Out of Crisis

Very good mix of thriller, natural disasters, politics, and constitutional law. Two stories, two years apart are told and they merge in a most satisfactory way. As the Secretary of State is convinced to run for President as a third-party candidate, his primary goal is to represent the forgotten eighty percent through a new constitutional convention. Only a national emergency could cause this to happen, and one just happens to happen.

I did not not know I really need to think and so glad I did! The timeline and events throughout were well paced and kept me reading longer, I had to know how this ended. This is a work of fiction, but the scariest thing is that the whole book is plausible and believable; makes me shudder. Very impressed with this from start to finish and the ending, O M G!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Dystopian? Yes. Thriller/suspense? Heck yes! You have to read this!

Looking forward to more by this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, Richard Caldwell, and Indigo River Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/13/21

I've been trying to find a political thriller for awhile now.
And this was great. I loved everything about this book! The setting the characters. The plot the ending. The writing.
This was a wonderful read.

Out of Crisis is a fast paced, well written geo-political/geological thriller, that appealed very much. Though at times it touched on constitutional and scientific matters, it never lost the reader, and kept me intrigued. I enjoyed the "subtle" references to the unnamed past administration, and it highlighted how bizarre that was. I'm not sure who the Starkey character is portraying, if anyone, but I was left feeling he was the type of individual that the world needed right now and in the future. Out of Crisis comes....

Against the backdrop of a natural catastrophe and gun violence, Richard Caldwell posits a new political direction for the United States – the Centrist Party. Out of Crisis is an interesting read - the author’s view of what is wrong with today’s American politics. However, after last year’s election hype and hypocrisy, I found the political discourse more than a bit boring. Of greater interest to me was the the excellent descriptive writing about the natural catastrophe and its human toll. For that alone, this book is a must read. #OutofCrisis #NetGalley

One of the better political thrillers that I have read in quite some time. A melding of two time lines, one in which a third party candidate is elected President, the other a major eruption of the Yellowstone caldera. The novel kept me interested in where it was going to go. The story, for the most part, is somewhat plausible. Especially the volcano portion. A little heavy on the political preaching for me, but some may enjoy that part. Entertaining.

f it ain’t one thing, it’s another.

First crisis: Russia, China, US, and NKorea are at odds . . . again. A decidedly apolitical problem solver, the current Secretary of State, brokers a solution that not only cools the crisis, but also effectively eliminates NKorea as a rogue state.

Second crisis: The political chasms as they are will never unite the country. Red vs. Blue is a no-win situation. Behind the scenes money and power brokers realize the only way out is a 3rd party. And not one that is further right or left of what’s there now. A 3rd party must be middle of the road: fiscally conservative and socially liberal, which describes 80% of the country. Win the 80% and screw the two fringes. Envision 2100, the brokers, have not only a plan, but a platform. What they need is a candidate

Third crisis: A hugely popular president tells his closest allies in DC that his health will probably keep him from seeking a second term. And the current VP is a toad, entirely unsuited for the office. Solution: A new candidate from a new party: David Stakely, current Secretary of State for the Centrist Party.

Fourth crisis: A group of highly effective kidnappers has been snatching well-heeled Americans for ransom. Based in the Yucatan. Everyone thinks its roots are in the cartel.

Fifth crisis: This pastor from Houston has heard the Word of God. He’s been told by God that the planet needs a cleansing and that the Pastor is to start this cleansing by stocking his pulpit with weapons and to open up on the congregation during his sermon.

Sixth crisis: and it’s a big one. You’ve heard that Yellowstone National Park sits atop a mega volcano that has been dormant for untold thousands of years, right? Well, guess what. Nap time is over. The greatest natural disaster in recorded history.

That’s a lot for one book. Remember that excellent movie Dunkirk? Where Christopher Nolan expertly knitted four stories, each with different timelines, into a cohesive story where the four separate stories came together in a hugely satisfying finish.

This is sort of like Dunkirk. Probably 80-90% of the book follows two stories. The Yellowstone volcano eruption (#6 above) and the birth of a 3rd party (#2 and 3 above) are told in alternating chapters (mostly) but set 2-3 years apart. The other issues come to play periodically at varying points within the 2–3-year bracketing of stories.

The Yellowstone eruption is a breathtaking description of hell on earth and is told at a breakneck pace. The development of the Centrist Party and the recruitment of Secretary Stakely is, however, mostly meeting after meeting that is, for all intents and purposes, a primer on how to develop a third party. Not to mention a party platform that reforms everything from fiscal restraint, immigration, term limits, guns, paths to citizenship, repeal/revision of a few amendments, a new Constitutional Convention called by the states, and much more. While interesting, I thought it slowed everything else down and read more like a public policy professor's lecture notes.

And all those meetings go on for a few years. Stakely and the Envision 2100 brass realize that some unfathomable events need to happen at just the right time for all these new initiatives to be welcomed by the 80%. A high-profile kidnapping is thwarted, the Pastor opens fire. And the eruption. Shit happens.

So, yeah, the populace is ready for a massive shift in US policies.

I will admit this story could have easily been two separate stories. One part of the story is about the supervolcano located in Yellowstone National Park. We have all heard about this supervolcano and the destruction it would create if it ever erupted. So imagine the destruction because it just erupted. Disrupting life as we know it for years to come. The second part of the story was the creation of the Centrist Party. This new political party is to offset the current Democratic and Republican party. I will admit it sounded pretty good. They enlist former Secretary of State David Stakley as their candidate. They want to appeal to 80% of the US population. These two stories seem so different but were expertly woven together. It was a very interesting story.

Scary topic! Lots of information! Jumped around quite a bit sometimes which makes it hard to follow.

Really good novel. Thoroughly enjoyed it! This was the first novel of Richard Caldwell's I have read, and after seeing the front jacket cover and the description, it sounded interesting. I'm really glad I picked it up.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
4.5 Stars
Well that was one explosive read, no pun intended. I was initially interested knowing this was a political thriller combined with the explosion of the Yellowstone super volcano. I’ve always been both equally fascinated and terrified by the prospect of this evil giant going off in my lifetime. I’d never given the thought as to how this would coincide with the running of the country and how only a certain type of leader would handle and be able to handle these extraordinary circumstances. The author here holds nothing back and tackles both issues in one go. Before really getting into my review I must say this book will only be so great to those who are extremely open minded and/or of the same mindset of the author. Staunch republicans, conservatives, those extremely happy with our current government and even many democrats would perhaps wholeheartedly disagree with the stances taken by the position of the president in the book. I did not have such a problem. In fact I could not agree more with pretty much every obstacle the author tackles such as healthcare, gun control, creating a new party, and actually creating a real and true government for the people. More often than not governments are not actually for the people but instead the rich and powerful to whom keep them in power and well funded. Personally my millennial self has always questioned and hated the concept of only two parties and having to strictly decide between only the two and thus the lesser of two evils. That’s not a choice if you ask me.
The book is told via two time lines. One takes place two years prior when then Secretary of State Stakley is approached by members of a up and coming (progressive) political party seeking to put Stakley in the Oval Office. The other timeline takes place immediately prior and during the actual explosion of the volcano. Honestly I’m pretty blown away by this book and was not expecting to like it so much or for it to take on so many issues at once. It’s even more mind-blowing and not hard to piece together that unfortunate incidents like this and national tragedies are unfortunately the only things in the US that seem to bring about real prominent change and forward progress for the average people of this country. I think what made it so much more powerful was the legitimacy of the characters and the honest non selfish ways they wanted to help and bring about change. It certainly helped that I held many of the same ideals and I would only hope someone so compassionate and dedicated would be our president in a disaster of this magnitude.
This was a truly phenomenal read and I think should the author decide to, there’s enough left open to the possibility of another book and I’d be all for it. Even living on the east coast I’m terrified of the ramifications of the volcano going off. It’s effects would be felt around the world and for many years to come. I doubt we’d really know how long until it happened. Disasters such as this bring out the worst in people and as we’re already in the middle of a pandemic I don’t think we have the right leadership across the board to keep most of us alive, sane and well during something like this. Here’s to hoping the pandemic is the worst our generations have to endure because any more and the fabric of the country would seriously be at risk. If you’ve made it thus far in the review, read this book. The varying timelines have you in the thick of things at one moment escaping for your life and in the growth stages of a true democracy which are mildly tamer in another. I can’t recommend this enough. The no holds barred approach taken by the author gives me hope that others out there do share the same ideals and are not afraid to share them even if only through fiction....for now. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Very scary as the 2 get more and more entwined,I did enjoy the writing though at times it did jump around a bit and had to take stock of what was happening where and to who,this isent always a bad thing mind you and overall was a good read

This book looks at three potential crises enveloping the United States at once. The end result is a complete change in the fabric of life on planet earth. Sub-plots are developed to add drama and authenticity to the narrative.

There is a group who feel the Constitution has holes in it which need to be amended. The problem is that there has to be a Constitutional Congress to amend the document and this will require ratification by at least 33 states. Chief among the tenets of the proposal is to revise the second amendment and establish procedures for citizenship.

A group of entitled individuals get together to change the very fabric of the American electoral process and rights of citizens. They are highly educated, affluent and privileged. They begin to groom a candidate to represent them and ostensibly the majority of Americans.

Envision the next eruption of a super volcano such as Yellowstone. Bubbling under the surface of Eastern Idaho, Southern Montana, and Western Montana is a weak spot in the mantle of the earth. After nearly 640,000 years the volcano at Yellowstone is awakening.

This book is very entertaining if not frightening. Growing up in Southern Idaho I saw the extent of the lava flow from Yellowstone.

I found parts of the tale a bit redundant and a little tedious. Along the way the various plots are intertwined and become a bit aggravating because some of the threads are left hanging. The novel, however, is entertaining. 4 stars - CE Williams

Out of Crisis is an interesting read of the author’s view of what is wrong with American politics today. There’s a melding of multiple POV’s and nonlinear timelines. There are three potential crises enveloping the United States at once:
1. There is a group who feel the Constitution has holes in it which need to be amended.
2. The Yellowstone Caldera is awakening and getting ready to erupt.
3. A group of entitled individuals get together to change the very fabric of the American electoral process and rights of citizens.

This is a work of fiction but the story is quite plausible and believable.
If you enjoy reading political thrillers then you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

“I have to discuss a matter of national importance with you. It will undoubtedly be the most pivotal discussion you have ever had.”

** Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review! **

#PamelaReads2021 #100BooksIn2021 #OutOfCrisis #PoliticalThriller #NetGalleyARC

Enjoyed this book! Scary topic yet always realistic with the wild ride of politics. It was my first political thriller and I will definitely be reading more.

loved the use of political thrillers, it was wonderfully done with a interesting plot. The characters were great and I enjoyed going through this book.

I have to admit, I don’t like politics. I find them to be far too divisive and honestly, they get boring after a while. Which is why I have no clue why I enjoy political thrillers as much as I do. For some reason, they are one of my favorite types of book to read.

Out of Crisis was no exception. An interesting mix of time periods – the days leading up to and just after a huge natural disaster and two years prior to that disaster. There is also another time period that we go through, but it is more for background information than anything else.

This book gives a fictional glimpse into what could happen should a third major political party make an attempt to rise to power – and what could happen if that party did rise to power. The part in question – Centrist – wants to make Constitutional changes that they believe will be for the better, but they need the right candidate and the right circumstances. Enter David Stakley as the right candidate. Enter a major natural disaster as the right circumstances.

The book bounces between the time periods but it is done in a clean manner – the majority of the time jumps are done at chapter changes and are clearly marked as to what time period you are currently reading about. This makes the time jumps easy to follow along with and the timelines with their accompanying story lines are easy to keep track of – you won’t get lost in the mix when switching back and forth. They’re very clear and distinct until they finally merge together at which point it won’t matter as you won’t need to keep track of them separately any longer.

Out of Crisis is very well written. While it does deal with Constitutional law in some places, the basics are given in terms that the reader can understand. Of course, these laws may not be real, but even if they aren’t, they’re still easy to understand for the reader. The plot lines are easy to follow and they are written in a manner that is easy to read and has a medium paced flow. According to my Kindle, the book would take around 8 hours to read and I found that all told it did take about that long. Of course, as that is based on my reading speed, your mileage may vary.

Some people may be annoyed or offended by the scripture quotes – there aren’t many and they’re not meant to be used in a religious context so much as a wisdom context. Still, if you aren’t a fan of Christian faiths, you may find this to be irritating or offensive. If you are a Christian, be aware there is cursing in the book, so if you find that offensive, you may want to skip this book.

I’d recommend this book to people who like political thrillers. If you aren’t into political books you probably won’t like this one. However, if you’re looking to try out the political thriller sub-genre, I’d recommend this one as a good starting place.