Eclipse

By: Richard North Patterson

Narrated by: Peter Francis James

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's summary

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.

©2009 Richard North Patterson (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Peter Francis James's powerful characterization of the oppressed Luandian population – rich in oil reserves but experiencing ecological disasters – is especially believable…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” —AudioFile Magazine

“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.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Wonderfully performed by Peter Francis James with perfectly rendered accents galore… [ECLIPSE is] a wild ride through vile human behavior, abject greed and disdain for justice that carries a profound message from the heart of darkness.” —BookPage

Violence, corruption, more violence

This book was a real challenge for me - it is so very violent & corruption will buy you anything. If you're sensitive, this book is hard. About the only way I got through was telling myself it's fiction. But, the end of the book has an interview with author Patterson in which he says it's based on Nigeria & how oil and oil money has devastated the country.

The storytelling is very good. Narrator was great. But, for one who doesn't like horror stories, this book felt like one to me.

helgemom

Love his characters and this is one of the best books I have listened to. The narrator does a nice job capturing the personalities.

Mixed feelings

This is, no doubt, a good story, but not for me. I have read (listened to) several books in which violence and even abuse took place. But this one is over the top to the point of nauseating.

Richard North Patterson at his compelling WORST!

The preview says "Richard North Patterson at his compelling best", a false statement. No one is to blame in this terrible account of "a third world country exploited" except for the outside forces. He blames the rest of the world and "A BIG OIL COMPANY" for all the failings of a country that can't govern itself or it's people.

Love Patterson, didnt enjoy this book

Richard North Patterson is one of my favorite authors. He writes well and keeps your interest and after his last book I was excited to listen to this one. Despite a great reader this book was more like listening to a documentary.I did learn about the corruption in the oil industry nd the horrible conditions in Africa. It was depressing.

very slow starting

I lost interest right at the start. It was slow and did not stimulate my interest. Not engaging.

Disappointing

I feel cheated by "Eclipse" and have said more than once as I listened to this newest epic that I feel as if this is 14 hours of my life I will never regain.

Starting with the positive. The narration is extraordinary! Mr. James manages to keep numerous characters and different genders and nationalities from blurring together. The narration is the sole reason that I was able to finish listening to this novel at all. It was a grueling listen, but that is not the fault of the narrator.

The problem with the book is the in-your-face themes: African dictators are evil; American government complicit in the evil doings of said dictators; Oil is bad for the African people and for the environment. Yep... I get it. I got it the first seventeen or eighteen times the themes appeared in the story, somewhere around the first hour or two into the story, out of fourteen hours. Patterson's politics are always a part of his story: pro-Choice, pro-gun regulation, feminist. I am familiar with his thematic writing and, even when I disagree with his politics, I have always enjoyed the stories about the people he uses to portray the issues.

Here, where I agree with the author's political agenda, the story was too frequently interrupted by Patterson's preaching and editorializing. His usual character and storyline development was overshadowed by the repeated droning about how bad the oil industry is and how much it harms the African people. No one who understands the issue didn't get the message in the first few hours (first 150 pages...?). Those who cannot (or choose not to) understand the issue aren't going get through the story (or buy the book in the first place).

Patterson's usually likable, but flawed, characters are lost in this story's attempt to change the World. I believe it was Jack Warner who said "if you want to send a message, use Western Union." Patterson would have been wise to listen to that advice.

boring

Preachy and boring, boring, boring. I listen to audio books everyday and there are very few I don't listen to to the end. But this was one of them.

Disappointment

Slow slow beginning, contrived story, graphic to a fault. And all from a fabulous author!

Don’t buy!

I’ve been a fan of RNP for years. If Eclipse had been the first that I had read, it would also have been the last.