A Book A Week

Charlotte Kramer is making history. As the first female President of the United States, she faces even greater scrutiny than her predecessors. Working closely with her Secretary of Defense, Charlotte has made great strides in the Middle East. After years of violence and political turmoil, the region prepares to hold its first truly democratic election. Charlotte is proud of the amount of good she has accomplished in her three years on the job, but she knows that she needs to do more to secure a second term. Despite all of her progress abroad, things are not as positive back at home. Under her leadership, the economy is failing to recover in the way she promised it would. Bitter partisan politics have hindered any policy discussions.  Worse, a less than ideal showing at the midterm elections has left a congress that is waiting for any opportunity to end her career. With little time to reframe her reputation, Charlotte turns to her family, friends, and political advisors to take a final shot at retaining her spot in the White House.

Melanie Kingston is a fixture of Washington politics. Fifteen years ago, she lied about being a student to gain an internship at the White House. Ever since then, she has worked her way up the ladder, serving as campaign manager and press secretary for the previous administration. Now, as the White House chief of staff,  she is one of Charlotte Kramer's most trusted advisors. Every aspect of Charlotte's administration, from policy decisions and speeches to wardrobe, runs through Melanie. But this loyalty has taken a toll on her personal life. She is the most respected woman in Washington, besides the President of course, but with one failed marriage and no children, she has little personal fulfillment. When a local reporter contacts Melanie about a story of infidelity in the President's marriage, she kicks it into high gear. A story like this doesn't stay out of the spotlight for long. If news of a Presidential affair surfaces, it threatens to not only derail the President's reelection campaign, but to completely tarnish Melanie's lifetime of work.

Dale Smith is the new kid on the block. Young, smart, beautiful, in love, she seems to have it all. Dale is the White House correspondent, weekend anchor, and a shoe in for future nightly anchor at one of the national networks. Despite her clear success, Dale is still finding her way in the town where seniority reigns supreme. To prove herself and cement her place among the best journalists in the nation, she must gain access to the hard hitting interviews and breaking news stories that garner ratings and prestige. Lucky for her, she has a secret weapon. During her short time in Washington, Dale has gained the trust and heart of one of the people closest to President Charlotte Kramer. . . her husband.

Eighteen Acres is a stellar novel that mixes political and personal drama into a page turning, edge of your seat read. Author Nicolle Wallace uses her firsthand political knowledge to bring the behind the scenes aspects of the political game front and center. Her experience at the White House allows for each page to ring with authenticity. Political aptitude aside, this is a fascinating character study that stands on its own merits. It is great to read a book about three smart and beautiful women that focusses on their struggle to maintain their personal lives amidst the demands of their high profile careers. Wallace dives headfirst into questions about the double standards of women in the workplace while never becoming preachy. The political intrigue combines with the equally well developed characters to form the perfect mix in this smart, timely, and entertaining novel.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2015, 11)

Ironically, I was initially fooled by this novel, Robert B. Parker's Fool Me Twice. At first glance, it would appear that the novel is written by author Robert B. Parker. As someone who had never previously read any of Parker's novels or followed the author himself, I had no idea that Parker passed away in 2010. Upon further inspection, I realized that the novel was, in fact, a continuation of his popular Jesse Stone series, written by Michael Brandman. Of course, other characters by late authors, such as Sidney Sheldon and Dick Francis, have continued to appear in new novels, to middling results, so I knew that Fool Me Twice would be hit or miss. Michael Brandman, however, is no stranger to the Jesse Stone Character. In fact, he worked closely with Robert B. Parker as he produced the CBS film versions of the novels. This familiarity and respect seems to allow Brandman to successfully continue the series.

Jesse Stone is the police chief of the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts. As summer approaches, so does the town's excitement for the production of a new Hollywood film to be shot in the city. Of course, with a production of this size comes a variety of challenges. Jesse learns that the star of the film is going through a nasty divorce and her ex-husband has threatened her life. The Mayor tasks Jesse with keeping the production secure and making sure the duration of the filming runs smoothly.

Additionally, Jesse must continue to handle local issues. At the start of the novel, he arrests a teenage girl who's cell phone usage caused a head on collision with another driver. But the accident is not as cut and dry as it seems. It turns out that the young woman is the daughter of a local business man who contributes heavily to the judges and DA of the town. Jesse is forced to battle his own morals against direct orders from his superiors.

Finally, another local case is also drawing Jesse's attention. He receives a call from a local busy-body townswoman who has noticed her water utility rates rise despite no increase in usage or rate hikes. He brushes this off as a woman looking for attention until he receives another call from a concerned citizen. He begins to casually investigate this increase, not expecting to find much. What he discovers, however, is a scandal that could potentially rock the small town of Paradise.

As with the T.V. movies that I've seen featuring Jesse Stone, Fool Me Twice is a light, entertaining read. The story itself is fairly predictable, but it is the quick wit and genuine good will of Jesse Stone that elevates this novel and keeps the plot moving. Having never read any of the previous novels by Parker, I can't attest to the continuation of the character by Michael Brandman. I can however say that this was a quick read that kept me entertained for a couple of hours. The characters, including Stone, are never allowed to reveal emotions beyond the typically expected surface, but they do play nicely into this light mystery novel.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2013: week 22, book 21)