The Exile: a novel by Allan Folsom

Long but thrilling, September 16, 2004****


Allan Folsom's "The Exile" is a hefty tome but well worth the read. The intermingled tales of John Barron and Raymond Thorne take us from the streets of LA to the museums of St. Petersburg, from a special squad of the LAPD which tries, convicts and assassinates killers, to murder and mayhem around the world by an heir to the throne unwillingly vacated by the Tsars of Russia. Although seemingly implausible, Folsom weaves the multiple plots and subplots together in a convincing manner which maintains the reader's interest. The writing is taut and the author maintains the pace until the last page. One false note: the last three paragraphs detract from the ending.