The Better Angels

When Charles McCarry's The Better Angels was first published almost 30 years ago, its premise -- that terrorists would use passenger-filled airliners as tools of terror -- seemed incredible. In retrospect, the novel would prove to be prophetic.The Better Angels takes place in an election year close to the turn of the century in a deeply polarized America. The presidential race matches a tall, lantern-jawed liberal to a far-right former businessman with deep ties to the energy industry. Meanwhile, Islamic terrorists led by an oil-rich Arab prince, desperate to acquire nuclear bombs to use against Israel or major American cities, disrupt the presidential campaign through a series of bloody suicide bombing. Finally the election itself is stolen, as one side hacks into computerized voting systems to change the tallies in key states.