Eight stars
Always excited to discover a new series with a number of books to tide me over, I turned to this collection by Joseph Flynn. Jim McGill is a gritty former cop whose life has been turned on its head when his wife is elected as the next US president. Now, carving out his own path, McGill decides to open a private investigation firm, hoping to help those in need, rather than cutting ribbons and making connections with those who want to bend the ear of POTUS. When a case fall into McGill’s lap, he leaps on it, but soon learns that there is more than meets the eye. Flynn begins things with a bang in this series debut!
Jim McGill is in a unique position. While he has a long history of working cases in Illinois as a cop, he’s married to the recently elected President of the United States. As such, he is the First Husband, but not one who enjoys ribbon cuttings and standing at various banquets. Rather, McGill would prefer to keep his skills sharp and serve as the President’s Henchman, handling situations that she cannot while still staying on this side of the law.
After opening up his own private investigations firm, McGill takes on the case of a journalist who feels that she might be in some danger. With a stalker lurking in the shadows and offering up some fairly damning messages, nothing is quite as it seems. When the journalist gets cold feet and cancels the services, both McGill and POTUS take an interest in the case, leaving the investigation to continue off the record.
If that were not enough, McGill is asked to help a young Air Force investigator with a case that might be headed to court-martial. A female colonel working at the Pentagon has been accused of an affair with a married soldier. The case takes on some interesting twist that only McGill could surmise. All the while, the looming issue of McGill’s own children, back in Illinois with their mother, comes to a head as a violent preacher has some ideas of his own about justice. Flynn packs all this into the debut novel that has left me needing more.
Joseph Flynn knows how to effectively mesh politics and a police procedural, leaving me to hope that things will continue as the series progresses. A strong narrative base provides the reader with a stunning story that gets better the more the story gains speed. Juggling many themes and ideas, peppered with humour and some dark aspects, Flynn keeps the reader trying to synthesise it all before delivering a stunning end. The characters are fresh and having me hoping there will be developments and backstories in the coming novels. I am eager to see what’s in store and how Jim McGill will keep things on point.
There is a great plot within this novel, which Joseph Flynn has developed with great care. While things might have been somewhat linear, there is a lack of this, adding depth and a great flavouring for the reader. Flynn provides a core story and then builds from there, keeping the reader wondering as twists emerge and the story gets a little meatier, which could help build up the momentum for the second novel. I hope to see more with McGill and his apparently unpredictable ways, as well as much of the backstory in his life that remains untapped.
Kudos, Mr. Flynn, for piquing my interest with this debut!
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