What fun reading a novel which takes place in a favorite DC landmark of mine. ( )

Very good - enjoyable mystery in D.C. surroundings!

During a gala benefit for a Democratic Party hopeful, a young woman dies, the victim of quick and brutal violence. The murder weapon belongs to the candidate, Kenneth Ewald, and his son is the chief suspect. Out of the classroom comes professor Mac Smith to tackle a case that is bad for the senator, but may prove disastrous for the nation....

Great mystery - having been to the center is was a great way to walk around behind the scenes ( )

In Washington DC Senator Ken Ewald looks like he has the nomination for leadership of the Democrats in the bag in the lead up to the next national election. However when a young member of his staff is murdered and his son is among the suspects his campaign is thrown for a loop. Mackensie (Mac) Smith is one of Ewald’s oldest friends and although he is now a law professor he was once a top-notch criminal lawyer and so is called upon to help the Ewalds and defend Ewald’s son should that become necessary.

As I have mentioned before I am a politics junkie. When there is not enough going on in our own political system to demand my full attention I follow politics in other countries, especially the US as I have relatives there and the system is quite different from ours and therefore fascinating to me. Consequently I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Washington-insider’ aspects of this book. At first I thought it would be one of those where everyone on one side of politics is demonised and everyone on the other side is lauded as near-gods but it turned out, thankfully, to be a lot more subtle than that. The politics of the story quickly come into play when it seems that an exiled South American General and/or his supporters who are all involved with the Republican party might have had something to do with the woman’s murder and this plays out interestingly, although it does get slightly complicated and unbelievable towards the end.

Mac Smith’s girlfriend Annabel and the private detective he employs assist him in investigating the case and all three are good characters who each bring something a bit different to the book. I could have done without Mac and Annabel’s soppy dialogue but there’s not much of it so it was pretty easy to forgive and the rest of the time they are an enjoyable pairing. Tony Buffolino (the private detective) adds a humorous element to the story that I particularly enjoyed.

There are parts of the book that are a bit rambling and I could have done without every meal eaten being described in minute detail, but other than that this is a solid mystery with entertaining characters and is recommended especially to fellow political junkies. ( )

Ken Ewald has what it takes to win the presidency; the support of his party, a lovely wife, a dynamic campaign. What neither he nor any candidate needs is a corpse, much less one in the shape of one of the candidate's aides. Just in case some particularly uninventive members of the Washington press corps cannot make a connection out of that, it so happens that the prime suspect is the candidate's son. Now, what the candidate needs is a lawyer ad not just any lawyer, but one who can work miracles. Ken Ewald only knows one man capable of solving a crime, clearing his son, putting his campaign back on track and catching a killer - and that man happens to be his best friend - Mac Smith. Oddly enough, it was Mac and his dog Rufus who found the body in the first place. ( )