Interesting story with many many layers. Government officials (& unofficials), Muslim extremists, terrorists, hired assassins, etc etc. It kept my interest and had some interesting twists. DeMarco is a government UNofficial. He works for the Speaker of the House but while he is on the gov't payroll, he isn't officially working for anyone. His job is a made-up one on the books and in actuality he does whatever the Speaker wants done without the Speaker being involved. After a series of thwarted terrorist attacks, DeMarco and others realize that something isn't right. They delve into the events and find an intricate weave of political management and true terrorist groups. Joe DeMarco is a trouble shooter for the House Speaker, John Mahoney, a wheeler-dealer who has his hand on the pulse of everything in DC and seems to like to stir the proverbial pot.This thriller focuses on a suspected conspiracy to cast Muslim Americans in a bad light so as to get a bill passed that would restrict their rights. DeMarco, Mahoney, and a varied cast of clever characters slowly unravel the conspiracy, despite lots of dead ends and many of their efforts being thwarted. The character development was good, as was the plotting, and it kept me guessing all along with all of its twists and turns.I liked Lawson's apparent insider's look at the political process and his skepticism about Washington, which I share.Despite all the complexities in the book, I felt that some solutions were just a little too "pat" and convenient. Otherwise, I would have given it 5 stars.This was #3 in a series featuring Joe DeMarco and I picked up #1 at the library today. Looking forward to reading it!
What do You think about Dead On Arrival (2011)?
It's really a high 3 but not a 4. The story is very compelling and could definitely be quite real.
—alexa
Interesting story line and timely especially in light of the events at the Boston Marathon.
—alexis255
A quick and entertaining plot with likeable but offbeat characters
—June
This book did take a while to get going. It was good
—polarau
