Can a Republican presidential candidate be pro stem-cell research, not oppose gay unions, favor Darwinism, be divorced, and can he have a black girlfriend? Can he be an honest man who truly cares for his country? Can an honest man be president?

Meet Republican Senator Corey Grace, a small-town Ohio boy, son of a depressed drunk and religious fundamentalist, a tortured Gulf War hero, intelligent and well-educated, who, at 43, has a good chance of winning his party's presidential nomination. Grace is handsome and charismatic with a habit of telling the truth, voting across party lines, and speaking his mind.

As the ruthless nomination campaign intensifies, Grace battles shady dealings, betrayals, lies, threats, secrets that can destroy lives, media intervention and manipulation, racism and attempted murder. Nothing in Grace's life is off-limits. He must decide what and whom he is willing to give up, as he weaves his way through the power-hungry back-stabbers, who surround him.

Patterson= s political thriller is an articulate, exciting examination of contemporary politics. It rings true and timely, and includes an extensive list of high-profile research interviews. If you have an interest in American politics, you will be mesmerized and appalled by the behind-the-scene maneuverings of The Race. You will never watch the American—or the Canadian—political conventions in the same light again. This is highly recommended.