Domestic Tranquility

A Novel

By: Ken Pakman

Narrated by: Joel Richards

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

In the thrilling tradition of novels such as Fatherland and SS-GB comes a thriller set in an America under martial law. October 1962: Fidel Castro launches nuclear missiles at the US, striking Miami. The US retaliates and devastates the Soviet Union. November 1963: President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson are assassinated, simultaneously, by unknown snipers. As the US sinks into chaos, the Joint Chiefs of Staff override the Constitution, execute a bloodless coup, and declare martial law. Present day: New York City, after decades of martial law, suffers a perpetual gray cloud cover and rainfall, a remnant effect the nuclear strikes upon the world's weather. Troops and armored personnel carriers patrol the streets. A curfew remains in effect. All of this is just business as usual for Chief Inspector Isaac January of the US Army's Criminal Investigation Division of the New York Garrison. That is until he is called to a grisly murder scene that appears to be an exact copy of a scene that January saw 10 years before. Is it a copycat? Or something else? January suddenly finds himself the target of a conspiracy that marks him, his friends, and his loved ones for death and that will ultimately lead to the very pinnacle of power....

©2012 Kenneth S. Pakman (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Domestic Tranquility gives you an action-packed thriller of a story, set against a compelling and darkly imagined background. It's a great read." (Ian Racey, author of A Traitor's Loyalty)

"The concept of a police-state America and the way Mr. Pakman fleshes it out is nothing short of brilliant.... As a first-generation Cuban-American, I found Mr. Pakman's alternate America...quite fascinating..." (R. J. Pineiro, author of Havoc, Spyware, and 01-01-00)

A good what-if story

I enjoyed the story and the characters in this book. It was well worth reading and I would read more from this author.

Military rule!

In an alternate history, Cuba, backed by the Soviet Union, launches nuclear missiles at the United States. In retaliation, the U.S. obliterates Cuba and Russia. Present-day, the U.S. has been under martial law for forty-five years, after the Joint Chiefs of Staff executed a coup. Armored APCs and troops patrol the streets. Curfew is in effect and punishment is swift and deadly. Isaac January, Chief Inspector for the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was getting close to some long-lost secret that did not want to be revealed, the only problem was he had no idea at the time what it was. As the story unfolds, friends and loved ones around him are being threatened and/or killed to intimidate him from continuing to pursue the trail he was now on. January did not know the meaning of the word. Twists and turns, deception, and long-held secrets are methodically disclosed as January’s investigation proceeds. Prepare for an exciting conclusion as January closes in on the killers. I was surprised and impressed with the story, not expecting it to be as good as it was. The martial arts and mystery aspect was presented very well, if not just a little predictable.

Riveting

loved the action, characters & narration. I was surprised at some of the other twist, in a good way!

Unable to finish

Boring and badly written
I gave up after really trying hard
Not worth the effort

Awful

If you are anything like me this title and summation caught your eye. You think the premise sounds good, and it is a great dystopian premise.

That’s all the positives this book allows. It’s bad. No character development, muddled, confusing. No real sense of story or plot development. Save your credit. There’s a lot else to listen to.