Palace Council

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Palace Council
ISBN
9780307266583
Preceded byNew England White 
Followed byJericho's Fall 

Palace Council is a 2008 thriller novel by American author Stephen L. Carter. The book was Carter's third work of fiction.

The novel forms the third part of Carter's Elm Harbor series, which began with 2002's The Emperor of Ocean Park, and continued with New England White, which was published in 2007.[2] Set in Cold War America, and featuring protagonist Eddie Wesley encountering a string of real historical figures and major events, intertwined with conspiracy theories, the book was significantly less well-received than Carter's first two novels, drawing praise for its detail, world-building, and the accuracy of its historical portrayals, but also some criticism for the prose and the levels of coincidence that "frequently stretched belief".[3]

Plot

The story in Palace Council takes place between 1952 and 1975.

Washington D.C., the book focuses on the mysterious murder of Philmont Castle, a famous white lawyer.[1] The body is discovered on a snowy night in 1955 by protagonist Eddie Wesley, a young black writer.[5] Wesley discovers the body in a park after leaving early from an engagement party for Aurelia Treene and Kevin Garland, as Wesley had been in love with Aurelia for many years. Castle is a close friend of the Garlands, and Wesley comes under suspicion for the murder.[6]

However, in Castle's hand is a cross with an inscription; Wesley begins to look into this and discovers a series of secrets that reveal the reason for the murder and unveil a conspiracy that extends all the way to the

Kennedy administration and a confidant of Richard Nixon, and then leaving politics to become an investigative journalist.[8][9]

Kevin Garland is murdered in an explosion,[4] and as a result Aurelia also begins investigating the Palace Council.[10]

Development history

Author Stephen L. Carter in 2015

Publication history

The hardcover edition of Palace Council was released in the United States by Knopf on 1 July 2008. The paperback version was published by Knopf on 6 June 2009. The book was included on the Richard & Judy book club in the UK in the summer of 2009.[11]

Major themes

The Garland family featured in this book include the parents of Judge Oliver Garland, who appeared in The Emperor of Ocean Park.[4] The novel is set over the course of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal, and includes appearances from real-life figures including Langston Hughes, Richard Nixon, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., J. Edgar Hoover and Barbra Streisand.[8] Aurelia Treene appeared as an elderly character in New England White, set some 50 years later than Palace Council.[3]

Quotes from English poet John Milton, including some from Paradise Lost, appear throughout the book, anchoring each section of the story.[8]

Literary significance and reception

Writing for the

Washington Post was similarly positive, with Scott Simon singling out Carter's vignettes of historic figures which he considered demonstrated both scholarship and imagination, and suggested his portrayal of Richard Nixon was "pitch-perfect".[7]

In a piece by

The Houston Chronicle remarked that it was a shame the fictional novels written by Eddie Wesley all sounded as though they would be far more interesting than the actual novel Carter had written.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Fiction Book Review: Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter". Publishers Weekly. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Elm Harbor series". fictfact.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  3. ^
    The Los Angeles Times
    . Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d Mallon, Thomas (20 July 2008). "A Conspiracy So Immense". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b Bauerlein, Mark (12 July 2008). "A Sleuth in a Bygone Era". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2018. (subscription required)
  6. ^ a b c Lawson, Mark (16 August 2008). "In Tricky Dick's time". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  7. ^ a b Simon, Scott (6 July 2008). "The Power and the Glory". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Palace Council by Stephen L. Carter". Kirkus Reviews. 1 June 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b Maslin, Janet (14 July 2008). "A Scholar's Sticky Web Includes His Sister, His Secretive Love and His Pal Nixon". Book Review. The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Palace Council". Briefly Noted. The New Yorker. 4 August 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Richard & Judy's Best Books for Summer Announced". Taylor Herring. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  12. ^ Patterson, Troy (4 July 2008). "Palace Council". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  13. The Houston Chronicle
    . Retrieved 4 June 2018.

External links

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