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Special Interest (Angela Bivens  Mystery)
 
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Special Interest (Angela Bivens Mystery) [Paperback]

Chris Benson (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


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Book Description

December 2, 2003
Veronica Sutton came to Washington to do good–but she did even better. Tall, smart, beautiful, and Black, Veronica parlayed her brains, looks, and college activism into a top-notch, million-dollar consulting firm that greased the wheels of Washington politics–without regard to race, creed, or political ideology. For Veronica, it was a long way from Chicago’s South Side. But when she is found dead in her posh town house, only a woman who knew the real Ronnie Sutton can find out how she died–and why.

Reporter Angela McKenzie chose a different path from her old friend’s, but now their lives are entwined again. Retracing Ronnie’s final weeks and days, Angela steps into a political maze of power, sex, secrets, and special interests. When people connected to Angela’s investigation begin to die, she knows she’s close: to a few astounding answers, to one more deadly question, and to a conspiracy that will rock Washington’s foundations– and kill anyone in its way. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deliciously rife with power, sleaze, and treachery.”
Chicago magazine

“First-time novelist Benson concocts a well thought-out story composed of equal parts political thriller, . . . romance, and upscale urban mystery taken right out of today’s headlines. . . . The denouement is shocking.”
–Black Issues Book Review



“[A] FAST-PACED POLITICAL THRILLER . . . The hallmark of any good suspense novel is that it keeps you guessing. And Benson doesn’t disappoint. When readers reach the surprise ending . . . they’ll be eager for the next installment in this series.”
–Jet magazine

“HIS TIMELY PLOT AND WELL-DRAWN CHARACTERS BODE WELL FOR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.”
ForeWord magazine

From the Inside Flap

Veronica Sutton came to Washington to do good?but she did even better. Tall, smart, beautiful, and Black, Veronica parlayed her brains, looks, and college activism into a top-notch, million-dollar consulting firm that greased the wheels of Washington politics?without regard to race, creed, or political ideology. For Veronica, it was a long way from Chicago?s South Side. But when she is found dead in her posh town house, only a woman who knew the real Ronnie Sutton can find out how she died?and why.

Reporter Angela McKenzie chose a different path from her old friend?s, but now their lives are entwined again. Retracing Ronnie?s final weeks and days, Angela steps into a political maze of power, sex, secrets, and special interests. When people connected to Angela?s investigation begin to die, she knows she?s close: to a few astounding answers, to one more deadly question, and to a conspiracy that will rock Washington?s foundations? and kill anyone in its way. . . .

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: One World/Ballantine (December 2, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345457277
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345457271
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,363,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Murder Mystery, October 30, 2002
By A Customer
I like this novel and I think it is a well developed and suspenseful murder mystery. When I thought I had narrowed down who the murderer might be, another element was added that made me re-think my position. I was immediately taken into the story; Chris has a way of writing that makes you want to know more about the characters and how they interact with each other. I especially wanted to know more about the main character (Angela). What was her driving motivation? Even after losing a job in Peoria for relying on one source--how she found the courage to dig deeper into this story when she was yet threaten with another dismissal. What had she experienced to make her such a determined person?" What happened in her earlier years that made her the person she had become? I feel the book was definitely worth the read and would definitely suggest others read it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Interesting Read, June 13, 2007
This review is from: Special Interest (Angela Bivens Mystery) (Paperback)
Chris Benson's, Special Interest is a political page-turner. When reporter, Angela McKenzie, relocates to Washington D.C. she is given the inside track into Washington politics by her old friend and political mover-and-shaker, Veronica Sutton. Angela notices changes in her once radical friend but does not believe Veronica is the sell-out that others are accusing her to be. When Veronica is found dead, Angela refuses to accept suicide as the cause of death. As Angela sets out to find the truth, she soon discovers Veronica's suicide is just a small part of a larger, dangerous story.

Benson's story is thick with details and plot twists that engage readers from the first page. The characters are well-developed and flawed within reason. Short chapters and journal style formatting keep the story moving. Readers will be pleased with Benson's first novel and will eagerly await Angela's future endeavors.

Reviewed by M. P. McKinney
APOOO BookClub

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent mix of politics and journalism in D.C. mystery, February 26, 2002
By A Customer
The female protagonist is a young journalist in D.C. plying and being plied by sources in a highly competitive environment. A suspicious death of an associate becomes the central theme of the book after several chapters of character development. That is typical of Chris Benson, it seems, in that he feeds elements of the plot to the reader at a measured pace. Almost all of the characters, including the heroine, have secrets and Benson divulges them in a manner well-timed to advance the story. By the end of the book, a whole raft of characters have become real people with multiple and intersecting agendas. The deceased character, in particular, is so full of life, yet beset with enigmas, that it is especially tragic that Benson kills her. But it is what makes for an excellent mystery.

The author is clearly familiar with "special interest" politics and journalism. The characters' dialogue is just right; the defense offered by the tobacco company PR person during the TV station roundtable interview is letter perfect. The author has a good ear for what makes a credible PR statement somewhere between artificially true and blatantly false. This is not the snappy patter of a Fletch novel or an exercise of the the "little grey cells" by Poirot, but professional people sounding professional.

All in all, an absorbing book.

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