Dark Horse

The wonderful villain at the heart of this debut thriller almost makes up for Richardson's awkward writing. Shakespeare McCann will do anythingDincluding committing murderDto get himself elected to Congress from the small Texas district of Cathedral Island, and every time he's on page the novel's energy level rises to a crackle. When the Republican incumbent dies in what looks like a hunting accident on the eve of a primary election, McCann, using an obscure loophole in Texas election laws, takes his place. Nobody thinks this darkest of horses has a chance, and watching him rape and pillage his way to the top should have been plenty of dirty fun. But the candidate against whom McCann directs his demonic gleeDa self-righteous local lawyer and community activist named Mitch DuttonDcomes across as a wimp. Even though his first meeting with McCann leaves him badly beaten in an alley, Dutton refuses to take his enemy seriously. Set up and sandbagged at every turn, he and his handlers are so slow to react to McCann's increasingly vicious threats that reader sympathy for their plight evaporates. It also doesn't help that Richardson often writes in short, jerky sentences that derail rather than propel the narrative. And somebody should have removed at least half of the always intrusive, often baffling, italic thoughts and phrases that litter too many pages. 125,000 first printing; major ad/promo. (Feb.) FYI: Richardson, the son of veteran California politician H.L. Richardson, wrote the screenplays of Die Hard II, Bad Boys and The Money Train.