First Lady Down

Troy Barclay/Amber Neilson #1

by Daniel A. Adams

When a sniper tries to assassinate the President, but accidentally kills the First Lady, everyone thinks it was a clear case of a bad shot. But as one investigator digs deeper, he finds evidence that suggests the First Lady was really the target. But his superiors ignore him and he has to go it alone. Within a few short hours, he is elbow-deep in government agents, hired thugs, lying witnesses and enough killers to stock a small country. As he gets closer and closer to the secret cabal behind the assassination, they fight back. To stay alive, the investigator goes on the run--but where do you go when there's no place to hide. Chock full of intrigue, romance, sexy, hot women, action, pursuits and plenty of desk-level hard work. If you can put down FIRST LADY DOWN after you start reading, you will be the first reader to do it.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Action

252 pages, ebook

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

After graduating from Arizona State University with degrees in Zoology and Accounting, Mr. Adams joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation where, as a Special Agent, he investigated general crimes such as bank robberies, kidnappings and extortions as well as specializing in complex financial crimes as a forensic accountant. Mr. Adams went on to work for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as an investigator where he worked bank fraud and embezzlement cases. He has been a licensed commercial and residential contractor and built and developed many housing units. As a lark, he signed on with a small Hollywood literary agency where he worked as a literary agent for many years. While working as an agent, he wrote several scripts and the third one was made into a movie called SECOND CHANCES. Since then he has written, directed and produced a number of award-winning shorts and several feature films. Mr. Adams decided to turn several of his scripts into novels and has six of them on Amazon, including the best-seller, FIRST LADY DOWN.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Jara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't make it past chapter 2 where a gate guard salutes an NCO and calls him "Sir". That was a clear indication that the author has no military knowledge and failed to do even a small amount of research. I realize this is a work of fiction, but one ought to make it moderately believable.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off as a seemingly "typical" political assassination novel; however, the plot soon had more twists and turns than San Francisco's Lombard Street. (I lost track of how many times Troy and Amber were almost killed.) Despite some over-the-top prose and a DESPERATE need for editing, I enjoyed the story and will continue with the series.

Here are the editing oversights I found in the Kindle version of First Lady Down:

Location 170, It struck the soldier in chest. / It struck the soldier in THE chest. ; 333, stuff from Building 102". / stuff from Building 102." (period goes inside quotes) ; 400, before it tore lose. / before it tore LOOSE. ; 460, a bottle of Jack Daniels within easy reach / a bottle of Jack DANIEL'S within easy reach (brand name includes apostrophe) ; 527, several white house aides / several White House aides (capitalization required) ;

Location 537, if you say anything but "no comment", you won't have to worry / if you say anything but 'no comment', you won't have to worry (needs single quotes, not double) ; 700, Now, she's Crawford's gofer. / Now, she's Crawford's gofer." (needs end quote) ; 713, Alright everybody. / All right, everybody. ; 734, Clearly, disturbed, the President ducked down / Clearly disturbed, the President ducked down (omit first comma) ;

Location 910, You never heard of Overseas Arms?" It's Max Zenger's company. / You never heard of Overseas Arms? It's Max Zenger's company. (omit quote after "Arms") ; 913, Not until we get something / "Not until we get something (add opening quote) ; 947, The trunk lid sprung open. /The trunk lid SPRANG open. (simple past tense of "spring") ; 1108, going to one of Sadam's groups / going to one of SADDAM'S groups (proper spelling) ;

Location 1135, They snuck over to the freight door. / They SNEAKED over to the freight door. (regular past tense of "sneak") ; 1157, He aimed it at the Iraqi's position. / He aimed it at the IRAQIS' position. (unless there's only one Iraqi) ; 1160, it crashed into the Iraqis fortress / it crashed into the IRAQIS' fortress (the fortress of the Iraqis) ; 1200, but--uh Adair works for Steve Starr. / but--uh-- Adair works for Steve Starr. (add double dash before Adair) ;

Location 1204, Harassing the President is one thing, shooting at him / "Harassing the President is one thing, shooting at him (ibid. loc 700) ; 1213, We can always use of man of your abilities / We can always use A man of your abilities ; 1309, She was so high; she didn't feel / She was so high, she didn't feel (replace semicolon with comma) ; 1309, slamming his pelvis against her's / slamming his pelvis against HERS ;

Location 1323, With lightening quickness / With LIGHTNING quickness ; 1373, Union City, Pennsylvania slept under a blanket / Union City, Pennsylvania, slept under a blanket (add comma after Pennsylvania) ; 1451, stepping on your dick." Troy said. / stepping on your dick," Troy said. (replace period with comma) ; 1487, most of Sadam's terrorist groups / most of SADDAM'S terrorist groups (ibid. loc 1108) ;

Location 1526, which are still decorated / which WERE still decorated ; 1535, The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Correction Facility / The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan CORRECTIONAL Facility (add comma after D.C.; add -AL to Correction) ; 1585, God help them if they don't. / God help them if they DIDN'T. ; 1744, You career is hanging by a thread / YOUR career is hanging by a thread ;

Location 1751, under the hotel marquis / under the hotel MARQUEE (marquis = European nobleman ; marquee = canopy over hotel entrance) ; 1805, Why, he was ripping you? / Why? He was ripping you. (Why, question, is followed by a statement. ; 1830, He is about halfway to his car / He WAS about halfway to his car ; 1896, the Metropolitan Correction Facility / the Metropolitan CORRECTIONAL Facility (ibid. loc 1535-b) ;

Location 1936, Amber parked the green wienie on a side street / Amber parked the Green Wienie on a side street ; 1995, "Me either. / "Me either." (ibid. loc 700) ; 2076, stopped by the Metropolitan Correction Facility / stopped by the Metropolitan CORRECTIONAL Facility (ibid. loc 1535-b) ; 2120, "How am I going to explain this to Franklin," / "How am I going to explain this to Franklin?" (phrased as a question) ;

Location 2133, I'm alright. / I'm all right. ; 2167, returned to the Metropolitan Correction Facility / returned to the Metropolitan CORRECTIONAL Facility (ibid. loc 1535-b) ; 2170, was Corporal Wicks attorney / was Corporal WICKS'S attorney ; 2209, Four of them are long / Four of them WERE long ; 2212, Corporal Wicks move over to the big boxes / Corporal Wicks MOVED over to the big boxes ;

Location 2216, "FBI! Amber hollered. / "FBI!" Amber hollered. (ibid. loc 700) ; 2263, Amber doesn't seem surprised." / Amber doesn't seem surprised. (remove end quote) ; 2276, drop the murder charge, come on / drop the murder charge. Come on ; 2305, "He is gutless," Fahad added, "he talks big / "He is gutless." Fahad added, "He talks big ; 2320, "Maybe I should start calling you "quick draw". / "Maybe I should start calling you 'quick draw'." ;

Location 2381, Troy snuck a peek / Troy SNEAKED a peek ; 2445, " "Maybe if you drive / "Maybe if you drive (remove extra quote) ; 2489, a couple of inched under his throat / a couple of INCHES under his throat ; 2592, twist the facts enough; you can make anything / twist the facts enough, you can make anything (ibid. loc 1309) ; 2592, some lunatic, stirring things up / some lunatic stirring things up (remove comma) ;

Location 2655, Steve Starr's Initial Appearance / Steve Starr's initial appearance ; 2727, to get a supervisors desk / to get a supervisor's desk ; 2804, he shit a twinky / he shit a Twinkie ; 2917, than maybe we should go / THEN maybe we should go ; 2933, Frederick, Maryland sweltered in the heat / Frederick, Maryland, sweltered in the heat (add comma after Maryland) ; 2982, Her eyes shown with greed / Her eyes SHONE with greed ;

Location 3013, the Metropolitan Correction Facility / the Metropolitan CORRECTIONAL Facility (ibid. loc 1535-b) ; 3052, He was a Czeck. / He was a CZECH. ; 3083, What about the Task Force. / What about the Task Force? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 3176, Why did you talk to Adair. / Why did you talk to Adair? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 3188, Here, here. / Hear, hear. ; 3263, "How exactly are we jeopardizing the investigation." / "How exactly are we jeopardizing the investigation?" (ibid. loc 2120) ;

Location 3263, afraid of, Larry that we're right / afraid of, Larry, that we're right (add comma) ; 3279, Holding back her laughter Amber went back / Holding back her laughter. Amber went back (ibid. loc 3263) ; 3408, enough of your time, mam / enough of your time, MA'AM ; 3448, Alice and her got along / SHE AND ALICE got along ; 3501, An assortment of kids toys were scattered / An assortment of KIDS' toys were scattered ;

Location 3505, of your bNobleer-in-law, Ted Tomlinson / of your BROTHER-in-law, Ted Tomlinson ; 3520, And why did Teddy disappear on the same day both of them were killed? / And why did Teddy disappear on the same day both of them were killed?" (ibid. loc 700) ; 3564, Amber stayed a discrete distance behind the truck / Amber stayed a DISCREET distance behind the truck ;

Location 3580, Hart and Fanzo can't pursue Pew / Hart and Fanzo COULDN'T pursue Pew ; 3609, then dropped it to the deck." / then dropped it to the deck. (omit end quote) ; 3614, "Fire! Help! She cried. / "Fire! Help!" she cried. (ibid. loc 700) ; 3614, Troy snuck up behind Tomlinson / Troy SNEAKED up behind Tomlinson (ibid. loc 1135) ; 3622, "Wanna bet." / "Wanna bet?" (ibid. loc 2120) ;

Location 3701, Amber look at this. / Amber, look at this. ; 3709, why would you take a parachute on a trip unless you intended to use it. / why would you take a parachute on a trip unless you intended to use it? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 3721, In a vice, my man. / In a VISE, my man. ; 3751, towering mountain peaks plunged majestically / towering mountain peaks SOARED majestically ("plunged" usually indicates a downward direction) ;

Location 3754, "Isn't this great?" he asked. / "Isn't this great?" SHE asked. (The antecedent, in the previous sentence, is Amber.) ; 3863, But why go to all the trouble of faking your death, if you're going to live in Brazil for the rest of your life. / But why go to all the trouble of faking your death, if you're going to live in Brazil for the rest of your life? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 3884, he was fifty pounds lighter. / he was fifty pounds lighter. (ibid. loc 700) ;

Location 3906, "HHmmppff." Was Elmo's only comment / "Hmmppff," was Elmo's only comment ; 4027, "Okay! she bellowed / "Okay!" she bellowed (ibid. loc 700) ; 4106, "How you doin'? / "How you doin'?" (ibid. loc 700) ; 4147, with a piece of bailing wire / with a piece of BALING wire ("baling wire" is used to BALE hay) ; 4161, "Come on, kid, let's vamoose. / "Come on, kid, let's vamoose." (ibid. loc 700) ;

Location 4164, as they warily zig-zaged across the ranch / as they warily zig-ZAGGED across the ranch ; 4259, Keefer snuck around the ranch house / Keefer SNEAKED around the ranch house (ibid. loc 1135) ; 4268, Bull repositioned his 30:06 rifle / Bull repositioned his .30-06 rifle (correct designation) ; 4282, He patted the 30:06. / He patted the .30-06. (ibid. loc 4268) ; 4282, "Where's the closest phone? / "Where's the closest phone?" (ibid. loc 700) ;

Location 4286, "Do you have any water you can spare," / "Do you have any water you can spare?" (ibid. loc 2120) ; 4297, a long piece of bailing wire / a long piece of BALING wire (ibid. loc 4147) ; 4300, God it feels good / God, it feels good ; 4327, Are you going to arrest me, / Are you going to arrest me? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 4374, but what could he do. / but what could he do? (ibid. loc 2120) ;

Location 4387, What if he really was after the President. / What if he really was after the President? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 4422, One was a stocky, fireplug of a man / One was a stocky fireplug of a man (omit unnecessary comma) ; 4437, He didn't look up, as Troy and Amber took seats / He didn't look up as Troy and Amber took seats (ibid. loc 4422) ; 4440, Why would he fly / "Why would he fly (needs opening quote) ;

Location 4540, Troy quipped, / Troy quipped. (replace period with comma) ; 4565, can you hear me. / can you hear me? (ibid. loc 2120) ; 4591, I'll call the guys "Red", "Skinny" and "Kato" / I'll call the guys Red, Skinny and Kato (quotes not needed) ; 4595, Picking up the two duffle bags / Picking up the two DUFFEL bags (DUFFEL is used elsewhere) ; 4597, She tossed her duffle bag / She tossed her DUFFEL bag (ibid. loc 4595) ;

Location 4613, visible if White looked / visible if RED looked ; 4634, Fire proof file cabinets / Fireproof file cabinets (single word) ; 4683, Amber studied office / Amber studied THE office ; 4826, Burgess griped the pistol / Burgess GRIPPED the pistol (proper spelling) ; 4834, before Burgess' could shoot / before Burgess could shoot (remove apostrophe) ; 4853, Why, I've got everything I want? / Why? I've got everything I want. (WHY, question, is followed by statement) ;

Location 4904, Amber road shotgun / Amber RODE shotgun ; 4911, taken to Rollings Air Force Base / taken to ROLLINS Air Force Base ; 4918, the enormity of what they had done / the MAGNITUDE of what they had done ; 4946, Being a good cop / "Being a good cop (ibid. loc 4440) ; 5052, he argued, "it won't prove anything." / he argued. "It won't prove anything." ; 5073, each day, then to burn / each day, THAN to burn ; 5081, more for convenience sake / more for convenience's sake .

[IAN SPEIGHT · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a sniper tries to assassinate the President, but accidentally kills the First Lady, everyone thinks it was a clear case of a bad shot. But as one investigator digs deeper, he finds evidence that suggests the First Lady was really the target. But his superiors ignore him and he has to go it alone. Within a few short hours, he is elbow-deep in government agents, hired thugs, lying witnesses and enough killers to stock a small country.




The good news is This is the best book I've read so far this year!

The bad news is given some of the tosh I've read so far this year that's not hard!


Anyway, a fast-moving plot that involves two investigators one FBI & the other ATF
Investigate the assignation of the first lady. The plot worked well, However, I had some trouble imagining that such a major case would be placed in the hands of two agents, one of whom appeared to be more of a dogs body than an actual agent. There were also several plot holes. For instance, the author describes after the killing the Assasin fleeing the scene and that no one was in sight! However, a few paragraphs later he describes the same building as being " A busy place with dozens of visitors & tenants constantly left or entered the building" and indeed " The revolving door cycled people faster than a merry-go-round"!

I'm surprised to read that there are now 18 books in this series. I didn't see these two characters
having an 18 book run in them. I can only imagine that the baddies in the rest of the books must be as bad shots as the ones in this book

I also find the naming of chapters off-putting? For instance

Chapter 4. Evidence bonanza or worse Chapter 10 The obligatory boat chase scene.
That, in my opinion, does not work A plain chapter 4 or chapter 10 works just as well
if not better.

To sum up It's a fast-moving gun-blazing action-packed novel & if that's your thing You'll really enjoy it for what it is.

[Carol Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good plot and story line...BUT

The author's writing style was so juvenile I found it very difficult to finish the book. And the editing was even worse. I would not recommend it to my friends, nor will I read more of Daniel Adams' books.

[Kenn Goslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you need is a little super glue...

Great story! Two unlikely characters wind up as investigative partners whose adventures lead them from Washington, DC the California & back. For anyone who enjoys avoid murder mystery...!

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only gave it 3 stars because the writing could have been better. The actual storyline was not bad but just didn’t flow well for me. A few misused words that caught my eye amd this immediately detracts from my reading experience. May give his next book in series a try but then, again, maybe not.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly an exciting read. The plot continues to draw the reader into the investigation. Love how the writer spells out the whole truth in the end. Only drawback was a couple grammatical errors. However, I’m on to the second book in this series. Good summer reading.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good suspense and intrigue

Quick read, interesting characters. I was looking for a a mystery that wasn't a sappy romance to get out of the reading rut I was in. This fit perfectly.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

Good characters, lots of suspense...Whole lot of blood! But great story with a twist. I would recommend this book for fans of suspense and intrigue.

[Amber Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

I couldn't do it. It was like reading an instruction manual. Very plain language taking you through every step of what is going on.

[Susana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in hopes of a film,very stilted and over explained in places.

[Jama Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great whodunit!!!

This book kept me guessing every chapter!!!! Amazing story line! Loved Troy and Amber!! Can't wait to read the next book!!!

[Douglas Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fast read. I enjoyed it. Some twists at the end

First paragraphs
"Chapter One – One Shot          As Robert Raymond, the President of the United States, looked out over the large crowd, the assassin positioned the cross hairs of the heavy sniper rifle directly between his eyes.  Through the high resolution, twenty-four power, Unertl scope, the sniper could see the tiny beads of perspiration, dotting the President's wrinkled brow.  The familiar face, so deeply earnest and comforting, looked ten years older under the harsh scrutiny of the scope.          From the crow's-feet at the corners of his eyes, to the sagging skin under his chin, the President showed every one of his sixty-four years.  His gray hair, so elegant when he'd started in the White House, was now streaked with white.  His lean, six-foot frame was slightly stooped, a reminder of his time in Viet Nam, where he had been shot in the back, as he had fought to secure a landing zone.  Ordinarily, it did not bother him, but he was tired.         A steady stream of controversies and crises had rocked the White House, each one sapping his strength and resolve.  He needed a vacation, but instead, he had decided to tour the country, holding rallies to bolster his sagging popularity.  Talking about issues close to the average American's heart had raised his standing ten points in the polls.  The Washington rally was supposed to be the grand finale of his road trip.  If all went well, he stood to gain another five points, which would give him the numbers to punch through some critical programs.  His topic for the day was crime.  It was a subject near and dear to most Americans."

Adams, Daniel (2011-06-21). First Lady Down (Kindle Locations 65-79). Alleycat Publishing. Kindle Edition.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-thought out storyline, with good character development and a lot of action. My problem with the book is the author's writing style is so stilted that if the story had not been so enjoyable I would have had to give up. Here is an example:
"Dirt and grease streaked their clothing and faces. Both drew their pistols. They sneaked over to the freight door. Amber peaked inside. She motioned for Troy to follow her. They sneaked inside."
It reminds me of my first grade reading primers. See Dick and Jane. Dick and Jane are playing. Spot wants to play. See Spot play. The writing should flow and move from one moment to the next without feeling as if you are in a car with someone who is just learning to drive a straight shift and the ride is jerky with multiple stops and starts. Luckily, the action and the plot line kept me involved enough that I found myself reading the way I would have wanted it to be written. That made it easier to get through the stilted portions. Bottom line-it's a great story and could benefit greatly from the help of a good editor.
And in case you missed a synopsis of the story, a sniper takes a shot at the President of the US and manages to kill the First Lady instead. A joint agency task force is put together to investigate the attempted assassination. There is all kind of evidence pointing to a particular suspect, but Troy Barclay of the AFT just isn't buying it. It's too perfect and nobody would be dumb enough to leave evidence lying around the way the suspect supposedly has. Bucking his superiors on the task force but with the support of his Lt at ATF, he begins his own investigation with the help of another ousted member of the task force, Amber Nielson with the FBI. Action comes fast & furious after that!

[Kevin Bowser · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are all too familiar with books about attempted assassinations on the President. But it is not very common to find a story about an attempt to assassinate the First Lady.

And that is the question from the very beginning. Was it an attempt on the President’s life that was unsuccessful? Or was someone really targeting the First Lady. Almost everyone seems to think it was a clear case of a bad shot.

But as one investigator who has been assigned to an elite investigative unit to solve the crime digs a little deeper into the back story, he finds evidence that suggests the First Lady may have really been the true target. Of course his superiors ignore him in the face of overwhelming evidence that the President was the target and he has to go it alone. Well, not really alone. He teams up with a female agent from another agency and they set out to follow all of the evidence. Not just the evidence that points in a convenient direction.

Within a short amount of time, they are deep in hostile government agents, hired thugs, unreliable witnesses and crooked cops. As they gets closer and closer to the real story they fall under a withering attack and crash enough cars to fill a salvage lot. To stay alive, the unlikely pair go on the run to stay ahead of those trying to stop them and squelch their investigation.

The side stories and the little pranks that sabotage arrogant bureaucrat who is leading the investigation are a welcome bit of humor in a very serious story. Were there some things that didn’t make sense in the plot? Sure. But they didn't keep you from wanting to read on and see who is behind the plot to kill either the President or his wife.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise/plot of this story. I would probably give it more like 3.5 stars. I figured out who was behind the attacks on Troy and Amber pretty early on but not why. I have three major gripes, though. The first is that Army sergeants aren't saluted unless they're a Seargeant Major or wearing the Congressional Medal of Honor (the scene near the beginning of the weapons heist). The second gripe is the overuse of the word "microsecond". Really? You couldn't come up with any other words to use? And third, Kindle grammar and word usage errors in the file. Using the word "lead" instead of "led" and things like that or errant commas. Also, I'm a little baffled at the description of the book as it says "romance and sexy women". I don't remember any of that unless one counts one rape/murder, two kisses, and one ogling of breasts.

[Elyse Salpeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love when I find a book I can't put down. It has to have a few components for me - first, it has to be well-written, then action-packed, and finally have characters I just adore. This book delivered on all three. Though the author introduces and then discards a ton of people, I had no problem following the plot, who was whom and the many twists and turns he had his protagonists go through. ATF Agent Troy Barclay and FBI Agent Amber Neilson are complicated individuals who just can't play by the book. They're flawed but fascinating and I couldn't wait to see what scrape they'd get out of next. (and there are many). The book reads well, flows nicely and the prose isn't too complicated even when the author gets technical with certain types of weaponry.

I love a good series and truly hope the author produces more with these two protagonists. Really great job!

[Corina · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Lady Down by Daniel Adams. This was very good. I got it for free from the Kindle Store even though I wasn't sure it would be up my alley. I was very surprised, not only at the plot, but also at the quality of the writing. Excellent. I'll have to look for more work by Daniel Adams. In this one, it opens with what is presumed to have been a hired gunman having missed shooting the president of the United States and hitting the First Lady instead. However, during the investigation, at least one agent feels that the obvious suspect is being framed and goes on to theorize that the First Lady was indeed the target, not the the president. And the chase is on. And I meant chases...more than one. Lots of action. Highly recommended.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is good. The writing...not so much. It is very choppy and EXTREMELY descriptive. Don't give me every step the guy took to open the safe. Just say "he opened the safe." I'm sure the length of this book could be cut in half by removing a bunch of unnecessary sentences. At about 25% there was a sex scene. Quite possibly the worst sex scene I've ever read. The only reason for it was to introduce new characters. These characters could have been introduced in another way.

I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters. I considered not finishing the book, but I wanted to know who the bad guy was. I had my suspicions early on, and I was right. I guess I didn't need to finish it. Apparently this is part of a series. I will not be continuing on.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the story I can't hardly put it down........this sort of book is what I call all-in-one. Everything was in here the thrill since I opened page one untill the end, and the author has a tendency being vividly descriptive which I favor.......it's like watching a movie. As of me, they should put this book into a movie. The author used of words is so witty, sexy, and very funny. I would love to read some more of his books.

Every operation these two are covering their butts off Amber the black belt FBI, and Troy an ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). They are trying to apprehend the person who assassinate the "first lady". Murder, hired assassin, and corrupt government agent.......the author covered pretty much everything. Very well-written indeed, and so ...........thrilling!

[Sieglinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story, although one in which clues provided in the opening made it obvious who had arranged the hit. The book would benefit greatly from being edited (maybe there is a more recent edition that has been fixed up), as there is a tremendous amount of repetition of words and phrases within paragraphs or scenes, particularly in the first half of the book. For example, in one paragraph five of the first six lines included one of 'on the stage', 'around the stage', or 'of the stage', and after a short break there was more repetition of 'on the stage', 'behind the stage', etc.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very actionpacked and easy read. This read like a Hollywood movie, cutting from scene to scene, which on the one hand made this very quick paced, on the other hand it felt a bit staccato. I'm in no way an expert but it certainly felt unrealistic at parts and there were some clichee eye roll moments (really? Was the romance necessary?) but apart from that I enjoyed this novel and that the mystery wasn't too obvious. Some minor editing lapses ('shown' instead of 'shone', present tense instead of past, nothing too fatal).

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are not as they appear. The first lady is murdered and its appears the President was the target. Troy and Amber are two unlikely partners who are put together to catch the assassin. They find themselves with a theory that is not popular and the head of the special task force wants squasgwd. Do they follow their instincts or go with the status quo?

Many interesting twists in this novel along with action and several destroyed government vehicles.

[Judy Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting mystery, kept me guessing throughout the entire book. The first lady is killed and the way they went about catching the culprit is interesting. Take the FBI the CIA etc fighting each other to be the ones to solve the case, add stupid boss that wants all the glory and then the two people actualy working to solve the case. Keeps you on your toes. I am so glad that I read this book.

[Lrobwerner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book needs editing

This is a shoot em up fast paced political murder story loaded with chases. It's a great read but in serious need of editing and updating. There are lots of good novels out there that were not discovered near the time they were written but none the less with a little tweaking would be contemporary. This book was written when smoking, sexism and homophobia were dominant and VCRs were video format.

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow I found it difficult to get through this book but I did finish reading it. There was a twist and it was at the very end that you learned the real truth behind First Lady Down. Who killed the first lady and why took a long time to find out. Would recommend if you want to leisurely get through a book. Myself -I like to breeze through a book.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun reading. This novel is non-stop action. It is much like reading an old Die Hard movie. The protagonists are 'cowboy' ATF and FBI agents who are, naturally, right in all of their instinctive actions. The action extends from Washington DC to California and encompasses corruption everywhere.

[Cheryl Davitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. Very action packed. I could see this book as a movie. And even though I figured out "who-done-it" toward the beginning, it was interesting figuring out who else was involved and why. I also liked the interaction between Troy and Amber. The guy ATF agent who had been around the block a bit and the rookie FBI agent who was in the "dog-house". I really enjoyed this story.

[Linda Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maverick ATF agent takes on FBI rookie partner and solves a mystery at the top level of US gov't...pretty unbelievable and very lucky as well as expert shooters. Would have liked more if some of the twists in plot explained at the end were better brought out in the actual story. Pet peeve was when the author stopped in the middle of action to give the names of all participants!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, but overall lack of character development. Very choppy writing style. Short sentences, and too-long paragraphs. And one excessively raunchy scene. I did finish because I wanted to follow the mystery to the end, but it definitely was not my cup of tea.