In Lawson's excellent fourth Washington thriller to feature Joe DeMarco (after House Rules
), the government investigator looks into the drowning death of a Washington Post
reporter working a story involving Paul Morelli, a charismatic U.S. senator from New York. Morelli, “the man most likely to be the Democratic candidate for president in the next election,” stands for all that is liberal and good, but, unfortunately, after a couple of drinks, he morphs into a sexual predator bent on molestation and rape. To cover up this behavior, Morelli turns to a mysterious benefactor who persuades the women involved to deny the incidents; anyone who doesn't go along gets killed. After DeMarco's boss, Speaker of the House John Mahoney, tells him to get the goods on Morelli, DeMarco sets up an elaborate sting. The sting succeeds, but those who helped with the operation begin to turn up dead. The action builds to a stunning final twist. (July)
