Affirmation Review
🔗 http://www.affirmation.org/books/by_a_thread.shtml
Story Behind The Book
The streets of Vienna: A handsome Kuwaiti walks up and introduces himself to Mormon missionary Kevin “Red” Davis. A week later the U.S. President is dead, the Vice President in a coma. Chaos reigns as the Supreme Court overturns the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, and a power struggle ensues. Is a conspiracy afoot? The Kuwaiti holds the key to the mystery, and everybody wants him. When the missionary gets him, the real trouble begins. Everything hangs…By A Thread! At 19, Davis is sent out into the world to change it. He discovers, however, that it has changed him—in ways he never imagined. Everything he believes—about himself, his religion, his country—is challenged when he’s forced to prioritize his loyalties to each of them in a life and death situation. All of this unfolds amid a fast-paced tale of espionage and betrayal, where no one is who he seems. The plot’s many twists and turns leave the reader unsure of who the good guys and bad guys are, until the very end of the story. Even then, moral certainty may seem suddenly less certain.
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Reviews
<strong style="font-family:Verdana;">By A Thread</strong><br /><br />A review by Neil Badders<br /><br /><p>Could this happen? Terrorists take out the president and vice president of the United States. Meddling by cabinet members and manipulation of the Supreme Court result in the elevation of the Secretary of Defense to the presidency, bypassing the rightful successor, the Speaker of the House. Rioting and martial law ensue. Can the country be saved? Exactly who is the enemy?</p><p></p> <p>In a well-honed, tension-filled 312 pages, author Marty Beaudet makes a case for vigilance. Not only does the scenario seem plausible, his work of fiction should stand as a cautionary tale of the fragility of our democracy, shout out a warning signal to all Americans that we should never take our rights for granted. As Beaudet adds layer on layer to the story, it’s like a punch in the gut. I kept thinking, this could really happen.</p><p></p> <p>The key to uncovering the terrorist plot lies in the hands of naive Mormon Missionary, Kevin Davis, who is recruited by the CIA in Austria to befriend a Kuwaiti, Jassim al-Shammari. Al-Shammari may have the answers the CIA needs to protect an America under attack from the outside and from within. The coordinates of Kevin’s moral compass are tested as his friendship with and feelings for al-Shammari grow. Is Jassim devil or savior? Kevin’s realization that he might be falling in love is heartwarming and heartbreaking, his inner turmoil tangible and believable.</p><p></p> <p>“By a Thread” has the ring of authenticity—It’s obvious that Beaudet has done his homework when it comes to Mormon customs and culture, to the finer points of our Constitution, in the descriptions of exotic locales such as Vienna and Munich. Most importantly, he understands that love is transcendent.</p><p></p> <p><em>In a addition to being featured in the Broadway national touring companies of “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Evita, “Fiddler on the Roof, Mame, and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Neil Badders is also a published playwright, and has been a political reporter and theater critic. He is currently working on his book, “Let’s Get This Show On The Road”. His essays can be found in his blog, Dreams in a Drawer, on LiveJournal.com.</em></p>