Book Log 2006 #62: In High Places by Arthur Hailey

Perhaps the only Cold War thriller based in the world of Canadian politics, In High Places follows Prime Minister James Howden as he tries to negotiate an immigration crisis and a dark personal secret in the days leading up to a historic agreement with the US. The story alternates between Howden and a newly minted lawyer named Alan Maitland, who is hired by an opponent of Howden's to fight the government in the immigration case of a ship stowaway. Maitland realizes to some extent that he's been hired for political reasons, but after meeting the stowaway feels compelled to take his case.

There are also subplots about a blossoming romance between Howden's secretary and his party chief, and the mental stability of a cabinet minister. Only the latter plays a significant role in the book.

Hailey was the Michael Crichton of his day, undertaking significant research to write topical works such as Airport and Hotel. This work appears to be more of a straight fiction undertaking, and perhaps suffers for it a bit, as the political machinations aren't particularly complex or surprising. This may be hindsight talking a bit, as the book was written in 1962, before Watergate made us all cyncal. Still, it is a contemporary of Seven Days in May, a very good political conspiracy novel. Maybe things are just less complicated in Canada.

I wound up picking this up when I was away over Thanksgiving and needed a book to read. And while I wasn't wowed by it, it was an OK read.