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Joe DeMarco #7
House Blood
Orson Mulray, CEO of Mulray Pharma, has discovered a drug that could prevent a previously incurable disease and make him billions of dollars. But the drug needs to be tested on humans to prove its efficacy, and Mulray needs more than blood samples � he needs autopsy results.
In naïve Lizzie Warwick, Mulray finds a solution. Warwick provides relief to victims of wars and natural disasters ? in other words, people who’d make perfect test subjects. But Warwick’s D.C. lobbyist discovers what Mulray is doing. Mulray has the lobbyist killed and frames his partner, Brian Kincaid, for murder.
Two years later, DeMarco is asked to look into the seemingly hopeless case. He has other worries on his mind: his girlfriend has left him, and his friend Emma may be dying. DeMarco doesn’t expect to free Kinkaid � much less to become the target of two of the most callous killers he and Emma have ever encountered.
Praise for House Blood
"The plot and pace are relentless, and the milieus of Congress, D.C., and disaster relief seem knowingly presented. But character creation is Lawson's greatest talent, and Fiona, her supersoldiers, and of course, the ever-cranky cynic, DeMarco, will rivet readers' attention. A host of lesser characters are nearly as engaging. House Blood is so good it will move long-time political-thriller readers to recall the memorable characters, with, and style of the late, great Ross Thomas." -Booklist (starred review)
�Lawson’s seventh novel in his Joe DeMarco thriller series is another page-turner brimming with authentic Washington, DC, detail and distinctive, engaging characters. Even the bad guys are interesting. Adventure-seeking readers will love [it].”-Library Journal
�As ever, [DeMarco is] good at tracking the bad guys—and it’s fun to watch him at it.” �Publishers Weekly
�A what-happens-next, edge-of-your-seat thriller, told with the author’s clear prose and storytelling skills.”—George Easter, Deadly Pleasures
In naïve Lizzie Warwick, Mulray finds a solution. Warwick provides relief to victims of wars and natural disasters ? in other words, people who’d make perfect test subjects. But Warwick’s D.C. lobbyist discovers what Mulray is doing. Mulray has the lobbyist killed and frames his partner, Brian Kincaid, for murder.
Two years later, DeMarco is asked to look into the seemingly hopeless case. He has other worries on his mind: his girlfriend has left him, and his friend Emma may be dying. DeMarco doesn’t expect to free Kinkaid � much less to become the target of two of the most callous killers he and Emma have ever encountered.
Praise for House Blood
"The plot and pace are relentless, and the milieus of Congress, D.C., and disaster relief seem knowingly presented. But character creation is Lawson's greatest talent, and Fiona, her supersoldiers, and of course, the ever-cranky cynic, DeMarco, will rivet readers' attention. A host of lesser characters are nearly as engaging. House Blood is so good it will move long-time political-thriller readers to recall the memorable characters, with, and style of the late, great Ross Thomas." -Booklist (starred review)
�Lawson’s seventh novel in his Joe DeMarco thriller series is another page-turner brimming with authentic Washington, DC, detail and distinctive, engaging characters. Even the bad guys are interesting. Adventure-seeking readers will love [it].”-Library Journal
�As ever, [DeMarco is] good at tracking the bad guys—and it’s fun to watch him at it.” �Publishers Weekly
�A what-happens-next, edge-of-your-seat thriller, told with the author’s clear prose and storytelling skills.”—George Easter, Deadly Pleasures
624 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2012
About the author
Mike Lawson
28 books461 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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February 18, 2018
Audiobook - 12:30 - Narrated by Joe Barrett
1 star out of 5.0 DNF
The first several discs bored me to sleep, which in turn meant I had to scroll back and try again.
In the end I gave up! Moving on ... :)
1 star out of 5.0 DNF
The first several discs bored me to sleep, which in turn meant I had to scroll back and try again.
In the end I gave up! Moving on ... :)
December 29, 2012
I am part of a medical study through Harvard medical School intended to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D in combination with Fish Oil. As a double blind study I might or might not be taking either of the drugs or a placebo. I have no way of knowing. That's as it should be. But I'm also at the mercy of those running the trial. I take on faith the purpose is what they say (and we know that in psychological studies they often prevaricate about the purpose of the study), and I assume those designing and running this incredibly expensive study are operating in an ethical and legal manner.
Now what if the backers of the study had something very different in mind and were using Harvard for their own purposes? What if they were acting perfectly within the law but were in blurry territory from an ethical standpoint? What if the result of this unethical behavior might result in a drug to cure a devastating illness? Does it matter if some people are sacrificed along the way?
That's the premise behind this excellent novel. I listened to this and don't know whether it's the book or the reader or a combination that totally captivated me. I have enjoyed other DeMarco stories, but this one blew away the others. It has humor, mystery, social commentary, very enjoyable.
DeMarco hates cutting the lawn, his idea of camping is a Hilton with slow room service, and the idea of wearing hiking books might give him hives. "What could be more perfect, New York v Boston –he hates those fucking Yankees– a steak, a baked potato slathered in butter and sour cream" -- yum. He's a kind-of Congressional fixer who has an office in the basement of Congress and he runs errands and investigations for Congressman Mahoney.
Mahoney asks him to look into the conviction of a friend of his wife's husband who had been convicted of killing his business party. We know right up front who the bag guys are, so the fun is in DeMarco's investigation. He can't seem to find any reason why the conviction shouldn't stand, but just a couple little things niggle the back of his mind. And the investigation, with the help of Emma, leads down a road he had no idea existed.
As far as I can tell the author hates lawyers, Congress, and big-Pharma.
12/28/2012 - And this just in: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/28...
Now what if the backers of the study had something very different in mind and were using Harvard for their own purposes? What if they were acting perfectly within the law but were in blurry territory from an ethical standpoint? What if the result of this unethical behavior might result in a drug to cure a devastating illness? Does it matter if some people are sacrificed along the way?
That's the premise behind this excellent novel. I listened to this and don't know whether it's the book or the reader or a combination that totally captivated me. I have enjoyed other DeMarco stories, but this one blew away the others. It has humor, mystery, social commentary, very enjoyable.
DeMarco hates cutting the lawn, his idea of camping is a Hilton with slow room service, and the idea of wearing hiking books might give him hives. "What could be more perfect, New York v Boston –he hates those fucking Yankees– a steak, a baked potato slathered in butter and sour cream" -- yum. He's a kind-of Congressional fixer who has an office in the basement of Congress and he runs errands and investigations for Congressman Mahoney.
Mahoney asks him to look into the conviction of a friend of his wife's husband who had been convicted of killing his business party. We know right up front who the bag guys are, so the fun is in DeMarco's investigation. He can't seem to find any reason why the conviction shouldn't stand, but just a couple little things niggle the back of his mind. And the investigation, with the help of Emma, leads down a road he had no idea existed.
As far as I can tell the author hates lawyers, Congress, and big-Pharma.
12/28/2012 - And this just in: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/28...
April 17, 2016
PROTAGONIST: Joe DeMarco, "fixer" for a Congressman
SERIES: #7 of 7
RATING: 4.25
Joe DeMarco is a Washington lawyer who unofficially works for former Speaker of the House and current Congressman John Mahoney. Mostly, Mahoney wants him to do the kind of thing that he wouldn’t really want anyone to know about. In this case, Mahoney’s wife is giving him a lot of grief about a lobbyist named Brian Kincaid who has been convicted of the murder of his partner, Phil Downing. Mahoney asks Joe to see if he can find anything that will prove Kincaid was framed; but truthfully, there’s not much hope that will happen because the evidence against him is so convincing.
What’s not evident is that Kincaid saw something that he shouldn’t have. Orson Mulray is the CEO of Mulray Pharma and has discovered a drug that will cure a widespread disease, with the result being profits in the billions. He has a lawyer, Fiona West, who is implementing the strategy for getting this drug to market quickly by setting up test sites in foreign countries instead of conducting clinical trials in the US, a process that takes a very long time. West is a ruthless woman who has latched on to a legitimate philanthropic enterprise called the Warwick Foundation. Using their spotless reputation as a cover, West has a team in place who set third-world disaster victims up in clinics and participate in the drug experiments. It all seems legitimate and the testing goes well, but there are still quite a few deaths that don’t make sense. It doesn’t help that Fiona is all too ready to have her security team permanently remove anyone that gets in her way. And as Joe DeMarco and his friend, Emma, formerly an intelligence operative, pursue the Kincaid investigation, they find connections to Mulray that could bring down the whole house of cards.
The DeMarco books are one of my favorite series, and HOUSE BLOOD does not disappoint. The plot is quite a bit more complicated than usual, which I found at times to be confusing, especially since it involved a large cast of characters on the bad guy side. However, I think Lawson made a good choice in expanding the stage of DeMarco’s operations beyond the inner workings of Washington, DC.
DeMarco is a great character, and he’s what keeps me coming back to this series. He’s cranky, a little bit lazy, but unstoppable once he sinks his teeth into something. Other characters who step off the page include Emma, who tolerates no baloney, and Fiona West, a world-class witch and manipulator. Although HOUSE BLOOD is a political thriller, it’s not burdened with a lot of ideology and is sprinkled with humor throughout. Even though it’s the seventh book in the series, it easily stands on its own.
SERIES: #7 of 7
RATING: 4.25
Joe DeMarco is a Washington lawyer who unofficially works for former Speaker of the House and current Congressman John Mahoney. Mostly, Mahoney wants him to do the kind of thing that he wouldn’t really want anyone to know about. In this case, Mahoney’s wife is giving him a lot of grief about a lobbyist named Brian Kincaid who has been convicted of the murder of his partner, Phil Downing. Mahoney asks Joe to see if he can find anything that will prove Kincaid was framed; but truthfully, there’s not much hope that will happen because the evidence against him is so convincing.
What’s not evident is that Kincaid saw something that he shouldn’t have. Orson Mulray is the CEO of Mulray Pharma and has discovered a drug that will cure a widespread disease, with the result being profits in the billions. He has a lawyer, Fiona West, who is implementing the strategy for getting this drug to market quickly by setting up test sites in foreign countries instead of conducting clinical trials in the US, a process that takes a very long time. West is a ruthless woman who has latched on to a legitimate philanthropic enterprise called the Warwick Foundation. Using their spotless reputation as a cover, West has a team in place who set third-world disaster victims up in clinics and participate in the drug experiments. It all seems legitimate and the testing goes well, but there are still quite a few deaths that don’t make sense. It doesn’t help that Fiona is all too ready to have her security team permanently remove anyone that gets in her way. And as Joe DeMarco and his friend, Emma, formerly an intelligence operative, pursue the Kincaid investigation, they find connections to Mulray that could bring down the whole house of cards.
The DeMarco books are one of my favorite series, and HOUSE BLOOD does not disappoint. The plot is quite a bit more complicated than usual, which I found at times to be confusing, especially since it involved a large cast of characters on the bad guy side. However, I think Lawson made a good choice in expanding the stage of DeMarco’s operations beyond the inner workings of Washington, DC.
DeMarco is a great character, and he’s what keeps me coming back to this series. He’s cranky, a little bit lazy, but unstoppable once he sinks his teeth into something. Other characters who step off the page include Emma, who tolerates no baloney, and Fiona West, a world-class witch and manipulator. Although HOUSE BLOOD is a political thriller, it’s not burdened with a lot of ideology and is sprinkled with humor throughout. Even though it’s the seventh book in the series, it easily stands on its own.
July 2, 2014
I am a big fan of these clever, clever thrillers. DeMarco is a lazy gopher within the White House, working on slightly dodgy jobs for the (ex) Speaker of The House. And this is a White House that works through gentle favours and low level corruption, but in reality all DeMarco wants is an easy life, a bit of golf and a BBQ. He’s my role model.
DeMarco has the benefit of looking tough but the reality is that he is proficient with neither fists or weapons. A lot of the time the people around him catch on a lot quicker than he does and this is the unique aspect of these books, no central all action hero but quite an ordinary guy.
In Blood House he is asked to have a look at the circumstances under which someone has been convicted of murder, mainly to appease the guy’s mother. But he has been framed as part of a pharmaceutical company’s desire to launch a new medicine and the need for unwitting test subjects. We get considerable perspective on the bad guys and their motives here, nothing is black and white. So DeMarco blunders into an investigation assisted by the mysterious Emma (another great character) to flush out the truth.
I really enjoy the way the author presents his characters with the framework of US politics and ‘deals’ and I find the novels a refreshingly different aspect of the political thriller. Blood House is a welcome addition to the DeMarco series and recommended.
DeMarco has the benefit of looking tough but the reality is that he is proficient with neither fists or weapons. A lot of the time the people around him catch on a lot quicker than he does and this is the unique aspect of these books, no central all action hero but quite an ordinary guy.
In Blood House he is asked to have a look at the circumstances under which someone has been convicted of murder, mainly to appease the guy’s mother. But he has been framed as part of a pharmaceutical company’s desire to launch a new medicine and the need for unwitting test subjects. We get considerable perspective on the bad guys and their motives here, nothing is black and white. So DeMarco blunders into an investigation assisted by the mysterious Emma (another great character) to flush out the truth.
I really enjoy the way the author presents his characters with the framework of US politics and ‘deals’ and I find the novels a refreshingly different aspect of the political thriller. Blood House is a welcome addition to the DeMarco series and recommended.
May 20, 2015
This genre of books (crime/mystery/thriller) is one of my favorites. I read my first novel by this author not long ago, so I thought I would pick up another one (I actually picked up 3) and there are many things I like about him. However, there are things that also bug me....a lot.
First off, I like his stories. They are well thought out, they move right along, they have plenty of twists and turns and they have great characters. I love all those elements. But what I don't like is that the author tends to be heavy on the narrative. He spends so much time explaining and telling that the characters seem like a back note for a fair amount of the time. I wish the characters were used more to let the story unfold that way and not like a silent film, with the person next to you explaining it all.
3 stars. I will read the other two....eventually.
First off, I like his stories. They are well thought out, they move right along, they have plenty of twists and turns and they have great characters. I love all those elements. But what I don't like is that the author tends to be heavy on the narrative. He spends so much time explaining and telling that the characters seem like a back note for a fair amount of the time. I wish the characters were used more to let the story unfold that way and not like a silent film, with the person next to you explaining it all.
3 stars. I will read the other two....eventually.
February 21, 2020
An interesting and typical Lawson book on Joe DeMarco.
November 29, 2020
The evil in this installment is truly evil and the good just keep getting jacked up in the story. I was very worried about Emma luckily her behavior on the cliff was stellar. I am satisfied with the ending.
May 8, 2023
Political intrigue and shenanigans abound in this “I should be doing my homework instead but can’t put it down” thriller. Exceptional narration by Joe Barrett - his usual. Some profanity otherwise Clean.
edited review 05/08/23 as I was not clear on the novels interest-keeping excitement level. Oops. 🙃
edited review 05/08/23 as I was not clear on the novels interest-keeping excitement level. Oops. 🙃
September 5, 2012
Normally I really enjoy a Joe DeMarco novel by Mike Lawson. This one was disappointing. Very little of the novel has to do with DeMarco. He’s involved, peripherally because Mahoney’s (former Speaker of the House) wife knows the mother of a former D.C. lobbyist who has been convicted of the murder of his partner. She wants the former Speaker to see what he can find out. Emma makes an appearance as well, just to keep the old gang in the mix.
This is more of a story about the steps the shady CEO of a pharmaceutical company is taking to get a drug to market without going through years of FDA tests. Instead, he is using refugees from a war zone, and survivors of a natural disaster as test subjects for his drug. The problem is to see how effective the drug is, the subjects have to die so autopsies can be performed to check the effect of the drug.
While it’s entertaining, it is not nearly as good as earlier Lawson works featuring DeMarco, Emma, and Mahoney.
This is more of a story about the steps the shady CEO of a pharmaceutical company is taking to get a drug to market without going through years of FDA tests. Instead, he is using refugees from a war zone, and survivors of a natural disaster as test subjects for his drug. The problem is to see how effective the drug is, the subjects have to die so autopsies can be performed to check the effect of the drug.
While it’s entertaining, it is not nearly as good as earlier Lawson works featuring DeMarco, Emma, and Mahoney.
October 7, 2015
This is one of the best crime series no one is reading. Mike Lawson has created Joe DeMarco, son of a Mob hitman who now works for the Speaker of the House as a fix-it man. Joe has a law degree, but his name doesn't appear on any office flow-chart; he works off the books, solving problems for John Mahoney (very loosely patterned on Tip O'Neill). In this escapade, Former Speaker Mahoney asks Joe to investigate the conviction of Brian Kincaid, who is in prison for killing his business partner. Except, he really didn't do it. As he looks into the murder, Joe uncovers nefarious goings-on by Mulray Pharma, who is trying to rush an Alzheimer's drug to market, taking as many shortcuts as possible, up to and including murdering test subjects to study their brains. Joe gets beaten up and almost killed, lots of adrenaline flowing!
December 29, 2024
Plot: Mulray Pharmaceuticals CEO plots to turn the 12th largest pharmaceutical company, in the world into the largest one in the world by funding the research and bringing to market a drug that everybody in the world would need and would buy continuously.
Orson Mulray, 53, finally inherited the company from his father, Clayton Mulray, who died at age 84.
In the last 5 years of his life Clayton senior established the Clayton Mulray Foundation with a start-up donation of 1.4 billion dollars. The goal was to fund cost effective drugs for 3rd world countries to cure malaria, tuberculosis, measles, and the sleeping sickness cause by the tsetse fly.
Orson Mulray and Fiona West, the chief in-house counsel heading a team of five lawyers, is shrewd, determined, cunning and ruthless. She agrees to partner with Orson for a cool billion dollars which is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Orson plans to make. He doesn’t see the upside to helping 3rd world countries. He has something else in mind with the help of the unorthodox doctor/researcher Dr. Simon Ballard.
Ballard, age 44, is not motivated by money although he’s willing to leave his job at the university with the salary being promised by Mulray as well as bring provided with the finest research lab and his own handpicked researchers in order to fast track the as yet untested wonder drug for FDA approval and a shot at winning a Nobel Prize.
Fiona needs to put together a team.
1. A charismatic doctor that will do field testing amongst refugees in war torn African countries. René Lambert, doctor from an old money French family who is up to his neck in debt.
2. An unscrupulous and bloodthirsty security team to safely deliver convoys of supplies to the refugee camps. Kelly and Nelson, ex-military who have no regrets about leaving a trail of bodies to do their work as mercenaries.
Like always Senator John Mahoney enlists the help of Joe DeMarco. Mary Pat, Mahoney’s wife, asks him to help the son of one of her friends who is in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.
This is one of the best in the series so far.
Orson Mulray, 53, finally inherited the company from his father, Clayton Mulray, who died at age 84.
In the last 5 years of his life Clayton senior established the Clayton Mulray Foundation with a start-up donation of 1.4 billion dollars. The goal was to fund cost effective drugs for 3rd world countries to cure malaria, tuberculosis, measles, and the sleeping sickness cause by the tsetse fly.
Orson Mulray and Fiona West, the chief in-house counsel heading a team of five lawyers, is shrewd, determined, cunning and ruthless. She agrees to partner with Orson for a cool billion dollars which is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Orson plans to make. He doesn’t see the upside to helping 3rd world countries. He has something else in mind with the help of the unorthodox doctor/researcher Dr. Simon Ballard.
Ballard, age 44, is not motivated by money although he’s willing to leave his job at the university with the salary being promised by Mulray as well as bring provided with the finest research lab and his own handpicked researchers in order to fast track the as yet untested wonder drug for FDA approval and a shot at winning a Nobel Prize.
Fiona needs to put together a team.
1. A charismatic doctor that will do field testing amongst refugees in war torn African countries. René Lambert, doctor from an old money French family who is up to his neck in debt.
2. An unscrupulous and bloodthirsty security team to safely deliver convoys of supplies to the refugee camps. Kelly and Nelson, ex-military who have no regrets about leaving a trail of bodies to do their work as mercenaries.
Like always Senator John Mahoney enlists the help of Joe DeMarco. Mary Pat, Mahoney’s wife, asks him to help the son of one of her friends who is in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.
This is one of the best in the series so far.
May 5, 2024
Spoilers ahead:
Premise: A pharmaceutical company develops a medicine to cure Alzheimer's but instead of going through FDA protocols decides to speed up the process by going overseas in 3rd world countries to develop the drug, including bribing the appropriate people and killing patients to autopsy their brains afterwards.
The man behind the scheme is the owner/CEO of the company, Orson Mulray. In order to do this, he and his assistant (Fiona West) partners with a bona fide relief organization (Warwick Foundation) to find the patients who were all survivors of natural disasters under the pretense of giving them care. They also hired a group of disgraced managers who were willing to sidestep normal protocols to help develop the drug and killers to kill the patients.
DeMarco got roped into this when a lobbyist (Downing) for the Warwick Foundation was killed. He was killed because he found out what was going on and West decided to kill him. His partner (Kincaid) was framed for the crime and DeMarco was asked to look into it because Kincade's mother knew Mahoney's (DeMarco's boss) wife.
At first DeMarco finds nothing but he keeps digging. When DeMarco decides to go to Peru, which was where Downing discovered the evidence, West panics and orders the death of DeMarco and his partner Emma. This is when everything starts to unravel because the killers fail and West decides to order the deaths of first the killers and then more and more people who were involved in the whole scheme in order to shut them up. But this wholesale order of deaths starts a whole series of investigations that brings everything down.
I read this series because I like DeMarco. But DeMarco is only an side piece in the plot. The main plot is as I summarized above. It's an OK read and an interesting idea of what a psychopathic pharmaceutic CEO might do.
Premise: A pharmaceutical company develops a medicine to cure Alzheimer's but instead of going through FDA protocols decides to speed up the process by going overseas in 3rd world countries to develop the drug, including bribing the appropriate people and killing patients to autopsy their brains afterwards.
The man behind the scheme is the owner/CEO of the company, Orson Mulray. In order to do this, he and his assistant (Fiona West) partners with a bona fide relief organization (Warwick Foundation) to find the patients who were all survivors of natural disasters under the pretense of giving them care. They also hired a group of disgraced managers who were willing to sidestep normal protocols to help develop the drug and killers to kill the patients.
DeMarco got roped into this when a lobbyist (Downing) for the Warwick Foundation was killed. He was killed because he found out what was going on and West decided to kill him. His partner (Kincaid) was framed for the crime and DeMarco was asked to look into it because Kincade's mother knew Mahoney's (DeMarco's boss) wife.
At first DeMarco finds nothing but he keeps digging. When DeMarco decides to go to Peru, which was where Downing discovered the evidence, West panics and orders the death of DeMarco and his partner Emma. This is when everything starts to unravel because the killers fail and West decides to order the deaths of first the killers and then more and more people who were involved in the whole scheme in order to shut them up. But this wholesale order of deaths starts a whole series of investigations that brings everything down.
I read this series because I like DeMarco. But DeMarco is only an side piece in the plot. The main plot is as I summarized above. It's an OK read and an interesting idea of what a psychopathic pharmaceutic CEO might do.
February 22, 2023
Plot. Joe DeMarco, a guy in his late 30s, has a law degree but cannot find a job because he is the son of a deceased mafia hitman. Joe has never been involved with the mob in any way; he's never even owned a gun. Joe gets a job working in the Capitol. Seems the Speaker of the House had an affair with Joe's aunt and she calls in a favor. Joe is a decent guy, divorced, a bit of a horn dog, lazy, and would rather be playing golf. Speaker of the House John Mahone is a demanding alcoholic, a womanizer, as crooked as all politicians, feared by everyone who knows him - except his wife - a gal everyone adores. Mahone has a few redeeming traits, like a love of the veteran. There is another character of interest. Emma is a woman of high moral standards, a retired deep black ops gal that knows everyone and everything. She hates Mahone because she knows he's a typically devious politician but treats Joe as an annoying younger brother.
The series consists of several full-length novels - each with a beginning - middle - end, meaning you don't have to start with book one, The Inside Ring - but it will help with continuity. Bribing for votes, blackmail, dirty politicians and cops from the FBI to local police, heroic war veterans, and many good guys. From the basement of the capitol to alligator swamps, the series contains a wide range of plots. Narration is fine - Scott Brick does the first two books, Joe Barrett the remainder - no issues with either.
The Joe DeMarco Series is written by Michael Lawson, each book in the area of 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released starting in 2005 through today by Random House and Blackstone Publishing.
Entertaining.
The series consists of several full-length novels - each with a beginning - middle - end, meaning you don't have to start with book one, The Inside Ring - but it will help with continuity. Bribing for votes, blackmail, dirty politicians and cops from the FBI to local police, heroic war veterans, and many good guys. From the basement of the capitol to alligator swamps, the series contains a wide range of plots. Narration is fine - Scott Brick does the first two books, Joe Barrett the remainder - no issues with either.
The Joe DeMarco Series is written by Michael Lawson, each book in the area of 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released starting in 2005 through today by Random House and Blackstone Publishing.
Entertaining.
October 29, 2024
finished 28th october 2024 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner joe demarco #7 another entertaining story this one with a pharmaceutical company as the protagonist, ex delta force guys doing the dirt work, more than a few people ruled by greed willing to do anything, demarco and emma teaming up to investigate. i've read eight or nine of these stories now and looks like all that is available will be on hold...i've had stories on hold for over a year, multiple digital libraries i can borrow from but only one where i'm a resident and a primary borrower...the others a distance away and where others move to the head of the list even if i'm in line for a hold. i'll read more as i find them.
June 23, 2017
Super good book....I will definitely be reading more from this author. What happens when a pharmaceutical company wishes to do testing on their new drugs before going to market? How ethical can they be in their testing - lets face it, if the tests have yet to be run - can they truly tell the participants what may or may not happen to them? Ehhhh perhaps it can be run without too much truth being told. Unless there is murder involved......is it unethical if the people sign up to be the test subjects? Great book - lots of twists and turns.....and when the FBI get involved.....keeping things secret or ethical may be somewhat difficult! Definitely a page-turner!
September 4, 2020
As usual, Mr. Lawson came up with an unusual plot that features Joe DeMarco in many areas but gives other players plenty of room. On the side of the angels here we again meet Emma, who is a driving force.
Published in 2012, well before our present biological problems, it does r3evolve around developing and testing a new drug...what my nursing muse insists on calling a 'medication'. But, anyway, we agree on the wisdom of not rushing to judgment on a COVID vaccine. We being Mr. Larson, me and my muse.
This certainly counts as a fine, meaty ride that I was glad to take down from the shelf. I figure one more Larson book this year.
Recommended.
Published in 2012, well before our present biological problems, it does r3evolve around developing and testing a new drug...what my nursing muse insists on calling a 'medication'. But, anyway, we agree on the wisdom of not rushing to judgment on a COVID vaccine. We being Mr. Larson, me and my muse.
This certainly counts as a fine, meaty ride that I was glad to take down from the shelf. I figure one more Larson book this year.
Recommended.
July 22, 2026
Mike Lawson’s House Blood delivers an energetic thriller, its many twists both intriguing and, at times, exhausting. Full credit for getting me to hold my breath numerous times in the tale. Importantly, the novel earns credit for spotlighting drug‑testing abuses in African countries and the troubling lure of poverty porn. Yet its reliance on tired stereotypes—corrupt officials, endless wars, sprawling refugee camps—felt disappointingly unimaginative, a far cry from the Africa I know. I found myself skimming those sections, but the experience pushed me toward exploring African authors for the rest of the summer, whose work offers richer, more authentic portrayals of the continent.
April 30, 2018
It’s my favorite so far of the DeMarco Series. The female lawyer hired by the Big Pharma company is so merciless you almost can’t imagine someone so ruthless. I say almost because sometimes you wonder to what lengths folks will go for to make a profits. Lawson brilliantly tells a story that has a complex plot that draws us a diagram of very close ties between people committing crimes that could be committed that would be very difficult to prove crossing international borders to benefit a few for the sake of prestige, power & profit at tremendous expense to the most vulnerable among us.
August 22, 2019
Wow! I can't believe I held off on reading this book for so long. This was a terrific story from start to finish. It became so involved and there were so many layer of deception that, I at times forgot what the main objective was just to get a innocent man out of jail. Emma in this story seems to really take over and take charge to a point where it almost felt like this wasn't a Joe DeMarco thriller.
February 13, 2018
way longer than the other books that i've read in this series. i didn't lose interest, but i thought it was kinda repetitious in places. there is a very interesting secondary character in this book, Emma, who i thought stole the show. i wonder if she appears in any other of the novels in this very long series.
September 7, 2020
Certainly a page-turner, as advertised. It is full of enough action, twists and humor to overlook many semi-plausible scenes and go along with the story.
If even only half of what is depicted here is true of “how things work” in our system, I will seriously need to rethink my definition of “ Truth, Justice, and the American Way”.
If even only half of what is depicted here is true of “how things work” in our system, I will seriously need to rethink my definition of “ Truth, Justice, and the American Way”.
January 13, 2021
I love this series. The character's dry wit is wonderful. Being a political based thriller, I love some of his digs at congress. I wish I could find the one quote that humored me so much but the MC says something to the effect of Congress could do it.. followed by Congress couldn't run a hamburger stand. :) I wish I could find the exact quote.
April 23, 2023
Pharma is a big issue.
This book was really interesting and a very fast read. It sort of makes you think about big pharma and what they control. People tend to trust drug companies and maybe not for the right reasons. The story was written well and I like reading these Joe Dimarco novels. I'll definitely keep reading them.
This book was really interesting and a very fast read. It sort of makes you think about big pharma and what they control. People tend to trust drug companies and maybe not for the right reasons. The story was written well and I like reading these Joe Dimarco novels. I'll definitely keep reading them.
July 10, 2025
Everyone needs an Emma in their life. Joe DeMarco sure does. Neil is very helpful also. Mr Lawson thank you for another satisfying read. The outline of the book was dependable but specific actions were a bit contrived. How things were accomplished was a stretch for my imagination . I will continue to read every book in this series.
June 26, 2018
This is a series that is always a reliably fun listen, so even though the plot was low on the plausibility scale I found it enjoyable. The audio was read by Joe Barrett who took over the narration duties in the third book and has really made this series his own.
April 15, 2020
This series is very creative and while some things are all part of the 'regular' series, there are unique situations and credible stories for all the characters. This one concerns a pharmaceutical company and drug testing....very credible.
April 30, 2023
great read
Mike Lawson’s done it again. He produced another fast paced Joe DeMarco mystery that keeps you guessing at every turn and unlike many authors actually wraps up the story at the end.
Mike Lawson’s done it again. He produced another fast paced Joe DeMarco mystery that keeps you guessing at every turn and unlike many authors actually wraps up the story at the end.
January 25, 2024
One of the best in the series. Skullduggery after skullduggery. It felt like the author had a clear message in the novel which is rare. The antagonist perspectives are once again a joy to read. Emma is also back and kicks ass.
June 29, 2025
Much more politics than I expected and too many alphabet agencies to keep care about.
I wish that Lawson would only write about retired agent Emma and leave Joe behind. He could easily write about her exploits.
I wish that Lawson would only write about retired agent Emma and leave Joe behind. He could easily write about her exploits.
July 14, 2026
Outstanding read from the get go! Big Pharma & 3rd world guinea pigs set the stage for this thriller. Political corruption always a main topic to Mike. Money and big time greed is so sickening the story never loses its balance. Joe & Emma bicker to lead the charge on this god for saken crime.
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