I spent years watching national security crises from the inside, and Moss got it scarily right. The Golden Hour is a novel of extraordinary thrills – and extraordinary truth.
--TONY FRATTO, former White House Deputy Press Secretary to President George W. Bush
Written by an insider with intimate knowledge of Washington and Africa, The Golden Hour leaps out of today’s headlines, a riveting thriller that mixes diplomacy, terrorism, and international intrigue at the highest levels in equal measures.
FRANCIS FUKUYAMA, Stanford University and author of THE END OF HISTORY AND THE LAST MAN
A terrific, fast-paced tale of adventure and political intrigue set in the utterly believable context of contemporary Mali. The Golden Hour is a true-to-life story of intelligence, covert ops, Sahelian ghosts, American bureaucratic stove-pipes, and African coup plotters.
--DR. CHESTER CROCKER, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa
A very good new political thriller with a national security theme. Recommend!
--DANA PERINO, FOX News, co-host of THE FIVE, and former White House Press Secretary
Outstanding debut . . . An intriguing cast of morally dubious characters, an intricately constructed plot, and a tantalizing cliffhanger make this thriller a page-turner of the highest order.
--PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
Washingtonians of many stripes will find their pulses racing as the diplomat protagonist tangles with intelligence operatives, revolutionaries, and many other villains.
--WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE
Ranging from Washington to London to the Sahara Desert, the book effortlessly ups the tension while piling on surprises… for those who want to know what it’s like to get caught up in a modern coup, this is a good place to turn. A strong debut about a good man in Africa who gets tested at every turn.
--KIRKUS REVIEW
An exciting, multilayered look at international politics and the people who rule nations…Moss juggles complex political issues in an energetic plot…and he uses his experiences to deliver a credible international thriller that never succumbs to cynicism, even when showing how peace and co-existence can seemingly be impossible.
--MYSTERY SCENE
[Moss’s] new political thriller aims to illuminate the inner workings of government and give readers a glimpse of how foreign-policy decisions are really made in times of crisis abroad.
--STEVE ROBERTS, The Diane Rehm Show, NPR
A suspenseful thriller with many twists and turns, and which sheds light on the inner workings of government and diplomacy.
--MARK RUBINSTEIN, Huffington Post
Readers of political and military action novels will appreciate his ultracurrent scenarios and characters, and fans of W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy should know there is a new storyteller on the map.
--LIBRARY JOURNAL
Favorite novels of the year: A spy thriller wherein a professor who does statistical studies of conflict has to race against time to overturn an African coup and right all that is wrong US foreign policy.
--CHRIS BLATTMAN, Columbia University
I love this book. It tells you about Africa, it’s a thriller… and it tells you an awful lot about the behind-the-scenes of the US government. Just terrific, great fun.
--DENNIS WHOLEY, Host, This is America and the World
…read this novel as a window into politics, power and practice at the U.S. Department of State and you’ll find yourself in the middle of troublesome scenes that ring all too true.
--DALLAS MORNING NEWS
What makes this debut thriller especially intriguing—and authentic—is that… while he was dreaming up a fictive coup in Mali, the actual coup took place. We have much to learn from this book.
--BARBARA HOFFERT, Barbara's 2014 Fiction Picks, Library Journal
At last… a popular book that pays respectful homage to West Africa. The Golden Hour is a fast-paced political thriller.. peppered with delicious lines.
--BURKINA CONNECTION
Looking for something good to read? The Golden Hour by Todd Moss [is a] believable political thriller, awesome first novel.
--VICTORIA WEISFELD, travel blogger
A hyper-realistic and high-powered debut thriller.
--AUSTIN CAMACHO, The Big Thrill
Moss’s Judd Ryker novels are wildly entertaining romps through the world of a mythical political scientist who ends up with real power in a massive government bureaucracy…sort of. The Golden Hour was my favorite beach read of 2015.
--LAURA SEAY, Washington Post
I couldn’t put THE GOLDEN HOUR down. What a great blend of insights into the Sahel zone, the Washington scene, and the drivers of human nature!
--JOHN PADEN, George Mason University and author of Muslim Civic Cultures and Conflict Resolution
Turf wars, high stakes diplomacy, conspiracy, murder, and more. An exciting read that readers will not be able to put down easily. Moss is a gifted storyteller [who] knows how to craft a tale that’s intriguing and dramatic, yet also believable.
--HUFFINGTON POST
A true page-turner that also provides insights into the complexities of Washington’s diplomatic efforts during moments of crisis. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.
--TAYLOR DIBBERT, Huffington Post Books
A literal page-turner… engrossing… compelling… a celebration of the idea of independent, anti-bureaucratic initiative.
--ALEX THURSTON, Sahel Blog
Outstanding. Highly recommended.
--BILL MARTINEZ, Bill Martinez Live
As a former U.S. diplomat, I wanted to give my students a sense of the many actors and agencies involved in the messy process of making American policies around the world. The Golden Hour was the first book I assigned.
--PROFESSOR MIETEK BODUSZUNSKI, Pomona College
The novel of the year for political scientists has to be “The Golden Hour” by former State Department official Todd Moss.
--MARC LYNCH, Washington Post and author of THE ARAB UPRISING
Minute Zero is fast paced and compelling. Moss brilliantly captures the political heroes and the villains in Zimbabwe and in Washington DC.
--PROFESSOR ROBERT ROTBERG, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
The tale feels authentic, and its focus on insider manipulation of international events, rather than bullets, will attract fans of realistic political fiction.
--BOOKLIST
A fine second novel of diplomatic intrigue. The action moves relentlessly, shifting from Harare and Washington, D.C., and among several well-drawn characters. A former U.S. diplomat in Africa, Moss maintains a high level of authenticity throughout.
--PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
Todd Moss knows a thing or two about fighting the diplomatic fires that pop up every day all over the world. Now we, as readers, benefit because those real-life experiences give gripping authenticity to his second novel, Minute Zero, which continues the adventures of Judd Ryker.
--DAVID MARTINDALE, Star-Telegram
Minute Zero [is] a fast-paced novel is in the vein of writers like Tom Clancy and John Grisham… Where Moss really excels is in showing parts of the sausage making process that is diplomacy…. His aim was to strike a balance between getting things right and making it entertaining to people who may not know how the State Department works or where Zimbabwe is on a map. The novel succeeds in both regards.
--TOM MURPHY, Humanosphere
Minute Zero is a spellbinding political thriller [that] features turf wars, high stakes diplomacy, conspiracy and murder….It may be just fiction, but it gives you a peek of the behind the scenes and how diplomatic maneuvering works. Moss really excels in showing parts of the sausage-making process that is diplomacy.
--THE STANDARD (Zimbabwe)
Professional diplomats will enjoy comparing his fictional portrayal with the reality they know…. The Golden Hour mostly aims to entertain — and in that, it succeeds.
--FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Moss is uniquely qualified to write his thrillers…. Luckily for his readers, he knows how to tell an engaging story!
--VICKI WEISFELD, Crime Fiction Lover
Moss brings a wealth of personal experience to his narrative…lofty credentials indeed, and put to very good use in his writing.
--BRUCE TIERNEY, BookPage Magazine
Moss gives a sharp, up-to-the-minute feel in terms of crazy politics, self-serving politicos, and mainstream diplomatic strategists…. He does a great job in showing the discrepancy between the way events are played for the public and the reality of the situation…. It’s enough to make you look at the nightly news with an even more skeptical eye!
--VICTORIA WEISFELD
Ghosts of Havana… benefits from his previous experience in government and from his clear, unassuming writing. Readers looking for something fast-paced and fun should consider giving this book a try.
--TAYLOR DIBBERT, Huffington Post
Under-the-radar reads that shone in 2016: Ghosts of Havana… steps back in recent time with a story that starts when four American sport fishermen are busted by Castro’s navy when they trespass in Cuban waters. Ryker is dispatched to negotiate their release, but nothing is as it seems. Political and timely.
--ALLEN PIERLEONI, Sacramento Bee