From Publishers Weekly
Former first daughter Ford, aided by romantic suspense author Hayden, gets off to a shaky start with this White House murder mystery, falling short of the standards set by fellow presidential scions Margaret Truman and Elliott Roosevelt. First daughter Eve Cooper, a 25-year-old photographer, shares the White House with her newly inaugurated widower father, her aunt who acts as First Lady and her youngest brother. While taking pictures of the first family in the Rose Garden after a snowstorm, White House photographer Michael Cauffman notices a man's body in the snow. On the body is a black-and-white glossy photo of an unknown couple in flagrante delicto in the Lincoln bedroom. Eve, her Secret Service guardians and Cauffman pursue an investigation to prevent the murder from turning into the first scandal of her father's administration. Ford draws on her own experiences to provide an authentic view of life in the White House fishbowl, though the authors have to do some clever maneuvering to give Eve enough latitude to be an active (and at risk) sleuth. One fervently hopes that the real Secret Service operates more competently than the fictional one depicted here. Ford's insider knowledge and some mild humor aren't enough to redeem a flimsy plot, while Eve has a disconcerting knack of seeming to be her age one moment and her 15-year-old brother's the next. For all its weaknesses, however, this debut novel does have a certain na‹ve charm, and is sure to attract a curious audience. National author tour.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Eve Cooper, an aspiring photojournalist and daughter of U.S. President Elliot Cooper, represents him in an investigation inspired by the discovery of a man's body in the White House Rose Garden. Identical twin to a White House employee, the man clutches a sexually explicit photo taken in the Lincoln bedroom that could compromise the President. Eve and others find clues to illegal entry and blackmail, while the photo itself leads to allegations of illegal campaign contributions. Eve takes it all in stride, providing an insider's view of life in the House. With this debut, First Daughter Ford joins presidential offspring Elliott Roosevelt and Margaret Truman in the mystery arena. Suitable for most collections.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
