Mr. Book finished reading The Splinter by Bill Burkland on October 26, 2026.

Thank you Köehler Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Although the overwhelming majority of Mr. Book’s reading consists of nonfiction, he has recently begun occasionally venturing into fiction, particularly political and legal thrillers. Bill Burkland’s The Splinter is an excellent example of why he is glad that he decided to expand his reading horizons.

Set in 2040, the novel depicts an America in which the Republican Party has been replaced by the Swan Party, whose symbol is the Trumpeter Swan and whose president cites The Art of the Deal as if it were scripture. Meanwhile, Congress has surrendered its authority and President Frederick Behring, who was just elected to his third term after the 22nd Amendment was repealed, has consolidated virtually unlimited power. As the administration obsesses over tariffs and other political distractions, a far more serious international threat is developing.

Burkland does an excellent job with both plot and character development. The story moves along at a consistently engaging pace, and he succeeds in getting readers invested in the principal characters and what happens to them. The political satire is particularly effective, especially the depiction of a president surrounded by incompetent officials whose primary qualification appears to be their willingness to agree with everything he says.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of The Splinter is how believable much of its political satire has become. Under ordinary circumstances, many of the conversations and decisions depicted in the novel would seem too absurd to be credible, even in a work of fiction. But in the current political environment, Mr. Book could easily imagine some of those very discussions taking place inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Splinter succeeds both as an entertaining political thriller and as a biting satire of contemporary American politics. Mr. Book is very glad that he gave this excursion into fiction a chance.

Mr. Book gives this book an A. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews.

The book is scheduled to be published on January 26, 2027.