The Nominee

by Brian McGrory

Washington press insider Brian McGrory, whose debut novel, The Incumbent, soared onto the national bestseller lists amid rave reviews, is back with a second sizzling political thriller featuring Jack Flynn, the intrepid newspaperman with the wry turn of phrase. News is crackling all around him when Jack Flynn, ace reporter for The Boston Record, is summoned to a secret meeting with his esteemed publisher, Paul Ellis. Ellis sadly reveals that the newspaper they both love, owned by his family for more than a century, is the target of a hostile takeover bid by a shadowy corporate chain. Desperate, he asks for Jack's help. Already on the brink of a hot political scoop, Jack sets out in pursuit of a hidden truth. But that very day his life is threatened. The Record is beset by horrific tragedy. And a death from years ago no longer appears what it once seemed. Now Jack is forced to question not only the words published in his own paper but the relationships that have been the bedrock of his life -- in particular those with his gorgeous ex-girlfriend, who writes for a rival tabloid, and with the venerable Record reporter Robert Fitzgerald, Jack's longtime mentor. And all along, Jack is sitting on a goldmine of information that could torpedo the president's controversial nomination of the Massachusetts governor to be the next U.S. Attorney General. As he balances on a tightrope of personal and professional peril, shuttling from the swamps of central Florida to the corridors of Congress, then back to the alleyways of Boston, Jack is left with just two Will his newspaper survive long enough for him to tell his story? Will he? Combining breakneck speed and tension-packed plotting with the insights of a consummate political insider, Brian McGrory explores the ethics and direction of modern journalism and analyzes how, in this era of media saturation, reputations are made and too often destroyed. The Nominee, peopled with irresistible characters that linger long after the last page is turned, confirms his position at the forefront of today's most talented young suspense writers.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Brian McGrory is a longtime newspaper reporter, editor, and columnist. Born and raised in and around Boston, he went to college at Bates College in Maine. He worked for the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, the New Haven Register in Connecticut, and has written for and edited the Boston Globe since 1989. He has a twice weekly column that appears on the front of the metro section, for which he has won the Scripps Howard journalism award, and is the author of four novels. He lives in Massachusetts with his entire family.

Reviews

[David Linzee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Flynn is self-righteous and full of himself--which makes him a highly plausible investigative reporter, and a rather tiresome hero-narrator. The plot suffers from awkward flashbacks and a foreseeable solution, but the settings are a nice mix of gloss and glitz and interesting characters keep popping up.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very boring

[Katherine Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another disappointing book. This started out well. I enjoyed the protagonist's wise cracking demeanor, but in a very short time, the protag wise-cracked nearly every sentence, and the metaphors were to common and too want to be clever. The book was too heavy and slow because of the unnecessary comments. Further, the romance angle was simply flat out dumb and irritating. This was described as a taut thriller, but it was anything but. If it were the first in a series, I would say that the guy just had to get it out of his system, but it is the second. I'm done.

And oh man, I am so tired of characters that are described by their looks. The women were always beautiful; if they weren't beautiful, well, it indicated she was a bad woman. I don't know--characters with all these stellar characteristics made them less likable to me.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #8 read in 2008

It seemed to take me forever to read this one, but I really enjoyed it. I like the series and the characters very much.

Gave to a coworker

[Susan]

O.K. --but still will probable read his next novel int he series.

[Jim Moffett · Rating 3 out of 5]

09/14. Tough story to rate.It felt like author was writing things that had no real sense in story,more like to fill pages.STory line great.HEld my interest thru many pages.