title: Ken Follett and the Triumph of Suspense: A Popular Writer Transcends Genres
author: Carlos Ramet
description: "this is one of the best books I've ever read on the career and methods of a popular novelist"--<i>Mystery Scene</i>; "Ramet provides us with another way to inspect the value of Follett's body of work and to understand the man, but also gives us a view of how books are written and how the real world shapes a writer and his fiction in general. Ramet succeeds in crafting a biography of Follett in which the writing process is examined as well via the life of a literary success story"--<i>Popular Culture Review</i>.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  Praise for _Lie Down with Lions_
  
  
  “An exciting and complex tale.”
  
  
  — _The Philadelphia Inquirer_
  
  
  “Masterful . . . plot and counterplot, treachery, cunning, and killing . . .
  keep you on edge every moment.”
  
  
  —The Associated Press
  
  
  “Combines modern warfare, international espionage, and a love story while
  also, in typical Follett fashion, playing out the fate of his characters amid
  thrilling escapes and shattering revelations.”
  
  
  — _Richmond Times-Dispatch_
  
  
  “There is an incredible sex scene and desperate trek across ice-covered
  mountains . . . an exotic setting, a strong, courageous heroine, a strong,
  courageous hero, good guys, bad guys, and a supporting cast of thousands . . .
  A roaring good read.”
  
  
  _—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution_
  
  
  “Solid suspense fiction . . . romance, adventure, exotic settings with a
  healthy dash of intrigue . . . When it comes to reliable entertainment, few
  authors deliver as consistently as Follett.”
  
  
  — _The Pittsburgh Press_
  
  
  “Follett’s great st