Separation of Power was published by Pocket Books in 2001, months before the September 11 attacks. Saddam Hussein has secretly constructed three nuclear weapons in a facility hidden beneath a hospital in Baghdad. Rapp is tasked with destroying the facility — but the mission is complicated by Washington politics: powerful senators are blocking the confirmation of Irene Kennedy (Rapp’s mentor and handler) as CIA Director, and the same political forces that oppose Kennedy are trying to prevent the Iraqi operation.
The novel’s prescience about Iraqi weapons programs, Islamic terrorism, and the intelligence community’s struggles against political interference made it seem prophetic after 9/11. Flynn’s access to intelligence community sources gave his pre-9/11 work an accuracy that critics initially dismissed as fantasy and later recognized as informed speculation.
Irene Kennedy
Kennedy — Rapp’s handler, mentor, and political protector — becomes one of the series’ most important characters. Her confirmation battle for CIA Director introduces the Washington power dynamics that give Flynn’s novels their political dimension: intelligence professionals struggling against politicians who care more about power than security.
Collecting Separation of Power
First edition (Pocket Books, New York, 2001): Mass-market paperback.
Approximate market values:
- Paperback original, fine: $15–$40
- Later hardcover: $10–$25
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation. The pre-9/11 prescience gives this novel historical interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was this written before 9/11? Yes. Published in early 2001, it depicts threats that became devastatingly real months later.