AMERICAN CONSPIRACY

A troubled detective tries to find answers in a web of lies, deceit, and corruption after his adopted son goes missing in Polelle’s novel.

When presidential candidate Franklin Dexter Walker is shot and killed, the U.S. Secret Service agent in charge deems Detective Jim Murphy irresponsible for not protecting him. Feeling like a failure, he seeks out his older sister, Katie, who’s always helped him when he’s been down in the past. Meanwhile, the founder and CEO of Promethean Pharma, Sebastian Senex, is on a mission to cure his Huntington’s disease and also get rid of gangsters that threaten the city of Chicago. After he’s humiliated by a viral video of a group robbing him outside a club, he seeks revenge and feels compelled “to save his city and his country” from gangs. The solution to his problems lies with Angelo Mora, his physician, who’s on the brink of discovering a way to reverse aging. The lives of Jim and Sebastian become inexplicably tied together when Jim’s adopted son, Santiago, is kidnapped. Jim uncovers lies, corruption, and obstacles at every step as he tries to seek justice and redeem himself, while Sebastian burns bridges as his greed and ambition grow. Polelle, the author of The Mithras Conspiracy(2019), returns with a gripping novel filled with action and plot revelations. He does an exemplary job of connecting different players’ arcs and perspectives and keeps readers engaged with deep characterization. For example, Jim is effectively shown to have a stubborn, self-righteous, and pessimistic attitude and strained relationships with his male family members, but he also wants the very best for his loved ones. Sebastian, on the other hand, is always trying to put himself one step ahead of everyone else, and as a result, he holds onto resentment and trusts no one. He also looks down on his daughter, Daisy, who lacks street smarts and is enamored with the son of a mobster who works for Sebastian. It all adds up to a novel with twists and turns that will keep readers hooked.

An intriguing thriller with complex characters.