02-01-2012, 04:28 AM
King is a great writer, a thoughtful student of popular culture, a witty critic and a warm and engaging raconteur, but his lack of critical sophistication - a boon when it comes to the readability and narrative energy of his novels - lets him down here. Anyone noting Posner's CASE CLOSED as being a help to research frankly hasn't bothered to explore the alternatives. King is a perceptive student of common human nature, but the assassination wasn't carried out by normal people. I expect King has read his share of spy novels but has never paid much mind to how the intelligence agencies in his country really work. I'd be curious too how his 'research' covered the numerous witnesses that disagree with the official story. I expected little else from King, but what a waste.