An intricate drama offering a critical view of political self-interest.
A freshman U.S. senator contends with his former mentor’s plan to launch an alternative currency in this second installment of Spencer’s thriller series.
Ethan Scott, in his New York City office as a rising leader of the Citizens’ Mandamus Council, is surprised to get a visit from U.S. Sens. Hubert Riley and John Stanton. These men are the type of suspect power brokers that CMC seeks to expose, but Ethan ultimately decides to accept their offer to appoint him to a vacant Senate seat, musing to himself, “If I possessed their influence, I could do so much more.” He advances at a fast clip in the Senate and the “Bone Yard” of Washington, D.C., gaining majority leader status and the pro tempore post. These promotions are largely brought about via Riley’s evil maneuverings as he seeks to lure Ethan into the world of secret favors and corruption. Meanwhile, CMC founder David Samuel, disheartened and angry about a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against his organization, announces his intention to offer a new type of currency and force a special election to drive out the current Congress. Ethan also struggles with his love-hate relationship with opportunistic lobbyist Anne Preston, who works for one of two major oil barons funding terrorists as part of their domination of the energy market. News anchor Abigail Sanders also renews contact with Ethan, with whom she shares history and mutual attraction. By novel’s end, several players are dethroned, tortured, or die, and Ethan is mobilized to rejoin CMC in part by revelations by mysterious D.C. homeless man Seneca.
Spencer ambitiously weaves many threads into this multilayered tale of rampant, interconnected malfeasance. Some elements, such as a government bill connected to a space mission, are rather sketchy and digressive even if there will be more to come on such topics in future series installments. Seneca, a minor-character sage without a home, is rather surprisingly hurriedly hustled out of D.C. early on, and it’s left unclear when (or if) this eponymous character will return to this series. Most significantly, characters’ belief in CMC as a noble crusading force is a bit problematic given its huge endowment, its willingness to create havoc by manipulating the use of money, and David’s egotistical rage and despair. The most compelling and successful aspect of this novel is the depiction of Ethan’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington–like year as a senator. Here, Spencer provides plenty of sadly astute and sometimes-amusing commentary, including Ethan’s wry realization that politicians’ seeming inability to get anything done may be intentional. Ethan’s attraction to Anne, introduced in the previous book, continues to have a noirish appeal, with some intriguing new dimensions provided about her underlying pain. Spencer also sprinkles some metaphysical flavor into the mix, beginning and ending the book with key characters haunted by a menacing, armored figure—if only, perhaps, in their own minds. These existential elements will whet readers’ interest in what’s to come: an apparent apocalyptic showdown between good and evil. An intricate drama offering a critical view of political self-interest.Pub Date: March 1, 2023
ISBN: 9798985773507
Page Count: 426
Publisher: Spencer Publishing & Media
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.
What hasn’t legendary legal eagle Grisham tried yet? How about a thriller about serial kidnapping and international terrorism.
When Paul and Chelsea Tanner disappear during a day trip on their Paris honeymoon, their abductors demand a ransom of $2 million from Chelsea’s wealthy parents, and a few days later the same sum from Paul’s much less well-heeled parents. After orthopedist Lowell Clayburn, Chelsea’s father, ponies up the ransom without breathing a word to the authorities, his daughter is promptly released. But even though Paul’s parents sell their home, liquidate their assets, and borrow money from the Clayburns to meet the kidnappers’ demands, the villains hold on to Paul anyway. Asked whether he’s ever seen such an outcome in a double kidnapping, FBI deputy director Andrew Strong tells Lowell: “No, this is a new one.” But it’s not, as Strong knows all too well; it’s the third such active case, all involving honeymooning couples whose bridegrooms had served in the armed forces. After masterfully drawing readers in with his bare-knuckle account of the Tanners’ abduction and the attempt by their families and the CIA to tell the lies required to keep caring friends and the rapacious press at bay, Grisham effortlessly switches gears to follow CIA agent Rae Claire Russo and Stuart Nash, a former Department of Justice prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay who agrees to marry her so they can serve as bait for the kidnappers, whose motives include justice and revenge as well as cold hard cash. So much for the imprisoned Paul’s wistful reflection that “hopefully, it was only about money.”
The story unfolds so irresistibly that newcomers may think Grisham’s been writing thrillers like this his whole life.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9780385550543
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.
A violent attack hijacks a woman’s memory in this novel of domestic suspense.
McFadden wastes no time pulling the trigger in this harrowing story that starts with gunfire then swiftly propels readers into a crack tale of secrets and misdirection. Originally self-published in 2016, the book carries the same formidable weight as McFadden’s later novels featuring unsuspecting women who lose their power then fight to recapture it—mostly from men who have betrayed them. That formula perfectly fits Dr. Charlotte McKenna, a 37-year-old dermatologist who isn’t looking for love until the most handsome man she’s ever seen begins to woo her. There are warning signs about Clark Douglas and Charlotte overlooks them to her detriment—but is he a killer? The novel has dual timelines split between events leading up to the day Charlotte barely survives a head wound meant to kill her and the months afterward, when she struggles to reclaim her memory and her mobility. In real life, McFadden is a physician trained to treat brain injuries. Her expertise gives Charlotte’s rehabilitation authenticity, and her writing talent makes it interesting and engaging. As good as that timeline is, readers will yearn to get back to the alternate timeline about who wants Charlotte dead. It’s only a matter of time before Charlotte starts to remember who tried to kill her, and the clock is ticking toward their next attempt. McFadden dishes up plenty of suspects: Charlotte’s secretive husband, Clark; a former patient turned stalker who confronts Charlotte on her honeymoon; and the angry husband of a patient who blames Charlotte for his wife leaving him. Though the story is delicious and dark, McFadden brightens things up with a possible love interest for Charlotte and a surprise ending sure to please the author’s many fans.
Starts with a bang and closes with a knockout punch of an ending.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
ISBN: 9781464249617
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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