Blog Tour: Review of State of Lies by Siri Mitchell

Author: Siri Mitchell
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date:August 2019

The secrets of those closest to us can be the most dangerous of all.

Months after her husband, Sean, is killed by a hit-and-run driver, physicist Georgie Brennan discovers he lied to her about where he had been going that day. A cryptic notebook, a missing computer, and strange noises under her house soon have her questioning everything she thought she knew.

With her job hanging by a thread, her son struggling to cope with his father’s death, and her four-star general father up for confirmation as the next Secretary of Defense, Georgie quickly finds herself tangled in a political intrigue that has no clear agenda and dozens of likely villains. Only one thing is clear: someone wants her dead too.

The more she digs for the truth, the fewer people she can trust.

Not her friends.

Not her parents.

Maybe not even herself.

In State of Lies, Georgie's husband is killed in a car accident.  Months later, she begins to discover that her husband may not have been who she thought he was.  As she uncovers the many secrets he kept, she realizes that her son and herself are in danger.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  I'm not usually into spy novels, but I love to try out new books.  I am excited when they end up being as good as this one.

I read this book in one sitting.   I was sucked right in and didn't want to put it down until I found out the truth along with Georgie.  The plot was laid out very well with just the right amount of information doled out at the right time.  I was kept guessing, although I did call one plot line. But I didn't mind because there were still many surprises. I loved Georgie's character.  She came across realistically as a grieving widow trying to put her life back together and push forward for her and her child.  I could sympathize with her inner struggle about whether or not to delve into the things she had uncovered.  

I won't say much else about the book as I won't want to spoil anything.  I highly recommend this one.  

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Thomas Nelson

About Siri Mitchell

Siri Mitchell is the author of 14 novels. She has also written 2 novels under the pseudonym of Iris Anthony. She graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and has worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo. Siri is a big fan of the semi-colon but thinks the Oxford comma is irritatingly redundant.

Connect with Siri

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Instagram:

Monday, August 12th: @books_faith_love

Tuesday, August 13th: @thebooksellersdaughter

Thursday, August 15th: @cassies_books_reviews

Friday, August 16th: @createexploreread

Friday, August 16th: @thecaffeinated_bibliophile

Saturday, August 17th: @angelakreais

Sunday, August 18th: @_ebl_inc_

Sunday, August 18th: @beauty_andthebook_

Sunday, August 25th: @sweethoneyandbrei

Reviews:

Monday, August 12th: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, August 14th: Palmer’s Page Turners

Thursday, August 15th: @simplykelina

Monday, August 19th: @ohthebooksshewillread

Wednesday, August 21st: Where the Reader Grows and @wherethereadergrows

Thursday, August 22nd: Run Wright

Monday, August 26th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts

Wednesday, August 28th: Empowermoms

Thursday, August 29th: Jathan & Heather

Tuesday, September 3rd: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, September 4th: Amy’s Book-et List

Thursday, September 5th: Write Read Life

Friday, September 6th: Treestand Book Reviews

Friday, September 6th: Well Read Traveler and @wellreadtraveler

Monday, September 9th: @jennblogsbooks

Tuesday, September 10th: Words Between Coasts

Thursday, September 12th: Audio Killed the Bookmark and @beritaudiokilledthebookmark

Friday, September 13th: View from the Birdhouse

Monday, September 16th: What is That Book About

Blog Tour: The Fury by Shane Gericke

Author: Shane Gericke

Publisher: Tantor

Date of publication: September 2015

The Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico washes a cache of doomsday weapons onto a Mexican beach: bombs filled with VX nerve gas mixed with anthrax, invented by the Nazis during World War II and perfected by the United States to use in the Cold War. The bombs soon fall into the wrong hands and create an unstoppable opponent. Only one Chicago Police detective has a chance of preventing those bombs from being used on American soil.

Reeling from the recent murder of her husband as well as allegations of police misconduct, Detective Superstition “Sue” Davis is thrown into an undercover assignment. She must infiltrate the Mexican narcotics cartel responsible for the death of her husband in order to get close to the cartel’s sociopathic enforcer, Jiminez “Jimmy” Garcia.

But when the entire Garcia family is killed in Mexico by a U.S. Special Forces raid gone wrong, Garcia will stop at nothing to get vengeance, including triggering newly acquired bombs on American soil. Superstition’s assignment quickly becomes more dangerous than planned as the threat of a terrorist attack looms closer.

Sometimes, I can really get sucked into a thriller and sometimes I really don't.  Unfortunately, The Fury fell into that later category for me.  It's a shame because I read some raving reviews after I decided to make it a DNF.  I just had a hard time getting into it.  For me, I think it was the continual jump in timelines and locations.  I actually re-read one of the earlier chapters over because I was lost.  As always, I think this just wasn't the book for me.  Check out what others on the tour are saying and then give it a shot.

About Shane Gericke

Bestselling novelist Shane Gericke is the author of Torn Apart, which was short-listed for the prestigious Thriller Award and named a Book of the Year by Suspense magazine. Shane spent twenty-five years as a newspaper editor, most prominently at the Chicago Sun-Times, before jumping into fiction. He lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. Visit him at shanegericke.com.

Shane Gericke’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Friday, August 21st: BookBub – author guest post, “13 Hair-raising Books on the Global War on Terrorism”

Monday, August 24th: Books that Hook

Wednesday, August 26th: Vic’s Media Room

Thursday, August 27th: Life is Story

Monday, August 31st: Dwell in Possibility

Tuesday, September 1st: Mallory Heart Reviews

Tuesday, September 8th: SJ2B House of Books

Wednesday, September 9th: It’s a Mad Mad World

Thursday, September 10th: The World As I See It

Friday, September 11th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, September 14th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Wednesday, September 16th: Thoughts on This ‘n That

Thursday, September 17th: Lilac Reviews

Blog Tour: The Kill Shot by Nichole Christoff

Author: Nichole Christoff
Publisher: Random House Alibi
Date of publication: March 2015

Jamie Sinclair’s father has never asked her for a favor in her life. The former two-star general turned senator is more in the habit of giving his only child orders. So when he requests Jamie’s expertise as a security specialist, she can’t refuse—even though it means slamming the brakes on her burgeoning relationship with military police officer Adam Barrett. Just like that, Jamie hops aboard a flight to London with a U.S. State Department courier carrying a diplomatic pouch in an iron grip.

Jamie doesn’t have to wait long to put her unique skills to good use. When she and the courier are jumped by goons outside the Heathrow terminal, Jamie fights them off—but the incident puts her on high alert. Someone’s willing to kill for the contents of the bag. Then a would-be assassin opens fire in crowded Covent Garden, and Jamie is stunned to spot a familiar face: Adam Barrett, who saves her life with a single shot and calmly slips away. Jamie’s head—and her heart—tell her that something is very wrong. But she’s come way too far to turn back now.

If you are looking for a non-stop action packed book full of intrigue and spy chasing, then you should definitely check this one out.  The Kill Shot is the second book featuring Jamie Sinclair, private detective-turned-security-agent for hire. Her Senator father hires her for what seems to be a routine job; guarding someone delivering a US diplomatic pouch to  London and home again.  Once Jamie gets off the plane in London, she quickly realizes that this job is anything but routine.

I devoured this book.  I literally read it in a couple of hours because I couldn't walk away from it.  It was non-stop action from the beginning and didn't let up until the end. You never know who to trust in the book so it definitely will keep you on your toes.  Jamie Sinclair is a great character.  She is great at what she does, smart and beautiful.  She is hesitant to give into her feelings for Adam,  I did find that part of the book frustrating.  I hope that he shows up in the next book and that they make some more progress.  It would hate to have the" should I or shouldn't  I?" question go on for too many books.

I am looking forward to the next book, 

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About Nichole Christoff

Nichole Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada. Christoff is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America. She also belongs to Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and three of RWA’s local chapters where she’s served as an officer and a member of the board. In Christoff’s first year as a member of RWA, her first manuscript won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. Her second manuscript won a Helen McCloy Scholarship from Mystery Writers of America. Her last manuscript was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Her latest novel, The Kill Shot, is a 2014 Killer Nashville Claymore Dagger finalist.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Nichole Christoff’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Wednesday, March 11th: Book Nerd

Thursday, March 12th: FictionZeal

Monday, March 16th: Reading to Distraction

Wednesday, March 18th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Thursday, March 19th: Kahakai Kitchen

Thursday, March 19th: Annabel and Alice

Thursday, March 19th: A Fantastical Librarian

Friday, March 20th: Bell, Book & Candle

Monday, March 23rd: From the TBR Pile

Tuesday, March 24th: Back Porchervations

Tuesday, March 24th: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, March 25th: Brooke Blogs

Wednesday, March 25th: Queen of All She Reads

Thursday, March 26th: Joyfully Retired

Monday, March 30th: Vic’s Media Room

Tuesday, March 31st: Booked on a Feeling

Wednesday, April 1st: Omnimystery News – author guest post

Friday, April 3rd: Reading Reality

Blog Tour; The Swimmer by Joakim Zander

Author: Joakim Zander

Publisher: Harper 

Date of publication: February 10, 2015

A deep-cover CIA agent races across Europe to save the daughter he never knew in this electrifying debut thriller— an international sensation billed as “Homeland meets Stieg Larsson”—that heralds the arrival of a new master.

Early 1980s, Damascus. A nameless American spy abandons his newborn child to an uncertain fate. His inability to forgive himself for what he has done leads him on a lifelong quest to escape his past that will take him to Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq—anywhere where the danger and the stress allow him to forget.

Thirty years later, EU aide Klara Walldéen is learning to navigate the world of politics—the lines between friend and enemy, truth and lies. But Klara has just seen something she should not have: a laptop containing information so sensitive that people will kill to keep it hidden. Suddenly she is thrown into a terrifying chase through Europe, with no idea who is hunting her or why.

Their stories converge one stormy Christmas Eve in the Swedish archipelago, where blood is spilled, shocking discoveries are made, and the past inevitably catches up with the present.

The Swimmer is a debut novel and has been compared to books like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I loved that series, so I was looking forward to trying this book out.  I'm not usually one to read political  thrillers, but I'm always willing to expand my horizons. Sadly for me, I just couldn't get into the book.  I did give it about 100 pages, but it just couldn't hold my interest.

It was a very slow start with many different points of view in the beginning.  I'm not a fan of books that introduce many characters in the beginning.  It can make it hard to keep everyone straight after a while. The back and forth between 1983 and the present made things a little confusing if I wasn't paying attention to the dates at the top of each chapter. I would liken it to was watching a really confusing spy movie that I would have ended up tuning out or turning off.  

The book has received great reviews, so I think for lovers of this genre, it will work for them.  So I urge you to give it a shot. I just wasn't my cup of tea.

About Joakim Zander

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Joakim Zander has lived in Syria and Israel and graduated from high school in the United States. He earned a PhD in Law from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and has worked as a lawyer for the European Union in Brussels and Helsinki. The Swimmer is his first novel; rights have been sold in 28 territories. Zander currently lives in southern Sweden with his wife and two children.

Follow Zander on Twitter, @JoakimZander.

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Joakim’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, February 10th: Bibiotica

Wednesday, February 11th: Man of La Book

Friday, February 13th: Dreams, Etc.

Monday, February 16th: My Bookish Ways

Tuesday, February 17th: Staircase Wit

Thursday, February 19th: Annabel & Alice

Friday, February 20th: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, February 23rd: Stephany Writes

 Tuesday, February 24th: A Dream Within a Dream

Wednesday, February 25th: Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Thursday, February 26th: Ace and Hoser Blook

Monday, March 2nd: The Discerning Reader

Friday, March 6th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Wednesday, March 11th: Many Hats

Wednesday, March 11th: From the TBR Pile

Friday, March 13th: Jorie Loves a Story

TBD: Novel Escapes

Ryder by Nick Pengelley

Author: Nick Pengelley
Publisher; Random House Alibi
Date of publication: September 2014 

As Israeli and Palestinian leaders prepare to make a joint announcement at the Tower of London, an influential scholar is tortured and murdered in his well-appointed home in St. John’s Wood. Academic researcher Ayesha Ryder believes the killing is no coincidence. Sir Evelyn Montagu had unearthed shocking revelations about T. E. Lawrence—the famed Lawrence of Arabia. Could Montagu have been targeted because of his discoveries?

Ryder’s search for answers takes her back to her old life in the Middle East and into a lion’s den of killers and traitors. As she draws the attention of agents from both sides of the conflict, including detectives from Scotland Yard and MI5, Ryder stumbles deeper into Lawrence’s secrets, an astounding case of royal blackmail, even the search for the Bible’s lost Ark of the Covenant.

Every step of the way, the endgame grows more terrifying. But when an attack rocks London, the real players show their hand—and Ayesha Ryder is left holding the final piece of the puzzle.

Ryder is a convoluted, faced paced thriller that will have lovers of this type of book racing to  the finish line along with the lead character, Ayesha Ryder.  It is an international thriller with a bit of a treasure hunt thrown in.  For me, it was a little too convoluted to follow and ended up being just an OK read for me.  

I did enjoy the parts where Ayesha was trying to work out the clues and puzzles that would lead her to why her lover was killed.  Those parts were exciting and kept my interest.  But, I felt, at times, there were too many characters to keep straight.  Every time the scene switched to someone other than Ayesha, I was a little lost.  I also felt like there was too much history (real and imagined) thrown in and that slowed me down.  I skimmed parts and eventually ended up skipping to the end to see if Ayesha could save the day.

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About the author:

Nick Pengelley is the author of the political thriller Ryder. Australian by birth, he’s had careers in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom as a law professor, legal consultant, and analyst on Middle East politics, which is his passion. Pengelley lives in Toronto with his wife, Pamela.

Nick Pengelley’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, September 22nd: Bell, Book & Candle

Monday, September 22nd: Omnimystery News – guest post

Tuesday, September 23rd: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Wednesday, September 24th: D. L. Kamstra | Writing about Stories

Thursday, September 25th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, September 29th: Reading Reality

Tuesday, September 30th: Tales of a Book Addict

Wednesday, October 1st: Patricia’s Wisdom

Monday, October 6th: Crime Book Club

Tuesday, October 7th: Read Love Blog

Wednesday, October 8th: 2 Kids and Tired Books

Thursday, October 9th: Queen of All She Reads

Friday, October 10th: A Fantastical Librarian

Friday, October 10th: Mystery Playground – Drinks with Reads guest post

Monday, October 13th: By the Book Reviews

Tuesday, October 14th: the smitten word

Wednesday, October 15th: Dwell in Possibility

Blog Tour: Supreme Justice by Max Allan Collins

Author: Max Allan Collins
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Date of publication: July 2014

After taking a bullet for his commander-in-chief, Secret Service agent Joseph Reeder is a hero. But his outspoken criticism of the president he saved—who had stacked the Supreme Court with hard-right justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, amp up the Patriot Act, and shred the First Amendment—put Reeder at odds with the Service’s apolitical nature, making him an outcast.

FBI agent Patti Rogers finds herself paired with the unpopular former agent on a task force investigating the killing of Supreme Court Justice Henry Venter. Reeder—nicknamed “Peep” for his unparalleled skills at reading body language—makes a startling discovery while reviewing a security tape: the shooting was premeditated, not a botched robbery. Even more chilling, the controversial Venter may not be the only justice targeted for death…

Is a mastermind mounting an unprecedented judicial coup aimed at replacing ultra-conservative justices with a new liberal majority? To crack the conspiracy and save the lives of not just the justices but also Reeder’s own family, rising star Rogers and legendary investigator Reeder must push their skills—and themselves—to the limit.

Supreme Justice is just the thriller you want to read this summer.  I flew through this book as it kept me engaged and guessing the whole way through.  I loved Joe Reeder (Peep to his friends).  He is a great character and detective.  I thought his ability to read people was intriguing.  He is a character I would love to see in future books.

I thought the mystery was well laid out with a surprise at the end.  I love books with red herrings that keep you turned around until you don't know which way is up.  With the murder of a couple of Supreme Court Justices and the potential for a huge political conspiracy, there are a plethora of suspects.   I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes political thriller.  It's definitely a must read for 2014.

About the author:

Max Allan Collins has earned fifteen Private Eye Writers of America “Shamus” nominations, winning for his Nathan Heller novels, True Detective and Stolen Away, and receiving the PWA life achievement award,the Eye. His graphic novel, Road to Perdition, the basis for the Academy Award–winning film starring Tom Hanks, was followed by two novels, Road to Purgatory and Road to Paradise. His suspense series include Quarry, Nolan, Mallory, and Eliot Ness, and his numerous comics credits include the syndicated Dick Tracy and his own Ms. Tree. He has written and directed four feature films and two documentaries. His other produced screenplays include The Expert, an HBO World Premiere, and The Last Lullaby. His coffee-table book The History of Mystery received nominations for every major mystery award and Men’s Adventure Magazines won the Anthony. Collins lives in Muscatine, Iowa, with his wife, writer Barbara Collins. They have collaborated on seven novels and are currently writing the Trash ‘n’ Treasures mysteries.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Max Allan Collins’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, June 16th:  5 Minutes for Books

Wednesday, June 18th:  FictionZeal

Thursday, June 19th:  Kritter’s Ramblings

Monday, June 23rd:  Reading Reality

Wednesday, June 25th:  No More Grumpy Bookseller

Thursday, June 26th:  Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Friday, June 27th:  A Bookish Way of Life

Monday, June 30th:  Bookchickdi

Tuesday, July 1st:  Bookish Ardour - excerpt

Wednesday, July 2nd:  Patricia’s Wisdom

Monday, July 7th:  Bibliotica

Tuesday, July 8th:  Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Wednesday, July 9th:  From the TBR Pile

Thursday, July 10th:  Traveling with T

Monday, July 14th:  Staircase Wit

Wednesday, July 16th:  Literally Jen

TBD:  My Bookshelf

The Execution by Dick Wolf

by:  Dick Wolf
published by:  William Morrow and Company
publish date:  January 7, 2014

NYPD Detective Jeremy Fisk must make an uneasy ally - the disturbingly beautiful and assertive Mexican Intelligence Agency Detective Cecilia Garza. She recognizes the signature of assassin Chuparosa - a hummingbird carved on a corpse. After years of pursuit, she knows only that he is heading to Manhattan - with the rest of the world for UN Week.   Ten days after the Mexican presidential election, 23 bodies were found beheaded on the US border, each carved by Chuparosa. Near New York, Rockaway has a mass murder. There is more to this threat than meets the eye — and justice is not always blind.

This is the second book by Dick Wolf featuring Jeremy Fisk.  While his services are in high demand after saving the president, Fisk is laying low nursing his wound from the ordeal.  He's still hurt from the loss of his girlfriend and still bitter that her killer, while behind bars, is alive.  Even though, he's gotten better offers, he keeps his job in the NYPD.   Just as he's getting ready for UN Week, 23 bodies show up and they indicate Mexican cartel activity.  He has to team up with Detective Garza to solve the crime before the assassin takes down the Mexican president in the middle of UN Week.  

I've liked both books featuring Jeremy Fisk.  They're both solid political thrillers.   The Fisk novels have been well paced, action-packed and both have been diverse and applicable to modern threats.   Sadly, this genre lost Vince Flynn last year so if you're looking for a new writer to fill that void, Dick Wolf might be what you're looking for.  

The Doll by Taylor Stevens

by:  Taylor Stevens
published by:  Crown Publishing
publish date:  June 4, 2013

On a busy Dallas street, Munroe is kidnapped by an unseen opponent and thrust into an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a shadowy figure known as The Doll Maker controls her every move. While trusted friends race to unravel where she is and why she was taken, everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one person she loves above all else.

In The Doll, Michael finds herself deep in the world of human trafficking.  One of Hollywood's most famous actresses has been kidnapped for a buyer, but she's proving to be difficult not only because of her fame, but she will not be a victim.  The Doll Maker extorts Michael for her abilities in moving Neva to the buyer or he will kill Logan and sell her niece into the trafficking ring.

I felt like this book was lacking some of the wild excitement the other two books had, but this book had a more contained deep emotional impact.  I really enjoyed Neva, she was a wonderful character.  I also liked that this book focused more on Capstone Security and their American base of operation. 

This was another solid book in the Vanessa Michael Munroe series.  I'm definitely interested in seeing this series continue.  If you haven't read any of these books, they're fantastic for fans of action-thriller genre, or political-thriller genre.  I highly recommend Taylor Stevens' books!

Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff

by:  Allen Zadoff
published by:  Little Brown & Co.
publish date:  June 11, 2013

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target. 

At just 16 "Ben" is part of a government program.  When he gets a target, he gets inserted into the next person's life.  He has been trained to infiltrate their safety zones and kill them quickly without any trace of suspicion on him.  This time, the mission is unnerving and Ben feels threatened by the circumstances.  Initially, the target is the Mayor of New York, but Ben is having a hard time reconciling the man is guilty of any crime, and he is falling in love with his daughter.

Boy Nobody was another great YA book (I've picked a few in a row!).  It was well written and very well paced.   Pacing is important when laying out a thriller like this book.  Allen Zadoff did a great job of revealing just enough of Ben/Zack's story to get the reader totally drawn in to the story.  The ending was surprising and while I've had quite enough of YA series, this is one that I'm  definitely interested in keeping up with.  Will he turn his back on The Program or will he continue to be a good little soldier?

American Subversive by David Goodwillie

by:  David Goodwillie
published by:  Scribner
publish date:  April, 2010

A bomb rips through the deserted floor of a midtown office tower. Middle Eastern terrorists are immediately suspected. But four days later, with no arrests and a city on edge, an anonymous email arrives in Aidan's in-box. Attached is the photograph of an attractive young white woman, along with a chilling message: "This is Paige Roderick. She's the one responsible."

Aiden Cole is a New York journalism blogger.  After the bombing of a building in New York City in a post 9/11 world the city is on edge wanting answers.  Aiden is the only one that has gotten any clue.  An anonymous email points him to Paige Roderick.  Paige is radical.  After the death of her brother she fell in with groups similar to Earth Liberation Front and Weather Underground.  

I found this book to be extremely confusing.  I listened to the audiobook and perhaps that's where the problem came in.  It seemed like there was a big chunk missing or I missed something.  I listened to the whole thing, but it seemed like there were big gaps in the story.  

The premise of the story was good.  Paige's story was compelling.  I found myself really intrigued by her progression into radicalism.  I just didn't understand how Paige and Aiden connected.

Perhaps if I had the physical copy of the book where I could flip back through the pages and figure out where I was missing things I would have understood it better.

Joint Review: The 500 by Matthew Quirk

by:  Matthew Quirk
published by:  Little, Brown and Co.
publish date:  June 5, 2012

Mike Ford is a former con artist who's been plucked from his Harvard Law School classroom to be an associate at The Davies Group, Washington's most high-powered and well-respected strategic consulting firm. Their specialty: pulling strings and peddling influence for the five hundred most powerful people inside the Beltway, the men and women who really run Washington -- and by extension the country, and the world.

I checked out Matthew Quirk's website before I started writing this.  I was surprised to learn this was his debut novel.  The 500 was a fantastic thriller.  I was not too surprised to learn it was already optioned by Twentieth Century Fox for film.  The 500 would have great big screen sucess.  It was full of criminals, thugs, and politicians...sometimes all rolled into one.  Two scenes I'd love to see in the movies is when he was in the locker at the club and when he goes with the politician to see his drug dealer.

My favorite aspect about The 500 was the underlying humor throughout the whole book.  It was a serious political thriller, but the main character has awesome sarcasm.  The little stories sprinkled throughout about various hijinks that he got into as a kid were great too. 

Like Autumn, I enjoyed The 500.  I was pleasantly surprised by the book.  I was afraid it was going to be like The Firm (which I didn't care for) and I was happy to say that it wasn't like that at all.  The story is filled with intrigue, paranoia and lots of secrets. The plot of the book was well fleshed out.  I enjoyed some of the twists that the author threw into the story to throw the reader off.  I don't want to give too much away, because it would ruin it. While I don't really know much about lobbyists and the inner workings of the political, the author did a great job of making me comfortable enough with the subject to enjoy the book.

I loved the main character.  Mike is a pretty likeable guy. While I didn't always agree with the choices he made, I still liked him.  His sense of humor about his circumstances really made the book fun. I also loved the ending. It's a good one with a little twist of "Will he or won't he?".  What a great way to end the book!  The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Jay Snyder.  If you are looking for your next great read, check this one out!