The Devil's Light

By: Richard North Patterson

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

The Devil's Light tells the story of an al-Qaida operative named Amer al-Zaroor, who, on orders from Osama bin Laden, directs the theft of a nuclear weapon from the Pakistani military, and then transports it toward its intended target, Israel. Meanwhile, bin Laden announces to the world that he will make a major terrorist strike on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Deep inside Washington, Brooke Chandler, a CIA operative whose cover was blown by an incompetent colleague in Lebanon, thinks he knows how the bomb is being moved toward its target and how to find it. First he must overcome the skepticism of the CIA and the White House, and then he must find the bomb and disable or detonate it before it causes the Middle East to go up in flames.

©2011 Richard North Patterson. All rights reserved. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A nuclear bomb is about to explode in a major city whose streets will turn bright with the light of a thousand suns. In this brilliant novel, Richard North Patterson slips into the minds of the mad and messianic and explores what it will mean for all of us if we allow an apocalyptic nightmare to become tomorrow’s history-bending reality. The Devil's Light is more than the provocative ruminations of a master storyteller. It is a powerful call to action - lest we find ourselves sifting through the radiated wreckage of a truth told too late. Masterful and illuminating, The Devil's Light is Richard North Patterson at his best. You will not want, or be able to, put this story down. It is tomorrow’s catastrophe riding on the ‘gleaming wings of science.’” (William S. Cohen, former Secretary of Defense)

“Impossible to dismiss as mere fiction, The Devil's Light is a terrifying vision of what very well could bring down our world as we know it. With its real-life spies locked in a deathly struggle, this thrillingly told novel is all too real.” (Robert Baer, former CIA field officer and New York Times best-selling author)

Boring

It's incredible but true (IMHO) that a story with this subject could be boring. Perhaps an abridged version would be much better.

Better to read this than listen to it

I have read all of Richard North Patterson's books and really liked them - his character developments, narratives, plots, endings, etc. I did not enjoy this one as much as his previous books, however. I could not remember the Arabic names from chapter to chapter, who the bad guys and good guys were (Arabic names sounded so much alike), and the switching from past to present was confusing. I think it would have been easier for me if I had read the book rather than listening to it as I could then actually see the names and the chapters that switched from different time periods (there wasn't enough "pausing" between the time period switches). And because of the long descriptions and history, which are important to the story, I often found my mind wandering. All in all, I think actually reading this book rather than listening to it would make it more appealing.

One of Patterson's Better Stories

An excellent story well told. Only the recent demise of Osama bin Laden kept this from being a heart pounder. The characters are engaging. This book featured some of the best villain character development I've encountered. With "Exile" as a 5, this story rates a 4.3.

Timely and pertinent information beneath the story

Would you listen to The Devil's Light again? Why?

Yes. Primarily, as a very good instructional piece about the different religious and fanatical groups in the middle east and the alliances and countries in which they exist and struggle

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It would have if I were better informed of the various factions and locations contained in the book.

What does Dennis Boutsikaris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His narrative style is smooth and easy to listen to, without over dramatization

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Are there enough resources to protect all the viable targets of the extremists in today's world?

I highly recomend this book

In light of recent events, it was a little spooky listening to this book. I felt a part of the events. I was taken in by the wonderful writting. The past ten years made more sense to me than ever before. The characters are so real and I will listen again I'm sure.

A nuanced intelligent predictable view

Patterson is a rare left-of-center spy novelist. Moustaches do not twirl, eyes do not blaze, evil-doers do not act like arcade targets. Still. He treads the forsaken Holy Land north of Israel with care. He includes a smart strong woman, and this is welcoming and refreshing. She is an archaeologist in the shattered bones of a Roman outpost, and the symbolism is not lost.

The end is the one chosen by a grownup, not a silly Brad Thor ending, and Patterson feels the loss as more gallons of blood fill a never sated land.

Dennis Boutsikaris is a poor choice; his voice rises to a picccolo when he reads women and a wail when he does women in distress.

Devil's Light Reminded Me of Exile

Generally, I really liked this book, but it was too similar to Exile. Devil's Light contained some of the same message by Patterson, and its story was less exciting. Patterson again calls attention to the conditions Palestinians in occupied territiories must live under, but this time it felt more like a political lecture than in Exile (where it seemed more educational and interesting). The story itself is good, but not great, with excellent narration. Its worth a credit, just not up to Patterson's usual standards.

Dull, Plodding

I listened to almost half this book, but never connected with the story or characters, and gave up. It seemed as if it lacked any spark or intensity at all, and certainly didn't give me a reason to finish it.

Really disappointing

I have loved every single book that Richard North Patterson wrote ... until this one. Part of the problem were the politics, with which I take strong exception, and part was the out-dated description of Al Qaeda living in hardship and caves now that we all know that they were living in great comfort in suburban Pakistan. The rest? Characters to which I could not relate, a premise that I didn't like and couldn't believe. I must regretfully say that this is not one of his great books. Maybe next time.