New in PJ Media:
A major newspaper appears to be involved in corrupt dealings with a mosque that is led by a beloved local sports hero yet has multiple connections to jihad terrorism. There’s a murder and a shocking arrest, but then the case against the accused, which had appeared airtight, quickly unravels. In this and much more, Len Getz’s superb novel Innocent Spouse could be a news account of contemporary events, albeit far more engagingly written, or a prescient insight into the world we could be living in far sooner than anyone expects.
I must confess that I’m not a big novel reader. While I read and admired a lot of the great ones when I was a young man — Crime and Punishment, Moby Dick, 1984 — after a while, even the bestselling novels of the day began to appear to me to be artificial, strained, and far too often thinly disguised advertisements for the spirit of the age, which is no spirit I want anywhere around me. (Kurt Schlichter’s novels are good, though. If you like them, you’ll love Getz’s.)
When, however, I heard that Getz had published a novel, I wanted to read and review it because I admired his investigative work and analysis, some of which has been published here at PJ Media. I did not, however, expect that I’d look forward to finishing up work every evening so that I could read more of Innocent Spouse. This is, quite simply, an outstanding novel, full of adventure, surprising plot twists and turns, and a telling look at an America that is rapidly changing in ways that are making this book read more like non-fiction than fiction.
The title refers to the legal situation in which a husband or wife is unaware of the actions of the others, particularly when it comes to paying taxes on undeclared income, and is thus not liable for the unpaid taxes and related fines. The book bears this title because the main character, who is in many but not all respects the hero of the story, is, improbably enough, an IRS agent. It would be giving away too much of the story for me to explain why the title is apt, indeed, thrillingly so, but there are some other aspects of the book that are worth noting.
Much of the action revolves around a mosque in Philadelphia that is the beneficiary of the extravagant largesse of a former NBA star who has converted to Islam. Numerous jihad terrorists have been linked to this mosque, but the NBA star has overseen the recovery of the surrounding neighborhood: what once had been a crime- and drug-ridden area is now serene and quiet. What’s more, his star power has hardly dimmed, and local authorities are loathe to pursue any leads into criminal activity inside the mosque for fear of appearing “Islamophobic” and besmirching the reputation, or even worse, incurring the annoyance, of the local hero.
There is more. Read the rest here.
somehistory says
Sounds like a page-turner. Thank you for the reveiw, Mr. Spencer.
somehistory says
As a side note, from personal experience I have had, proving “innocent spouse” to the irs is just about impossible if the innocent one is expecting a refund. They may admit you didn’t know, but they keep the money anyway.
David says
I would like to read it but sadly it is not on the Kobo. I am very glad that I have a Kobo and not a Kindle though – no censorship on the Kobo.
(Any books not there are because the author didn’t want to sell them not because Kobo censors them).
I can read this book on the Kobo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Harry_Became_Sally:_Responding_to_the_Transgender_Moment
But on the Kindle never