Eight stars
I recently discovered the wonders of D.W. Buffa’s political/legal thrillers and have been devouring them whenever possible. I came across a series debut in which Buffa uses his pseudonym, Lawrence Alexander, which packs quite a punch. Bobby Hart is a US senator from California, preparing for re-election while also serving his constituents as best he can. When Hart is approached to discuss a sensitive matter, he finds himself sitting at a café in Germany, unsure of what to expect. Hart soon learns that there is a plot to assassinate someone during the US elections, codenamed RUBICON, but before he can learn anything else, his contact is shot in front of him. Returning to the US, Hart tries to learn a little more, confiding in a friend within the intelligence community. When an explosion rocks a political event where one of the presidential candidates is rallying support, a bloodbath ensues and Hart is left to wonder if this is RUBICON in action. As he tries to dig a little deeper, Hart discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye, with the US Administration at the centre. Tensions run high as Hart must stay one step ahead of whomever it is pulling strings. RUBICON may seem like a terror plot, but it resonates up through the electoral campaign and into the constitutional fibre of the country. How can it be stopped and what is the final act that will signal no retreat? Alexander does well to lay some exciting groundwork in this thriller, which mixes politics with the hunt to neutralise a terror cell. Recommended to those who need a quick and easy read that includes some American political action as well.
While I have many authors I try to follow, few have made as much of an impact on me as D.W Buffa, even when he pens something under another name. He knows his politics and how to convey a story that will both intrigue and lure a reader to seek more by reading further. Bobby Hart is both a keen senator and a wonderful protagonist in this piece. He has a backstory and a wife that can sometimes surface, but is also somewhat vague. As he has this major political revelation tossed into his lap, Hart must decide how best to represent his constituents while saving the entire US republic from annihilation. True, it may seem a little far-fetched, but the author does well to add great intrigue to the story without getting too dramatic. As Hart is pulled deeper into the mystery, he becomes an unwitting target and must extricate himself while revealing the truth before it is buried for good. Others add depth and volume to this story, in a debut that is sure to see some returning faces. Alexander sets the groundwork for more Bobby Hart, be it in the political arena or as a private citizen. Alexander offers the reader quite the tale here, mixing political intrigue with thrilling terror plots in a single novel. Political thrillers are hard to keep sharp, but Alexander seems able to do so with little issue. I just hope I can find the subsequent novels with ease, as I remain highly curious.
Kudos, Mr. Alexander (Buffa), for a great debut. I am eager to see what else you have in store for Bobby Hart, noticing that there are three novels in this series to date.
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
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