Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Kingpin by Mike Lawson

I spent much of my holiday break binge-reading. Throughout November and December I stockpiled a number of titles I had been wanting to read and among them was the latest adventure of Joe DeMarco, the troubleshooter for a powerful member of the House of Representatives. In Kingpin (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024) Mike Lawson has produced a riveting political thriller that illustrates the tenuous threads connecting career criminals and millionaires to each other and to the Nation’s government.

It all starts simply enough: a tenants’ rights bill did not pass the House. John Mahoney, former Speaker of the House and Joe DeMarco’s boss, found that a dozen representatives he had been sure of had actually voted against it. Brian Lewis, a first-year law student and a summer intern in his office, was assigned to try to figure out why the representatives had voted against the bill. Lewis threw himself into the task and found what he believed to be evidence of bribery. He was deeply worried and told his mother and his girlfriend that he thought he should report his findings to someone. Then he turned up dead, an apparent victim of a drug overdose. His mother insisted that her son was murdered. Mahoney told DeMarco to try to keep her quiet and to learn if her claims had substance.

DeMarco couldn’t find anything questionable in the police investigation at first but then learned about the research Lewis had been so concerned about. No one could find his notes and Lewis had only talked to his mother and his girlfriend about it. His office was clean and nothing was in his apartment. DeMarco was about to give up when he realized the report could be on Lewis’s personal laptop, but the police did not have it, his mother did not have it, and it wasn’t in his apartment. DeMarco reported the missing computer to the police and they started searching. When the laptop was found the next day, showing signs of tampering, they knew they were dealing with more than an overdose.

There is not a dull moment in this compulsively readable thriller. Those familiar with the activity behind the passage of legislation will understand the references to trade-offs and the quid pro quos on Capitol Hill. DeMarco’s amusing struggles with his air conditioning and the contractor who is supposed to repair it during a miserable Washington, D.C., summer alleviate the high tension. As usual, DeMarco doesn’t tell his boss everything he’s up to. He teams up with the local police and the Capitol Hill police to maneuver and connive his way to an agreeable ending. One of the best in the series. Highly recommended.

·         Publisher: ‎Atlantic Monthly Press (February 6, 2024)

·         Language: ‎English

·         Hardcover: ‎288 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎0802160883

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-0802160881

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link:  https://amzn.to/40a7NAw

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.