Great book, moves along at a cracking pace.

One of my favourite authors, thoroughly enjoyed this book. You find yourself holding your breath waiting for more outrageous fortune to strike the good honest folk who are swept along within this epic tale. More, more, more Jussi.

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An all too believable American crisis!

This disturbing, stand alone political thriller, very different from author Jussi Adler-Olsen's much loved Dept Q books, has the US going from a democracy to autocracy. It was surprisingly written in 2006, so way before the Trump presidential fiasco, America really started to rip it's self apart over a president, gun controls [and then the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade.] As a non American, The Washington Decree makes for fascinating fiction, but for Americans it's surely more a case of a what if & when tale, as well as being a wake up call re the power of FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency]!!!
The stories 'heroes' are introduced sixteen years prior to the plot. Democratic Senator Jansen's PR stunt brought together five very different people: fourteen-year-old Dorothy "Doggie" Rogers, small-town sheriff T. Perkins, single coloured mother Rosalie Lee, well-known journalist John Bugatti, & the teenage, Wesley Barefoot. The five remain bonded by their shared experience in China that's cut short through the murder of senator's first wife.
Fast forward to 2008; with both Doggie & Wesley now Jansen's aides, and destined for jobs in the White House when he's overwhelmingly elected President of the US. On the very same evening at a celebratory gathering, his pregnant second wife is assassinated. Doggie's father, once an outspoken opponent of Jansen, is immediately arrested for inciting the murder & swiftly sentenced to dead. What follows then, is what happens when an unhinged leader abuses his power & an ambitious corrupt wannabe manipulates. The president stricken with grief, initiates a series of executive decisions that will alter the foundation of America’s political, economic & constitutional foundations. And a series of 'timely' incidents that bring any doubters in his party to heel soon suggest there's a conspiracy afoot. Subsequently all hell brakes loose across the country & a State of Emergency is declared. The media is gagged, the military roam the streets to maintain order, militias & fringe organisations threaten uprisings, and those on death row including Doggie's innocents father face imminent execution.
The Washington Decree rips along at a cracking pace, keeping ones attention and is eerily plausible in todays uncertain world. One criticism, the expose in Chapter 40 came too soon.

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Could or might?

What a brilliant story from page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait for the next episode. Predictable ..... yes maybe but a gripping believable order of events which could happen. I loved every second

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I just gave up

Unlike the Department Q series and others, I have been drawn in by the sheer quality of Olsen's storytelling. I've no doubt this is a great story, based on the premise, but I just cannot concentrate on it, because of the narration, which I found nasal, dull and uninspiring. It may suit others, but not me. I'm just going to buy and read this one. I'm disappointed in myself I can't get beyond the narration, but it grates. Unfinished....

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15 people found this helpful

Sadly let down by dull narration

I have enjoyed the department Q books as they have good characters that the reader likes,so I decided to try this one. Initially I thought I would give up on it as I found the narrator very dull and boring and he remained so unfortunately. However the story was interesting and in the end gripping. And I listened to the end where there is a very good twist in the tale. Unlike the Q books I found the characters fairly unsympathetic and I didn’t really root for any of them, which was a pity. Maybe there were just to many of them.
However the underlying issue of the book is interesting and where is it happening in the world today?

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10 people found this helpful

Beware The Democrats - Conspiracy

I enjoyed the story I was a little put off by the heroines name - Doggie. In the blurb it read ‘Dottie’ but try as I might I only heard Doggie and couldn’t help getting mentally tangled up in that.
The plot was revealed a bit early and for a large part of the book I was wondering “how is the author going to turn this around for the obvious triumphant ending?”
But a good listen I’d recommend it or the dark state might get me.

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Another excellent read from Jussi Adler Olsen

Excellent read! I don’t know how realistic it is but it was a good yarn with interesting characters. It was well read by Jason Culp. It didn’t seem as long as it actually was, kept me
engaged right up to the last page.

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Avoid!

Dreadful, completely unbelievable plot that just got more and more ridiculous. I began to feel sorry for Mr Culp having to read such rubbish. I am still convinced that he called the central female character ‘Doggie’ not ‘ Dottie’! Maybe he was trying to inject some light relief into an otherwise dismal story.

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6 people found this helpful