Synopsis

During a passionate romance with Garrick Cripps, Suzanne Dreyfus wrote The Liberation Manifesto, a wicked satire of right-wing libertarian philosophy. However, Garrick took Suzanne’s parody seriously and now, many years later, uses it as a blueprint for how to overthrow American democracy in favor of the 1%. But for the revolution to begin, an inciting event, like a Stateside terrorist attack, is needed to convince the public that drastic change in leadership is necessary.

Suzanne, along with Carson McCready, a former Navy SEAL, and Laura Cavendish, a cyber weapons expert, are all that stand between Cripps and leadership of the country. Culminating in a violent denouement, Libertyland shows what could happen if the ideas of a madman go unchecked.

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Praise

“Libertyland is a masterfully crafted political thriller, an intense book that is a joy to read.” – International Review of Books

“A riveting story that takes a deep dive into the dangers of too much greed and not enough accountability in our institutions.” – Charles Ray, author

“An electrifying and delightful experience for readers.” – Mihir Shah, The US Review of Books

“An amazing read that is thoroughly engaging and entertaining.” – Michaela Gordoni, Pacific Book Reviews

Excerpt

After retiring from the Navy three years ago, he had tried to keep his goals reasonable. Settling down, enjoying some solitude, taking the longboard to Tourmaline Beach—like the old days. Just stopping. Doing crossword puzzles over morning coffee. Taking Diego to the beach. Playing golf at Torrey Pines. Finding a simple job to make ends meet. Giving in to a sense of lightness and freedom. Like his days as a kid by the ocean, when he could breathe and splash as loud as he wanted. Not feeling the constant danger of his own breath, when merely breathing too loudly could get you killed.

He’d been out of work since mustering out, not counting

his brief stint as a security consultant. For Carson that had been a transition gig to ease himself back into civilian life, as his commanding officer had advised him. Finding a normal life now seemed like a joke. The past was in the past, but Carson’s past was an ornery bastard for whom lightness and freedom were apparently verboten.

He fixed a quick meal of beans, cheese, and a tortilla, washing it down with a cold beer. He flipped on the TV. He was just settling in when his phone lit up with a local number.

“McCready here.” “Carson?” “Speaking.”

“Johnny Petit. Catch you at a bad time?”

“I’m enjoying a cold beer and some Aztec basketball.

What’s up, Johnny?”

“Carson, just wanted to say I liked what I saw today. I’m hoping you’ll stick with us. The suits really need this telemarketing deal to work.”

Carson let a moment pass.

“What do you say, cowboy? Did I hire the right man?” Carson hesitated, then remembered the bills piling up. “I’m your cowboy, Johnny. I told you. I need the job.” “Glad to hear you say that. I’m happy as a pig in a tar pit.” Carson hung up.

On reflection the whole deal was weird. The beach. The dogs. The bullshit. Always the bullshit. But Jane, the headhunter, was helpful, and had brightened what had otherwise been a bad day at the beach.

At the job interview, Petit had peppered him with questions. Jane had told him about the fight.

“Why didn’t you hit back? The guy kicked you in the nuts, for Christ’s sake,” Petit had said.

“I don’t mess with civilians. That’s why.” “Hell’s that mean?”

“Always leads to law enforcement.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, plenty of law enforcement around here, McCready.”

He told Petit most of the truth about himself. Forty- seven years old. Retired Navy. Taught basic training. Grew up by the ocean. He didn’t tell Petit that he trained tadpoles, newbies in basic underwater demolition for the SEALs. Nor that he had reached the rank of master chief petty officer of a sixteen-member SEAL platoon and led off-book kill missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Northern Africa.

He told few people those facts.

After three years Carson still wasn’t ready to talk openly about his time as a SEAL. Endless war. Comrades dead, or alive but in pieces. Too much damned trouble. Too many SEAL headlines and tell-all books. Some guys might enjoy embellishing war stories to new bosses. To Carson that was like sticking your head up from the water’s surface to get your mouth shot off. Big mouths always led to big trouble.

About the Author

As a journalist and author, Peter Sacks has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, including once for his book, Tearing Down the Gates (University of California Press), an examination of the role that social class plays in American education and society. Gates also won Book of the Year from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Sacks worked as a newspaper journalist on both coasts, as an economist, and as a college instructor in English and Journalism. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Nation. He is also the author of Generation X Goes to College and Standardized Minds.

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