Testimonials
” Rick Pullen attended a workshop I gave in 2015. I read an excerpt of Naked Ambition at that time and saw the obvious potential. But even that preview did not prepare me for what I just finished reading. The novel is fun, smart, and topical without ever getting preachy. The characters, though comic in design, bear an eerie similitude with their real-world counterparts. Beck and Geneva in particular continue to inhabit my thoughts even now that their story is over. Time and time again I was surprised by the plot twists — so often, while expecting the story to zig, I watched it zag in an utterly plausible but unforeseeable way, which made it impossible to stop turning pages. There’s also plenty of raucous wit, wicked detail, and hard-won wisdom — Mister Pullen knows the world of which he speaks — and I even learned a few things, like the distinction between Padrons and Cohibas, and what constitutes the Washington version of safe sex.
- David Corbett, award-winning author of The Mercy of the Night
” Pullen has written a solid, descriptive thriller that shows that he is well-informed and savvy about the newspaper business and the political world...and in Pullen's hands the shady and sometimes judicious relationships among government, business, and journalism are shown in a penetrating and astute manner.
- Kirkus Reviews
” Naked Ambition draws you in early and won't let go until you've devoured every last page. Pullen has crafted a masterful narrative that casts post-Citizens United abuses of power in nuanced layers of suspense and intrigue.
- Steve Giegerich, author of Body of Knowledge