Don’t read The Patriot Conspiracy if you read novels to “escape”! C.J. Tremblay has given us a thought-provoking look into contemporary politics in this new age of cyber-information.

John M. Chiswell is a power-hungry president who moves step by devious step toward total government intrusion into the lives of every citizen. By initiating popular measures, such as rebates on income taxes for returns prepared by the IRS, Chiswell succeeds in duping the population as to his real motives. Robert Trent, an ambitious young senator, makes his name by challenging the administration's lies at every turn. As events unfold, Trent must navigate — and finally choose — between his principles and his ambitions.

This enthralling debut novel reads like a real-life journal. The reader follows the story through the eyes of Maggie Trent, who learns about politics as she learns about life. Maggie isn’t interested in fluffy descriptions of time and place. She takes on issues of substance, while trying to figure out what is happening around her and ultimately to her.

The final scene leaves the reader reeling. What if this is not just a work of imagination but a blue print for a not-so-far-off future? ( )