll get to being in the White House Situation Room with a secretary of state.
Tightly plotted tale of political intrigue...[Clinton and Penny are] a match made in heaven... This is meticulously plotted, intelligent and terrifying... Don’t miss it. (Alison Flood)
Great fun...an unexpected delight
remarkable...Fast-paced and packed with insider knowledge, it superbly conveys the pressures at the heart of the world’s diplomacy.
I expected a thriller written by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny to be smart, very well-written, and suspenseful . . . But State of Terror is so much more than that. Yes, this novel is a rip-roaring, brilliant page-turner, but it’s also timely, cheeky, important, and wonderfully, courageously provocative. What great fun! (James Patterson)
The nearly 500-page novel combines other details that resonate with recent news... along with explorations of friendship... and, for the writers, the enjoyment of placing women of a certain age at the heart of a political thriller.
State of Terror is an absolutely gripping, utterly believable, heart-stopping thriller that will make readers question how much is fiction and how much is based on reality. Clinton and Penny are each a force on their own – put together they are unstoppable (Karin Slaughter)
This is the perfect political thriller: rollercoaster action, credible heroes and villains, and a glimpse into the world of our most powerful politicians. Add into the mix flashes of humour and fine writing and we have a winning formula! (Ann Cleeves)
Expectedly, but effectively, the book targets Washington misogyny...The novel is geopolitically thoughtful as well, exploring a moral dilemma worthy of John le Carré... (Mark Lawson)
Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny Deliver a Page-Turner … a romp...political junkies will relish the veiled insults to real-life people. … I’m going to award the prize for Best Clinton Thriller of 2021 to Hillary.
Smart and fast and twisty, State of Terror is a dazzlingly unpredictable political thriller. I loved it (Kathy Reichs)
cracking political thriller... (Ryan Tubridy, RTE)
a complex plot with the highest international stakes...State of Terror proves to be a lively ... blockbuster...The geopolitical aspects here are handled with plausible authenticity...
Mrs Clinton's co-author is the splendid Louise Penny, author of the wonderful Inspector Gamache series...lively and readable...
consistently entertaining...Penny and Clinton demonstrate a sure hand at international intrigue and narrative pacing. The real key to “State of Terror,” though, is its secret weapon: female friendship. International terrorists may have all the materials they need for a dirty bomb, but America has these two middle-aged women with a plan. Honestly, it’s not a fair fight.
All stars
Most relevant
A fast paced thriller with a sound plot and relatable characters. Nice nods to Louise Penny’s three pines characters. Narrator was solid. Give it a go!

Enjoyable

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Great story!!! This is so well written, I could not stop reading it. Highly recommended

Enthralling

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This book is extremely well written. Had my attention from the start. Excellent narration. Recommend to anyone interested in world politics. Makes you question everything about what actually goes on behind the scenes and had to ask myself did Clinton tell us anything or was it all fiction?

A must read

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Fabulous book and great resolution. Highly recommend especially if you follow American politics, but equally enjoyable of you don't.

Brilliant

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The story went along at a fast paced clip. I’m not of the same political view as Hilary but I still enjoyed the book.
Her spin on the Koran was very naive but oh well it’s fiction. I look forward to book 2

Great story

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