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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Morelli was absolutely certain that he was fated to rule the nation and nothing but good would come of his ruling.", July 13, 2009
(4.5 stars) When Joe DeMarco, "fixer" for Speaker of the House John Fitzpatrick Mahoney is called into the Speaker's office to help him "help a friend," whose reporter-son has drowned, he has no idea that his private investigation into the reporter's death will mushroom into a case which will ultimately affect his party's choice of a Presidential candidate. As he pursues what seems at first to be the simple confirmation of an accidental death, DeMarco must soon deal with present and past employees from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, the DC police, the Capitol police, the House, the Senate, the Washington press, and even the mob. He is followed, warned, and ultimately threatened by representatives of almost all of these institutions. DeMarco's investigation takes him into the netherworld of political secrets, most of them surrounding charismatic Senator Paul Morelli, the most likely Democratic candidate for President in a future election. Morelli has won both of his previous elections after his opponents have been publicly discredited, but Morelli has a few indiscretions and problems of his own, along with a less than loving, alcoholic wife. Like some other politicians, however, he has a "big bird" looking out for him, a secret supporter who may be willing to do just about anything to keep him "clean" until he can reach the White House. Before long, the peripheral characters in the action begin to have accidents, and as the body count begins to rise, DeMarco finds himself without the support of people he has counted on. Author Mike Lawson writes in an efficient, straightforward style, and despite his large cast of characters and numerous subplots, which overlap and intersect, he ensures that his readers will not get confused by having the characters provide helpful summings-up of the action at key points throughout the novel. The characters, though not fully developed, are individualized enough that the reader can easily imagine the novel as a film, filled with character actors engaging in dramatic and often emotional scenes. Lawson is obviously having fun with this novel: everything about it is over-the-top. The characters, plot, political milieu, and imagined context all contain elements of truth, but Lawson cranks things up and then gives one extra turn, creating situations which, though often violent, verge on absurd, keeping the reader entertained and even amused, rather than shocked. The Washington-based characters are almost caricatures, created with a tongue-in-cheek energy which prevents the novel from being cynical, and the conclusion will bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded reader. And should anyone wonder about political bias here, the author creates Republicans who are every bit as loathsome as his Democrats. Lawson walks a fine line between thriller and satire in this wry and entertaining novel about Washington politics. n Mary Whipple House Rules: A Joe DeMarco ThrillerThe Second PerimeterThe Inside RingThe Payback
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
These people play for keeps., August 29, 2009
Joe DeMarco, fixer and go-to guy for Speaker of the House John Fitzpatrick Mahoney, is back in Mike Lawson's "House Secrets." Mahoney, who is a hard-drinking womanizer and Washington power-broker, orders Joe to do a favor for retired congressman Dick Finley. Finley's son, Tim, was an ambitious reporter who died in what was ruled a boating accident. Tim's father doesn't buy this scenario; he insists that that his son was murdered to keep him from revealing an explosive secret. It's Joe's job to "turn over a few rocks and see what crawls out." Joe does so, and what he finds are some ugly and violent creatures, some of whom walk on two legs. Joe's pal and critic, Emma, a beautiful and brainy former operative for the Defense Intelligence Agency, uses her considerable clout and contacts to assist Joe in his investigation. It turns out that there may be a conspiracy afoot to propel the handsome and charismatic Senator Paul Morelli to the White House. If this turns out to be the case, who is the mastermind behind Morelli's meteoric rise and what would this person do if anyone got in his way--say, a nosty reporter with dirt on Morelli or a pushy lawyer named Joe DeMarco? Lawson is well-versed in the workings of the nation's capitol, although he makes it seem more like Peyton Place than a site where dedicated legislators work hard on behalf of their constituents. "House Secrets" contains enough intrigue, betrayals, sexual misconduct, and financial malfeasance to keep a soap opera afloat for years. DeMarco's dad worked for the mob, but Joe is a peace-loving individual. His specialty is ferreting out facts for his boss, not making threats or wielding a weapon. Even with Emma's help, however, DeMarco is having a hard time getting anyone to talk frankly about Morelli. Could it be that there is really nothing to tell or did someone more menacing than Joe scare these witnesses into keeping their mouths shut? One possible source is Lydia, Morelli's alcoholic wife, who is so depressed and angry that she may be willing to spill the beans. "House Secrets" has a very busy plot, with allusions to rape, bribery, political corruption, and murder for hire. At over three hundred and fifty-pages, the novel feels padded and could have been streamlined with ease. For instance, a subplot dealing with an aging CIA man who has his own agenda adds nothing to the mix and should have been eliminated. Fortunately, Joe is as cheeky and self-deprecating as ever. He's no hero and he knows it, but he does have the courage of his convictions and is willing to risk his life to see that justice is done. On the other hand, the suspense is minimal, since the reader has a fairly good idea of who the bad guys are and what will happen to them. The dialogue is a bit too heavy-handed and most of the characters are stereotypes (dumb hoodlum, militant black man, aspiring actress, ruthless henchman, brilliant computer hacker, etc.). Although there are a few neat surprises here (especially on the last page), Lawson's themes have, for the most part, been explored with more subtlety in other political thrillers.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A SUPER SMART POLITICAL THRILLER, August 9, 2009
What a romp it is to read a Joe DeMarco story by Mike Lawson! They're comic, caustic, and chilling. His characters are described so originally that one either shivers or smiles. For instance, describing the overweight cigar chomping Speaker of the House John Fitzpatrick Mahoney poolside in swim trunks and a Hawaiian shirt, Lawson writes, "DeMarco thought he looked like a beluga whale that had crashed a luau." With House Secrets, the fourth in Lawson's Washington based thrillers, DeMarco has been summoned to look into the apparent drowning death of retired congressman Dick Finley's son. Finley claims his newspaper reporter son had leads on one of the hottest stories to hit the Capitol; police believe the newsman died while on a drunken kayak spin in the wee hours. Mahoney simply wanted DeMarco "to turn over a few rocks and see what crawls out." All DeMarco has to begin with is a torn piece of napkin covered with names and dates which was found in the reporter's wallet. After expending time and energy DeMarco thinks all the late newsman had wasn't hot at all but really very cold known news about New York Senator Paul Morelli, the great hope of the Democrats who has a spotless record and seems to be on a fast track to the White House. What Morelli does not have is a supportive wife. Lydia contacts DeMarco accusing her husband of the vilest acts, possibly even murder. But, everyone knows Lydia drinks to excess and drunks don't tell the truth or do they? What started out as looking under a few rocks has left DeMarco trying to discover what is truth and what is not as at the same time he finds himself at odds with Washington bigwigs, the CIA, and mobsters who don't appear to want to take prisoners. This is Lawson's best yet - a wild ride through Washington. - Gail Cooke
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