The Kennedy Moment

(Paperback, New edition)

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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, the risk to their own lives is incalculable.

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...its 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 peoples minds that Ive 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 couldnt 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 writtenI was captivated from the start and found it hard to put it down until Id reached the last pagea 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 thinga 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 dilemmawhether to act on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or do the much safer thingnothing. 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 affairsand it shows. His persuasively page-turning political thriller is filled with richly drawn characters and authentic plotting. Its 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 empires 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; Reads like an Elmore Leonard novel, only with more emotion and more depth. I was spellbound, in genuine suspense. Adam Fifield

Author Bio

Peter Adamson is the author of two previous novels, Facing out to Sea and The Tuscan Master. His short story Sahel was awarded the Royal Society of Literature V.S.Pritchett Memorial Prize in 2013. He founded New Internationalist magazine in the 1970s and subsequently became Senior Adviser to the Executive Director of UNICEF in New York, a position he held for 16 years. He has written and presented numerous BBC TV documentaries. Originally from Leeds, he now lives in Oxfordshire. His novel The Kennedy Moment was published by Myriad in February 2018. His latest book Landmark in Time: the world from the Wittenham Clumps is published in 2021.