Mackerel By Moonlight

Terry Mullally #1

by William F. Weld

Orphaned as a young boy and haunted by fragmentary memories of his father, Terry Mullally, the hero of "Mackerel by Moonlight", nonetheless has schooled himself to success. He makes a splash as an assistant U.S. attorney in Brooklyn but leaves under a cloud of suspicion after some dicey operations in which laws are broken and money changes hands. Once he has escaped to Boston, to the safety of a white-shoe law firm,

Mullally is again bitten by the political bug. Backed by a discontented police union and handled by two young politicos - a labor organizer and a gossip columnist - he charms and schemes his way to being elected district attorney, where the same combination of luck, smarts, and inattention to the niceties of the moral code brings success and makes him a star. The twenty daily car rides that go with holding office are eased by thoughts of Emma Gallaudette, sweet and saline, brash, brainy, and unfortunately quite married. No matter. Like many of the obstacles in Terry's path, this proves to be a short-term problem. Mullally's past, in the person of a Brooklyn cop, catches up with him at an inconvenient time - when he seems to have a United States Senate seat in his grasp. His career, his love interest, and his life are all in danger, so with no hesitation he does what any businessman would do, just to preserve his options, his flexibility - you understand.

Genres: Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 10, 1998

Reviews

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novel with interesting points about running for political office and dealing with different social groups in 1990's Boston written by former Masschusetts Governor. Also has a second layer about police corruption with an interesting take on the ever-present need for someone to take the fall. Enjoyable quick read.

[Jennifer Buckley-Giessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The book reads like an insiders account of Boston's political scene. The book reads like non-fiction highlighting many of the true Boston political events, players and scenarios, but with the creative fiction touch.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, well-written light reading.

[Lora Shouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put this on my to-read list a long time ago hoping it would be funny. And it was. It wasn’t the blatant insulting or insinuating sort of humor you find in a lot of political satire; it was much more of a quiet, thoughtful tongue-in-cheek sort of humor. But it was funny nevertheless.

The author is a former governor of Massachusetts, so he obviously knows whereof he speaks. I just hope that his own life doesn’t too closely parallel that of his main character.

Terrence Mullally Jr. is a lawyer and former Assistant U. S. attorney who gets tapped to run for DA in Boston. He meets up with the phenomenally talented Lanny Green who becomes his campaign manager and never looks back. He later hires an equally talented press secretary. It’s amazing the way they spin the most embarrassing allegations.

Much of the story concerns the great speeches Terry makes and the various political and press moves they pull. There is also an interesting romance he has with a married woman and the peculiar way her husband happens to be murdered in Hong Kong.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I heard Bill Weld had written a few books, and then I found one used for a couple of dollars, I decided it would be worth giving him a try.

I loved the beginning, because it was based in Brooklyn, where I spent the first 21 years of my life. I knew all the places he referred to, and I even dated a boy from the high school the main character attended. Then the action moved to Boston, where my daughter lived for 8 years, so I enjoyed all the references to places in Boston.

The plot revolves around the police department and the world of politics, with digressions into hunting and fishing, and a little bit of a love life. My reading has been in a female rut lately, so I was thrilled to read about men for a change, even if they were crooked and smarmy.

The writing was so-so, but the twist at the end made it worth it! I was not expecting this ending! I see that there's a sequel with this main character, and I may have to check it out, simply because of the way this book ended.

[Tyler Wolanin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of how Bill Weld wishes he had been born an Irish Democrat was a good first start, and makes me wish he had stuck with writing longer. Full blog post here: tylerwolanin.com/blog/2020/11/26/what...

[Rick Bayko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, well. If I hadn't already known how unsuited for public office I am this might have been what I needed to show me the light. Former Governor Bill Weld sheds light on the strategies and deceptions that win a person an election. A process that is as interesting as it is infuriating. Diogenes! Keep looking!

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 in the Terry Mullally series.

Political novel - Terry Mullally, ex- Asst. U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, runs for District Attorney of Boston.

[Thomas Nevins · Rating 2 out of 5]

sort of boring story of boston politico on the rise