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Title details for Eclipse by Richard North Patterson - Available

Eclipse

A Thriller

by Richard North Patterson
Peter Francis James
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

Bestselling author Richard North Patterson's Eclipse tells the spellbinding story of an American lawyer who takes on a nearly impossible case—the defense of an African freedom fighter against his corrupt government's charge of murder.
Damon Pierce's life has just reached a defining moment: a gifted California lawyer, he's being divorced by his wife and his work often seems soulless. Then he receives a frantic e-mail from Marissa Brand Okari—a woman he loved years ago—and decides to risk everything to respond to her plea for help.
Marissa's husband, Bobby Okari, is the charismatic leader of a freedom movement in the volatile west African nation of Luandia, which is being torn apart by the world's craving for its vast supply of oil. Bobby's outspoken opposition to the exploitation of his homeland by PetroGlobal—a giant American oil company with close ties to Luandia's brutal government—has enraged General Savior Karama, the country's autocratic ruler. After Bobby leads a protest rally during a full eclipse of the sun, everyone in his home village is massacred by government troops. And now Bobby has been arrested and charged with the murder of three PetroGlobal workers. Still drawn to Marissa, Pierce agrees to defend Bobby, hoping to save both Bobby and Marissa from almost certain death. But the lethal politics of Luandia may cost Pierce his life instead.
Culminating in a dramatic show trial and a desperate race against time, Eclipse combines a thrilling narrative with a vivid look at the human cost of the global lust for oil. Here is Richard North Patterson at his compelling best, confirming his place as our most provocative author of popular fiction.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    January 6, 2009

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781427206107
      • File size: 403342 KB
      • Duration: 14:00:17

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Alexander Cleave is in search of himself as he returns to his childhood home after a career as an actor. Author John Banville tells Cleave's story in a ceaselessly introspective narrative that might encourage some readers to skim, particularly as the plot is being slowly established early in the story. Unfortunately, audiobook listeners do not have the luxury of skimming over the slow spots. Bill Wallis does his masterful best, using changes of inflection and pace to vary the narration, but this character study is not well suited to audio and risks losing listeners impatient for "something to happen." A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      ECLIPSE is a particularly timely novel as Richard North Patterson weaves an intricate story of corrupt politics in big oil, the birth pangs of an emerging African nation, and the struggles of a charismatic leader to end massive human rights abuses. Peter Francis James holds together the many threads of this complex story as the characters and scenes shift from the jungles of fictional Luandia to California. James is especially adept in his use of accents, shifting seamlessly between American and West African characters. His British-tinged English sounds totally authentic. This thriller combines the talents of a seasoned storyteller and an accomplished narrator. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 20, 2008
      This stellar legal thriller from bestseller Patterson (Exile
      ) both informs and entertains. On the eve of getting a divorce, Damon Pierce, a 40-year-old partner in a huge San Francisco, Calif., law firm, who specializes in international litigation, e-mails Marissa Brand, a woman he was once in love with in college, to update her on his life. Marissa is married to Bobby Okari, a firebrand reformer whose Nigeria-like country, Luandia, is awash in oil. With these riches come the usual scenarios: ecological disasters, a brutal dictator with murderous henchmen, a rapacious foreign oil company and an oppressed populace. After everyone in Okari's village is slaughtered, Bobby is arrested for the lynching of three oil workers. Damon, because he's a good man and because he's still in love with Marissa, signs on to defend Bobby from the bogus charge. Patterson has exerted all his considerable skill in creating a nightmare atmosphere that will cling to readers long after the last page is turned. Author tour.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 2, 2009
      Patterson, a former lawyer turned bestselling fiction author, returns with his latest thriller featuring Damon Pierce, a down-and-out lawyer who finds fresh purpose when contacted by a former lover whose husband is being held captive in the West African nation of Luandi. Peter Francis James takes command of the material, offering up realistic African dialects that chillingly convey the hostage’s terror and the ruthlessness of his captors. James’s vocal ability creates a stirring experience that is at once personal and emotional while entertaining and theatrical, making for a truly rousing performance. A Holt hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 20).

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Attorney Damon Pierce specializes in international litigation in San Francisco. When his former lover asks him to defend her husband, Bobbi Okari, a rebel activist in the African country of Luandia, Pierce agrees, eager to escape his recent divorce. Peter Francis James's powerful characterization of the oppressed Luandian population--rich in oil reserves but experiencing ecological disaster--is especially believable. His polished performance, complete with accents, captures the brutal dictator's absolute rule and his henchmen's delight in torture. The lynching of three oil workers from Okari's village is violently depicted but authentically portrays the rising tensions of civil unrest in a totalitarian state. Patterson fans are in for a treat with James's powerful performance, and the nightmare atmosphere the duo creates will live long in listeners' memories. G.W. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Funding for additional materials was made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.