This book reads like a progress report: the primary problem isn't yet solved, but new information is gathered. It is tedious reading in parts where tiny discrepancies are exhibited; it is page turner in others where the action is more clear. Perhaps that is of necessity. One point Phillips emphasizes is lack of investigation, and she surmises it was to protect FBI informants/operatives. Another is that the three bombings were treated as isolated incidents when they appear to be part of a network. (This point reminds me of Kathleen Belew's Bring the War Home.)

Phillips continually indicates where she is hypothesizing and where she has facts. This seems to keep the distinction between conspiracy and conspiracy theory; however, I'll admit to not having read close enough to say whether she is convincing or not. Yet her conclusions are intriguing. One comes to mind: a transcript of a conversation where one participant gives a lot of information (that happens to contradict other sources) and the other divulges little. She suggests that the talkative one is trying to get the quiet one to correct the errors so the comment will be o tape. She also hypothesizes that the quiet one knows he is talking to an informant.

A strength of the book is her close reading of the quotations she uses. Rather than dumping quotations on the reader and letting the reader think through the connection to the thesis, she spells out in detail what she sees. This essential feature is also what makes the reading slow and difficult.