The Eye of Moloch

Love his novels, with just the right amount of realism interjected to make you think … or worry! I did enjoy the first book more than this sequel though.

I have a terrible record of reading a book, saying I don't intend to read the inevitable sequel, and then once again, finding my bandaged finger wabbling back to the Fire. This novel is a sequel to  The Overton Window  which I found to be a respectable but less than gripping thriller with an unsatisfying conclusion. The present volume continues the story, but still leaves much up in the air at its end. As a sequel to The Overton Window, it assumes the reader has previously read that book; little or no effort is made to bring readers who start here up to speed, and they will find themselves without any idea who the principal characters are, the circumstances they find themselves in, and why they are acting as they do.The grand plot to use public relations to manipulate the U.S. population into welcoming the imposition of tyranny by a small group of insiders is proceeding. Noah Gardner, son of one of the key players in the conspiracy and former worker in its inner circle, has switched sides and now supports the small band called Founders' Keepers, which, led by Molly Ross, strives to bring the message of the country's founding principles to the citizens before the situation reaches the state of outright revolt. But the regime views any form of dissent as a threat, and has escalated the conflict into overt violence, deploying private contractors, high-tech weapons, and intrusive and ubiquitous surveillance, so well proven in overseas wars, against its domestic opponents.As the U.S. crumbles, fringe groups of all kinds begin to organise and pursue their own agendas. The conspirators play them against one another, seeking to let them do the dirty work, while creating an environment of fear of “domestic terrorists” which will make the general population welcome the further erosion of liberty. With the news media completely aligned with the regime and the Internet beginning to succumb to filtering and censorship, there seems little hope of getting the truth out to the people.Molly Ross seizes upon a bold stroke which will expose the extent to which the central planners intend to deliver Americans into serfdom. Certainly if Americans were aware of how their every act was monitored, correlated, and used to control them, they would rise up. But this requires a complicated plan which puts the resources of her small group and courageous allies on the line.Like its predecessor, this book, taken as a pure thriller, doesn't come up to the standard set by the masters of the genre. There are many characters with complex back-stories and interactions, and at times it's difficult to remember who's who and what side they're currently on. The one thing which is very effective is that throughout the novel we encounter references to weapons, surveillance technologies, domestic government programs which trample upon the rights of citizens, media bias and overt propaganda, and other horrors which sketch how liberty is shrinking in the face of a centralised, coercive, and lawless state. Then in the afterword, most of these programs are documented as already existing in the U.S., complete with citations to source documents on the Web. But then one wonders: in 2013 the U.S. National Security Agency has been revealed as spying on U.S. citizens in ways just as extreme as the surveillance Molly hoped to expose here, and only a small percentage of the population seems to care.Perhaps what works best is that the novel evokes a society near that tipping point where, in the words of Claire Wolfe, “It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.” We have many novels and manifestos of political turnaround before liberty is totally lost, and huge stacks of post-apocalyptic fiction set after the evil and corrupt system has collapsed under its own weight, but this is one of the few novels you'll read set in that difficult in-between time. The thing about a tipping point is that individuals, small groups, and ideas can have a disproportionate influence on outcomes, whereas near equilibrium the system is difficult to perturb. This book invites the reader to ask, in a situation as described, which side they would choose, and what would they do, and risk, for what they believe.

Every now and again I look through bookselling websites to see the latest releases as well as upcoming releases. I enjoy reading the minute information shared about what the novel is about, and if possible, some reviews. There can be with some novels a chasm between those who loved the story and on the other end those who hated it. Now, it isn’t like that with all novels, even with some being written by the same author. Discovering lately there are vast publishing companies springing up, some publishers closing and others changing their format, which then opens up an opportunity for the author to revamp their work then republishing it. Recently, I was skimming the latest novels when I came across The Eye of Molech by Glenn Beck. The author’s name was familiar to me, but his writing was brand new. So, I took the plunge and ordered a copy as I enjoy political thrillers. Molech was an ancient god in the near east centuries ago in land where boundaries and kingdoms would change often. Beck’s first novel, The Overton Window, I haven’t read yet and the story started there is continued here in his latest work. Not having read the first novel made understanding the story a little hard at first, but within a few pages Beck shares enough of the background from The Overton Window to catch readers up so they can enjoy this second suspense-filled thriller. In an eerie way, much of the plot has been drawn from real life. At the end of the book, the author shares various sources to do further reading on topics brought up in a chapter. Some can see the writing on any wall as plain as day while others claim ignorance in not seeing it or in choosing to not see it. Here, in the writing, characters are drawn into situations that call for heroics from everyday American citizens. Molly Ross is a praying woman who wants to do what God has called her to do regardless of the price. In some ways, she reminds me of Queen Esther. Other characters have hidden agendas or very overt ones. The whole plot centers on undermining the Constitution of The United States of America. The call going forth is to wake up and become informed, involved and committed to the domestic or foreign aggressors. While there is some mild use of foul language, I really got engrossed in the story with each page I turned. Glenn Beck does an excellent job of various twists and turns in the plot that the reader will not want to close the book until the end! Contained between the covers is an emotional and heart-wrenching set of scenes filled with action and adventure. I hope you take time to read this work, just remember there is mild use of swear words but none that detracts from the patriotic theme!

Sure I’ve already reviewed this but it’s a captivating sequel to The Overton Window, a novel about the intrigue of contemporary power and corruption arising in the USA but with potentially further reaching consequences.

The first book was ok, this one? Not so much. Too many clichés, impossible situations, unexplained situations, and the ending was beyond vague.