State of Terror
When Hillary Rodham Clinton and I wrote State of Terror, our aim was to tell a story of suspense shaped by the realities of the modern world.
Since publication, the novel has reached readers across North America and beyond, and we remain deeply grateful for the response it continues to receive.
Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, and supported State of Terror. Hillary and I remain profoundly appreciative.
synopsis
After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in, and to everyone’s surprise the president chooses a political enemy for the vital position of secretary of state.
There is no love lost between the president of the United States and Ellen Adams, his new secretary of state. But it’s a canny move on the part of the president. With this appointment, he silences one of his harshest critics, since taking the job means Adams must step down as head of her multinational media conglomerate.
As the new president addresses Congress for the first time, with Secretary Adams in attendance, Anahita Dahir, a young foreign service officer (FSO) on the Pakistan desk at the State Department, receives a baffling text from an anonymous source.
Too late, she realizes the message was a hastily coded warning.
What begins as a series of apparent terrorist attacks is revealed to be the beginning of an international chess game involving the volatile and Byzantine politics of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran; the race to develop nuclear weapons in the region; the Russian mob; a burgeoning rogue terrorist organization; and an American government set back on its heels in the international arena.
As the horrifying scale of the threat becomes clear, Secretary Adams and her team realize it has been carefully planned to take advantage of four years of an American government out of touch with international affairs, out of practice with diplomacy, and out of power in the places where it counts the most.
To defeat such an intricate, carefully constructed conspiracy, it will take the skills of a unique team: a passionate young FSO; a dedicated journalist; and a smart, determined, but as yet untested new secretary of state.
State of Terror is a unique and utterly compelling international thriller cowritten by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th secretary of state, and Louise Penny, a multiple award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling novelist.
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“A Page-Turner Part Sly, Part Sweet… The plot is ambitious and apocalyptic… marks of Penny’s writing… Clinton is celebrating women’s support for one another later in life.”
“Taut thriller...Ethical trade-offs, political intrigue, high-level espionage and pure evil… Perfectly melds Clinton’s knowledge and Penny’s mastery of genre mechanics.”
The real key to “State of Terror” is it’s secret weapon: female friendship”
“…full of action and intrigue. A heart-pounding mystery about terrorism, corruption and diplomacy, meticulously written.”
"State of Terror is a stunning and exhilarating book… "[W]hen a recent American presidential nominee writes a book with Canada's most beloved mystery author, attention is due....Combining insider knowledge with high-stakes action, this is a tale of global menace on par with the best books of its type."
“An utterly thrilling, mesmerizing, whiplash-inducing plot-driven story, 'State of Terror' will make you pull up the bedsheets as you stay up late trying to keep up with Secretary Adams and the team she assembles to crack the case.”
“The real-life inspiration is clear, but this version is way more fun.”
“A page-turning political thriller...consider this your fall escape.”
“This thriller navigates a terrorist plot, sexist comments… finds friendship and support of women…”
“Breathtaking…a real page turning that takes us behind the scenes of the Capitol.”
“Breathtaking…. One of the best thrillers I’ve ever read.”
"The end, when it comes, is a neck snapper. We have a countdown, a crash, a confrontation and three different agents of evil all colliding in the White House. Do not, above all, read the end of this one first and do save it for a weekend when you don't have to stop reading."
"In this conspiracy thriller by HRC and master of suspense Louise Penny, a new administration has been sworn in, and the president has chosen Ellen Adams, his sworn enemy, as secretary of state. But as the president addresses Congress for the first time, Adams receives a strange text - and quickly realizes it's a coded threat referring to a series of apparent terror attacks."
"State of Terror, in which Hillary Clinton joins forces with Louise Penny, the grande dame of crime, is dizzying, addictive, and twisty, but what makes it wonderful-and liberating-is that it is a female fantasy thriller. For once, the saviours are an all-woman crew-not drop-dead gorgeous, but sassy and smart...the book is more than just a thriller, it is a testament to friendship."
"'State of Terror' pulses with the clever asides and turns of phrase that delight Penny's fans (and there are surprise appearances to boot). But this is its own story. The writing duo's well-crafted thriller doesn't shy from profanity and sharp political stabs as it hurtles to its breathless finale."
"[A] delightfully erudite and very disturbing story...I consider both women to be among the most interesting and intelligent people of our time, and they're in top form here....The Clinton-Penny collaboration is an extraordinarily good one, and this book...is a joy to read."
"Look up 'page-turner' in the dictionary and you might just find a picture of Clinton and Penny holding up a copy of State of Terror. Don't forget to breathe."
"The novel is a can’t-put-it-down thriller in its own right, but the warnings are just as mesmerizing….Overall, this is a readable, exciting, important work that all concerned Americans should read and take to heart."
"This is quite a confluence of talent...a ticking clock tale but one, because it's written by Louise Penny, with heart."
STATE OF TERROR, is on The Times Best Books of 2021 list!
STATE OF TERROR was named one of the best books of the year by CBC Books
The New York Post has included STATE OF TERROR in their 25 Best Book Gifts roundup.
