THE SAUNDRA GRAY AFFAIR

In Yager’s political drama, a beautiful congressional intern disappears, raising suspicions about the congressman with whom she was having an affair.

In the 1980s, J.D. Clay is an ascending political phenom, a Democratic congressman from Iowa who quickly becomes a leader among his party’s moderate centrists. J.D. checks all the boxes for stardom: He’s the former lead singer of a rock band, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War (“He was awarded the Silver Star after he risked his life by flying his helicopter into heavy enemy fire to evacuate the wounded aircrew of a downed helicopter”), and handsome to boot, resembling Gregory Peck. However, he also has a serious flaw—a weakness for younger women that becomes all but unmanageable after a robbery-involved shooting disables his wife, Faith. J.D.’s devoted chief of staff, Wally North, tries to manage his boss’ furtive proclivity by making a secret arrangement with a local brothel. However, that solution doesn’t fully satisfy J.D.’s appetites, and he begins an illicit affair with his intern Saundra Grey, who is young enough to be his daughter. Saundra suddenly vanishes, and as a result it becomes increasingly difficult for J.D. to conceal his affair with her—his stubborn reticence likely impairs the search for the young woman. With impressive restraint, the author portrays the “cynical game of politics” in which both J.D. and Wally partake and deftly explores how moral principlesand idealism can cohabitate with situationally convenient disingenuousness. In this morally astute narrative, the role of the press is examined as well—an ace reporter, Isaiah Stone (a self-professed “total apologist” for J.D.), is compelled to come to grips with the ways in which his admiration for the congressman affects his journalistic objectivity. Yager has composed a remarkably nuanced novel about political sensationalism that is never itself sensational; it raises profound moral questions without ever surrendering to the allure of facile answers.

An enthralling portrayal of the morally murky waters of American politics.