Test of Resolve

By Peter Murphy

A denounced President, her kidnapped daughter, a Hindu extremist group, and the threat of nuclear war: America is thrown into turmoil in this sequel to Removal

As Ellen Trevathan settles into her presidency, she feels confident to come out as a lesbian to the press, an announcement that unleashes a storm of criticism against her authority. Her personal life becomes increasingly unstable when her daughter, Dani, is kidnapped by a Hindu extremist group, Svatantra Kashmir (SK). Director of the FBI Kelly Smith is called in to investigate, and is soon immersed in a situation with far wider implications. Under pressure to comply with orders made by SK, Ellen has to tackle the threat of nuclear war between India and Pakistan and ensure the safety of her daughter. As the crisis escalates, public duty and personal concerns are thrown into conflict. The severity of the situation demands that one has to be sacrificed, and only Ellen can choose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: No Exit
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781843441892

Peter Murphy

PETER MURPHY, a writer and journalist, has written for Rolling Stone, the Sunday Business Post, and others. He has written liner notes for albums and anthologies, including for the remastered edition of the Anthology of American Folk Music, which features the Blind Willie Johnson recording of the song “John the Revelator.”

Reviews for Test of Resolve

[atticusfinch1048 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Test of Resolve – How Apt!Personally I think the title of the book says it all as Test of Resolve by Peter Murphy is one of the worst books I have read in a long time. I know you should not judge a book by a cover, and a picture can save a thousand words, in this case I wish it had saved a hundred thousand’s worth of words. This book is so bad it is not good enough to make it a toilet a read for when you are there a while. Peter Murphy is a lawyer and a teacher I hope he sticks to that rather than writing rubbish like this, a waste of print and paper.This is dubbed a political thriller West Wing meets Homeland – really? We have a lesbian President who comes out on national television, like she could keep that a secret in Washington a city of rumours. One just has to look at previous American presidents to know their peccadilloes cannot be kept secret let alone as one as big as being a lesbian. Well her daughter is kidnapped in the UK there is a race against time to prevent the ransom demand.While being a unique premise there is no experience of reality in the book and as a lawyer you would hope Murphy had brought that to bare. This really is a book to forget about.

[shizz_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Test Of Resolve Peter MurphyPolitics, religion (most of the world’s ills now and throughout history caused by these disciplines?) and a liberal sprinkling of Bible belt homophobia and you’ve a recipe for an absorbing thriller.I enjoyed this novel for its simplicity and if that sounds like a paradox, given that it is a political thriller, it isn’t. Plot wise it’s a kidnapping for political reasons, demands are given, they have to be met or circumvented, and strategies are discussed to achieve a fortuitous end. It’s straightforward. There are no attempts to be overly complex or ‘clever clever’ with intricacies to impress and befuddle, no red herrings thrust in our path,And so the novel reaches many little peaks but no spiralling crescendos (okay, maybe one) to shock and confound.But this is also a novel about people; their characters and relationships. their integrities and resolves (duh,test of resolve). So, as a reader I engage with the characters more than the plot. I found myself considering what I would do in these situations. That doesn’t always happen with a thriller. You read the chain of events and dénouement with a detachment, here I almost was the characters.I found this novel refreshing and readable. So thank you again Real Readers for allowing me to spend my time so profitably.