When she was
fourteen, Doggie Rogers won a trip to China sponsored by then Senate
candidate, Bruce Jansen. She loved the exotic trip and the other
contest winners, T. Perkins, a small-town sheriff, and Rosalie Lee, a
single mother. On the trip she also meets John Bugatti, a news
reporter, and Wesley Barefoot, son of Jansen’s secretary. The trip
is wonderful until Jansen’s wife is killed by a crazed assassin.
Years later, Jansen
is running for president. Doggie and Wesley are members of the
campaign team. When Jansen wins, they’re thrilled. It even means a
chance for Doggie to reconcile with her father, who offers one of his
five star hotels for the election night bash. It all turns sour when
Jansen’s pregnant wife is shot in the hotel.
Jansen is
devastated, but assumes power anyway. He’s focused on gun control,
and if other rights have to be trampled so be it. His cabinet is
fearful, but as more violence occurs, they reluctantly support the
program.
The premise of this
political thriller is good. It reveals how easy it can be to turn a
country into a police state. However, it’s not particularly
realistic. I thought the opening was well done. I liked the
characters, but the pace slowed and the scenes were repetitive when
Jansen began his purge. I think it would have been a better book if
it were shorter and with fewer important characters.
If you enjoy
political thrillers, this one has an interesting plot, but I can’t
recommend it very highly.
I received this book
from Dutton for this review.
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