The Kennedy Moment

(Paperback)

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`Nothing could be simpler... Don't wear a suit'; Dr Michael Lowell-a mild-mannered American, unshakeably decent and at the top of his profession-accepts an invitation to a weekend reunion of Oxford college friends. He is looking forward to meeting some of them-including front-line Canadian medic Helene Hevre and the Australian advertising genius Toby Jenks. But the big attraction is the serene young woman from Karachi who rejected him twenty years ago because he was `just a little bit too dull'.; As the weekend gets under way and old loves and tensions arise, an audacious suggestion is made. It begins as a joke. But it is a joke that none of them can forget.; Moving between Oxford, New York, Washington, Geneva and Abidjan, this compelling political thriller is the story of five ordinary people who find themselves drawn into an extraordinary conspiracy-a gamble that could force the hand of governments and affect the lives of millions. But if it should go wrong ...; Daring, ingenious and profoundly moving, The Kennedy Moment is masterful storytelling from an author whose career has put him at the heart of international affairs.

Reviews

Intelligent and thought-provoking, a suspenseful and gripping tale with well-rounded characters and a plot that is outrageous yet plausible.' - Oxford Times

It took me into a world I knew very little about and opened my eyes to its beauty and interest. What I especially admired was the way the characters were both representative of large ideas and yet also fully human... It's a huge achievement.' - Alain de Botton

'I was captivated by the atmosphere but it was the sheer thoughtfulness of this novel that interested me... One of the most consistently intelligent and fascinating novels about what goes on in people's minds that I've read for a long time. Quite mesmeric in its hold.' - Margaret Forster

'A tender and joyous celebration, a book that shows that ordinary lives, half-successful lives, even failed lives, can be lit with glory. At the end I was weeping with happiness. A beautiful, subtle, and very loving book.' - William Nicholson

'This intricately plotted emotional engaging novel sweeps along at a goodly pace... the plot is a humdinger. In fact, the plot is so eye-popping that it couldn't possibly work without insider expertise, which it has.' - Betty Webb, Mystery Scene magazine

'Elegant... High-minded political thriller.' - Publishers Weekly

'An exciting and fast-paced political thriller, The Kennedy Moment is an extraordinary novel. It is very well written--I was captivated from the start and found it hard to put it down until I'd reached the last page--a powerful story and a recommendation that I will pass on to family and friends. Of course, it will also be a great book for reading groups. Very highly recommended.' - New Books

'*The Kennedy Moment* is that rare and clever thing--a gentle and moving thriller. Old friends, reunited, are suddenly offered the chance to influence the terrible fate of countless others. Now they face an awful dilemma--whether to act on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or do the much safer thing--nothing. The proposition is outrageous and compelling and the question one of ethics. But is their plan the most unethical thing imaginable Or might it be their moral duty In this intelligent, thoughtful work, Peter Adamson artfully persuades us that there might be such a thing as humanitarian terrorism.' - The Staunch Book Prize

'This tense political thriller is a marvellously uplifting novel about a group using their friendships to collectively defrag the mental debris accrued in middle age and rediscover the young believers within.' - Morning Star

'Five old college friends hatch a conspiracy to blackmail the US government. If it goes wrong, millions of lives around the world will be affected. Adamson formerly worked as a United Nations senior adviser for 16 years, which put him at the heart of international affairs--and it shows. His persuasively page-turning political thriller is filled with richly drawn characters and authentic plotting. It's superb.' - Saga magazine

'Brilliant, moving, splendidly written, keeps you at the edge of your chair until the very last minute.' - Marco Vianello-Chiodo

'How ingenious your central conceit, how well-crafted the writing, how alive the characters, the initially slow but then accelerating pace, the shifting scenarios, the building suspense and the surprising denouement. You have written a book that screams with relevance in this dark time of Trump and empire's decline.' - Robert Cohen

'A great story and very moving. It was that rare book which makes you feel sad when you finish it because the process of reading it has been so enjoyable.' - Fionnuala McCredie QC

'In lucid, persuasive prose Peter Adamson tells a truly gripping story about something profoundly important and relevant. This is a book I am very glad to have read.' - Literary Review

Author Bio

Peter Adamson is the author of two previous novels, Facing out to Sea (1997) and The Tuscan Master (2000). His short story `Sahel' was awarded the Royal Society of Literature V.S.Pritchett Memorial Prize in 2013.; For sixteen years Adamson was Senior Adviser to the Executive Director of UNICEF in New York. In the 1970s he founded New Internationalist magazine