Glenn Beck’s latest foray into fiction, The Overton Window: A Thriller, is number 3 on Amazon’s bestseller list.

It’s not on the New York Times list yet but as Jennifer Shuessler notes in an “Inside the List” column devoted largely to Beck, the novel was published after sales data for this week’s list had already been collected — wait until next week.

As Shuessler also notes, Friedrich von Hayek’s libertarian bible (1944), The Road to Serfdom, is sure to top the Times’ non-fiction list, having received Beck’s nihil obstat during a show Beck devoted to the writer. Serfdom already sits atop the Amazon list —- the latest of several to benefit from Beck’s imprimatur.

The Overton Window is the latest of seven Beck books from Threshold Editions, an imprint at Simon & Schuster, owned by CBS, and directed by Mary Matalin, the Republican Party strategist and recent Catholic convert.

In today’s LA Times, Tim Rutten contributes a 1,000-word review of the book. Here is the pith of it:

“Suffice to say that, the subtitle notwithstanding, there is nothing even remotely thrilling about this didactic, discursive — sporadically incoherent — novel. The image of a train wreck comes quickly to mind, though this book actually has more the character — and all of the excitement — of a lurching, low-speed derailment halfway out of the station.”

And then he criticizes it.

On the other hand, 130 Amazon reviewers have weighed in, mostly favorably, for an average customer review of four stars.

It’s hard to know who to believe.

Here is a sampling of the Amazon reviewer’s comments:

“Awesome read so far! Got through to Chapter 4 last night before I had to get on to dinner and watching Beck show I DVR’d.” (five stars)

“If you’re like me and think you’ve heard all he has to say – you’ll be very glad you read it. He’s not done teaching just yet. The Overton Window was a fast paced, easy to read thriller that humbled me back down into learning mode…definitely worth your time.” (five stars)

“If you are not smart enough to think for yourself, this book would be a challenge.” (five stars)

“I ordered a signed copy of this book through Glenn Beck’s website and was surprised to actually receive it last Thursday–almost a week before it was supposed to be released…unlike most thrillers written these days, this book is clean and appropriate for all audiences!” (five stars)

“Most of the thrillers I have read have wildly improbable overblown plots with cardboard characters and are written in sixth-grade English. Beck’s book is a delightful exception to the rule. The many quotations from America’s founders are written in elegant English, and the narration and characterization are sound.” (five stars)

“…many non-conservatives viciously attack Glen Beck for being a devout Mormon as they attempt to ridicule Mormon doctrines such as men progressing into gods, the Mormon teaching that God the Father is a physical man who evolved into a god, the idea that their heavenly Father has relations with women, and other distinctive Mormon beliefs. Many non-conservatives mock these Mormon doctrines as if these Ad Hominem/Genetic fallacies (attacking the man, assailing the source as they avoid the proof offered) make Beck’s political views erroneous.” (five stars)

“I pegged it one star because the book has no conclusion whatsoever. As a standalone book, it is worthless, however, Beck has already said that he has a sequel written and will publish it if this one sells well.” (four stars)

“The only complaint I have about this book is that, watching his program everyday, I knew exactly where the story was going.” (four stars)

“I’ve read a lot about the “cheesy” prose in this novel, and I’ll admit there are a line or two that made me cringe at the flowery descriptions. But you know what? Glenn Beck is such a busy man that he barely has time to blink, and I am quite simply amazed that he found the time to write a novel.” (five stars)

“While not great by any means, is adequately written and is about as entertaining as one would expect a writer’s first effort at this genre would be… It’s simply a fairly decent example of a very common type of book…There are a handful of fairly unbelievable / implausible turns of event, but they aren’t unforgivable (again, given that this is a first effort of its kind for Beck “and company”). The book is, in fact, a page turner (albeit a rather pedestrian / plebian one).” (four stars)

The reference to “and company” refers to Beck’s collaborators. I would have assumed that Beck would have attempted to conceal the fact that the book had been ghost-written for him but according to Rutten:

Beck is quite open about the fact he didn’t write the book. “I don’t write,” he told USA Today, “I speak. I get bogged down in writing.” The novel, he said, is “my story,” but one of the contributors “went in and put the words down…. I am a team kind of guy.” Oddly collectivist for a guy who assigns such primacy to individualism. Off the evidence here, he might want to spend part of the next million upgrading the team’s talent.