Eight stars
Always excited to find a new author who piques my interest, I am glad to have started this political thriller series by Joseph Flynn. Jim McGill’s life changed drastically when his second wife became the US president. He’s found his niche with the PI firm he has opened in the heart of DC. However, all that is shelved when his son takes ill. While Jim tries to handle that, his wife, President Patricia Grant, has some major decisions to make about her political future. All the while, political lobbyists are being killed on the streets, making the mysterious hunt for a killer headline news. With no time to rest, this book actions all of it and keeps the reader enthralled. Flynn proves his worth once more with this one.
Washington is abuzz as someone has been targeting lobbyists. Three men have been killed on DC streets in as many weeks, with an odd pig pin stuck to their suit jackets. Weird is the norm in this city, but even this is pushing the limits. When a fellow lobbyist, Putnam Shady, approaches the authorities that he was friends with one of the lobbyist, he is not quite ready to share all he knows. Instead, he confides in his lover, Margaret “Sweetie” Sweeney, that he thinks he may be next.
Sweetie works alongside Jim McGill, the First Husband, who has been trying to keep his newly created PI firm going, while not being stuck as a decoration to his wife, President Patricia Grant. While McGill is interested in what Sweetie has to say, he has other things on his mind. His son has been diagnosed with an illness and there is little time to wonder about much else. As Jim gathers his family together to put up a fight, many of those around him, including POTUS, step up to help.
With all this going on, the political machine is still roaring and President Grant makes some major decisions about her future with an election on the horizon, She must push back the Republicans within her party from trying to oust her before its too late, but she also has her eye on all the lobbyists who have been turning up dead. Her plan is drastic, but nothing President Grant does is simple or by the book. As she finds her targets, she learns that there are those who might be planning their own political machinations that could include political chess like no other. With so much going on, there is little time to breathe, something that everyone will have to do in the August heat of DC. Flynn pens a wonderful story that kept me hooked until the very end, with a stunning cliffhanger.
Joseph Flynn shows his skills once more with this piece that had me hooked from the opening paragraphs. There is so much going on that a summary cannot be done properly without really spending hours reciting all the plot lines. The narrative is full of great aspects and the story builds on each one as things gain speed. While he balances a number of narratives, Flynn keeps the reader in the middle of it all as things progress and there is no time to ponder things taking place. The use of ‘chapters’ is deceiving once more, as Flynn simply divides the story into six parts and breaks them up with vignettes that all that is needed. Jim McGill shows some of his true colour and this helps provide the reader with a well-rounded picture of the protagonist, particularly the compassionate father who wants nothing but the best for his son.
The plot is thick and ever-evolving, perfect for a reader such as myself, who always needs action to fuel the story’s progression. Flynn is able to juggle so many plot points without muddying them that I cannot wait to see how things will progress in the next novel, with a catchy title. Another longer piece, but justifiably so to lay out all the groundwork needed for what is to come. I look forward to seeing where things are headed and how the political themes will develop from here.
Kudos, Mr. Flynn, for a great novel and stellar ending!
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