Evil Town

by J. David Bethel

The wife of popular Florida Congressman (and prospective Senatorial candidate) Clegg Caffery is murdered. FBI Special Agent Matt Thurston begins an investigation that leads him from the Pentagon to the small town of Clewiston, Florida in search of a photographer responsible for the photo found in the murdered woman's hand. He arrives too late. The man has committed suicide. Although Thurston uncovers a strange and suspicious story about the dead photographer that he believes is worthy of continued investigation, he is abruptly steered away from the case by his superiors.


Angered by this turn of events, Thurston enlists the assistance of two reporters. With their involvement, he begins to peel away layers of lies and deceit hiding the truth about the murder. Along the way, Thurston slowly unravels a complex weave of story lines that includes a sex for hire plot involving the President's wife; an attempt by computer magnate Norman Bremen to subvert the workings of Congress to ensure the survival of his sugar interests in Florida; and the revelation of a cover-up of a war crime in Vietnam that threatens the Presidency.


Although Evil Town is a work of fiction, it is based on historical and current events. The Vietnam element of the plot delves into the massacre of Vietnamese villagers at Co Luy. This occurred on the same day as the My Lai killings and happened as described in the novel. The military and political cover-up of the incident detailed in Evil Town is an interpretation of actual events that relegated Co Luy to the back pages of history.


The description of the political maneuvering related to the restoration of the Everglades, and to the "sugar wars" in Florida, is a dramatization of the intrigue currently being played out by power brokers, the media and Congress on this issue.


While it should come as no surprise that the drug war can be managed and waged for political purposes – a subplot in Evil Town – it is the subtleties of international politics that often allow this to happen. The novel provides insight on how this is possible.


Through it all, Matt Thurston and his allies match wits with the most powerful in Washington putting themselves in harm's way. Truth, honor and justice are slippery concepts in this story of politics and fragile human relationships.

Genres: Politics

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2012

Reviews

[Barbara Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Bethel has created a fascinating fictitious thriller that takes readers into the dark, seamy hidden world of backdoor Washington politics where influential characters become players in a ruthless high stakes game involving scandal, blackmail, and cover-ups. Those who become ensnared in this tangled web of deception become susceptible to manipulation and corruption.

After the murder of a high-profile politician’s wife, Joanna Caffery, FBI Special Agent Matt Thurston begins to uncover the covert power plays already in motion. Although Joanna’s murder seems to be a closed case, Matt finds numerous holes in the investigation and has too many unanswered questions to just walk away even though his superiors have ordered him to do so. With the help of an aspiring journalist and a seasoned reporter, Matt begins a search for the truth behind what really happened to Joanna. Working together they expose a complex plan that interweaves environmental issues, international drug operations, and an explosive cover-up from the Vietnam War era.

The story is narrated from multiple characters’ perspectives and all of the various story threads clearly tie together by the end of the book to create a unified well-written plot that is unsettling yet believable. The storyline is engaging, suspenseful, and kept my interest until the very end.

If you are a fan of the thriller genre, you should definitely check out Evil Town. I found it to be an enthralling and memorable reading experience.

I received a copy of this book from the author to provide a fair and honest review.

[The BookChick · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

VERY GOOD: The characteristics of a heart book include: a great story; I loved the characters; and there was an interesting plot and unique story elements; there may have been a few odd things kept the story from being amazing. I would read it again and I would recommend it to a friend.

This book was provided by the author for an honest review.

My Thoughts:
Whoa! This book was a fast paced, heart thumping, suspenseful thrill ride from beginning to end. James Patterson's Alex Cross fans would love David Bethel's Evil Town. This story was raw, edgy, and intriguing and absolutely kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I was thrilled by the level of action and detail in this story. There was never a dull moment! The very beginning of the story took my breath away and I gasped for breath all the way through. Definitely a must read for anyone who enjoys fast paced thrillers. This story was absolutely well done!!!

[Michelle Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Readers Favorite.

If there is one place in the world that you could call Evil Town, Washington DC would most likely be that town. Politics, corruption and bribery are everyday occurrences. What really makes the place an Evil Town is what happens when someone bucks the trend and refuses to be bribed. John David Bethel creates a mystery and intrigue novel that begins with the wife of a congressman, who has not been corrupted by the town and refuses to take a bribe or later threat to her safety. As the story delves into what happened to her, we are caught up in years of sweeping facts under the rug. From Vietnam to a local sugar plantation, everyone it seems is hiding a secret. What is it about the secrets and how do they relate to each other and the congressman?

John David Bethel takes the reader into the underbelly of Washington DC. He takes what people tend to think goes on there and amps it up a bit to create a novel of intrigue and mystery that keeps the reader guessing with every page. Evil Town addresses corruption, politics, bribery and murder. Everyone has a secret, but how they each relate to the other, and what one person wants and what they are willing to do to get that will amaze and confound you. At times you will believe the story and feel like it could be a true story, and at the same time you will think there is no way people can be this cruel and demented. Evil Town is well written and draws the reader into the novel, to the point that you feel like it is really happening. This is a great novel for adults, and something to keep you guessing.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something different than what I normally read. "Evil Town" by J. David Bethel is a political thriller that goes into the belly of the beast that is Washington D.C. .Congressman Clegg Caffery's wife is murdered in what is classified as a burglary gone wrong. The "burglar" turns up dead the next day with Mrs. Caffery's property, and murder weapon on his body. The burglar himself has been killed in a "drug deal gone bad". FBI special Agent Matt Thurston can't let this case be closed out in this fashion. Thurston teams up with reporter Darlene Aiken, and "Research" assistant Garrett Breman. The team of 3 will not allow this one to be just filed away without further investigation. The author has such intimate knowledge of how the rough and tumble world of Washington politics works to create an explosive story line. From the first page all the way to it's conclusion this book keeps moving. Never a dull moment as it's plot unwinds. The characters are very life like and built so that you could almost picture each character. Complete with spot on dialog this is a book not to miss. It was hard to put down after reading long sections of the book. Sickness slowed me up from reading this one quickly not the writing. Yes, I'd highly recommend this political thriller for mystery/ thriller buffs. It's a story not to be missed for sure. 5 stars out of 5. Give this one a read, you'll be shocked at the day to day antics of our working government. If author J. David Bethel puts out a follow up to this book I'll be sure to grab onto for reading.

[Michael Lash]

David Bethel writes an intelligent, gripping and entertaining book that flows like water. I read it in 4 days and kept feeling its pull to read on until I was done. Without any slow passages, it was difficult to find a place to take a break. He treats his readers with respect and doesn't insult by filling in every detail to make sure every reader understood every thought and action taken by every character in the book. There are both likeable and despicable characters, a great combination when writing political fiction - and it's much harder to create likeable people in the arena of national politics than you might think. In fact, the real heros in the book are not politicians. This is a great read for a vacation, a weekend at the beach or long flights and layovers. It takes you away from wherever you are, keeps you until you manage to put it down and exercises your mind without even telling you.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes when you read a book like this or see a blockbuster movie where the people entrusted with running our country are seen to do appalling and incredible things for their own gain or to cover their asses-you think "That couldn't happen, not in America" Truth is often stranger than fiction and this book has deep roots in the reality of the workings of Washington-as seen with the eyes of someone who has worked at the highest levels of leadership over multiple decades and political administrations.

David Bethel has seen both sides of the aisle politicos,bureaucrats and lobbyists doing what they do. The book reads like a fast ride around town on the Metro with spin masters at work,back room and corridor deals and cover-ups all around.D.C dresses up like a church lady; but can truly be an evil place-aptly named book.

[Susan Klopfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evil Town kept my rapt attention. I like fast paved mysteries, and this fit the bill. Great characters and a great plot, too. Good descriptions of the settings. Would read another one by this author, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes to stay awake with a good story.

[Toni L. Lorenzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read

This was a superb book! Well written and exciting from the first page. It was difficult to put down. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good work of fiction.

[Dawn Whidden]

Great mystery filled with intrigue! Especially A MUST for those who grew up in South Florida and understands the SUGAR INDUSTRY! Political gain and murder is woven with great mastery! Great novel!