State of Terror Audiobook By Louise Penny, Hillary Rodham Clinton cover art

State of Terror

A Novel

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State of Terror

By: Louise Penny, Hillary Rodham Clinton
Narrated by: Joan Allen
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AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER​

Named one of the most anticipated novels of the season by People, Associated Press, Time, Los Angeles Times, Parade, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and more.

From the #1 bestselling authors Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny comes a novel of unsurpassed thrills and incomparable insider expertise—State of Terror.

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. Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Espionage Middle East Iran Exciting Fiction

Audible Live: A thriller born of experience

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Critic reviews

"Narrator Joan Allen’s portrayal of newly appointed Secretary of State Ellen Adams has echoes of Hillary Clinton herself. Allen’s well-paced reading handily unfurls this roller-coaster thriller as Ellen contends with terrorist acts AND the backbiting and political maneuverings of White House leaders."

Editor's Pick

Protagonists belong in the house—and State Department!
I thought I knew what to expect from a story co-written by a former Secretary of State and a best-selling, multi-award-winning mystery author. (Confession: I expected a lot of decorous handshakes and bloodless conflict.) Instead, State of Terror grabbed me from the opening scene and threw me into a detailed, fast-moving, emotionally rich milieu where bombs actually go off, and powerful people (often women) rely on soft skills to fight danger. The main characters unflinchingly confront the effects of violence—whether professional, personal, or international—in a series of locales with a strong sense of place. After a while I noticed how deliciously novel it felt to have women at the center of a (not psychological) thriller. The cool energy of Joan Allen’s performance brings out every nuance of humor, suspense, and heartfelt connection between the characters, about whom I cared a lot. It’s a dangerous world, but a really fun thriller. —Christina H., Audible Editor

Gripping Plot • Political Authenticity • Soothing Voice • Strong Female Characters • International Intrigue

Highly rated for:

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I hope another book authored by these two women pops up soon. I've read all the Three Pine novels by Louise Penney. Her work fascinates me. It is really
F. I. N. E. as Ruth Zardo might say.
And how could I pass up a book coauthored with Hilary Clinton? It was listening closely
to every word - and wondering how they fitted
with her real world experience that kept me following so closely.
This easy listening thriller pulled me along quickly. Fun plot, characters I would like to
see in a sequel, good Narrator. You will
love it.

5

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Jaw dropping. Truly a MUST read, especially NOW. Could only have been written by an insider.

Outstanding in every way.

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Riveting! Great plot and character development. Extremely scary in it’s realism … so close to current events

Couldn’t put it down

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A wonderful surprise. I expected goofy fun, but instead “State of Terror” combined an all-too-current story, deeply written characters, and constant page-turning thrills to create what many critics are declaring to be one of the best books of the year. Second, I expected a story by the “writer” with a few details thrown in by the “celebrity” to give it a little authenticity; instead, every page is packed with details, observations, and points of view revealing someone who clearly had worked at the highest levels of power. As opposed to a writer and a source, “State of Terror” therefore reads as a full, equal partnership by two close collaborators. Lastly, I didn’t expect it to be such a women’s book. The core of the book is about the value of women’s friendships, but every page reflects on women being underestimated, sidelined, and trivialized because of their sex, yet triumphing despite the obstacles society forces them to endure. It was great fun, it made me think, and I can’t recommend “State of Terror” highly enough.

A wonderful surprise!

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People have complained about the narration, but I had no problems with Joan Allen's voice. I thought she did a fine job of conveying the characters emotions and kept the pace going. I think Clinton and Penny must have had a good time with this one. It was quite a romp with a real world warning,

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