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Dana Cutler #1
Executive Privilege
Private detective Dana Cutler receives a seemingly routine assignment to follow a young woman working on a challenger’s campaign against the incumbent U.S. president. To Cutler’s shock, she witnesses a rendezvous between her and the president. The next morning the woman’s mutilated body is discovered, and Cutler is suddenly a suspect. How can she prove her innocence against someone who has the power of the presidency at his disposal?
Meanwhile, a law firm associate in Portland, Oregon, gets assigned the appeal of a serial killer on death row. The convicted felon claims he didn’t kill one of the victims—a young woman who was working for the state governor at the time—the same man who is now president. Could the president be a serial killer?
Both story lines collide in this pulse-pounding thriller from genre veteran Phillip Margolin.
Meanwhile, a law firm associate in Portland, Oregon, gets assigned the appeal of a serial killer on death row. The convicted felon claims he didn’t kill one of the victims—a young woman who was working for the state governor at the time—the same man who is now president. Could the president be a serial killer?
Both story lines collide in this pulse-pounding thriller from genre veteran Phillip Margolin.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 685 reviews
February 24, 2025
A law firm was not the place for plans to bring down the President, the Chief Executive of the USA!
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE is a high-powered, absolutely gripping legal thriller built on dirty politics. Not just the humdrum, to-be-expected, sleazy, right-wing scum politics that a 20th century Congress delivers to the public each and every day. This story is about violence, outrageous scandals and the possibility that the president is actually party to serial murder … if not THE serial murderer! And why not? It’s not as if the history of the American presidency hasn’t led to the possibility of such an outré idea – Kennedy’s less than secret affairs with Mafia whores; Clinton’s inability to keep it in his pants around his favorite intern; and then Trump’s self-confessed groping, alleged sexual assaults and possible rapes! Perhaps the idea is a little over the top but, by God, Margolin brings it off from first page to last and manages to close it all out with a satisfying, surprise, climactic twist.
Paul Weiss
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE is a high-powered, absolutely gripping legal thriller built on dirty politics. Not just the humdrum, to-be-expected, sleazy, right-wing scum politics that a 20th century Congress delivers to the public each and every day. This story is about violence, outrageous scandals and the possibility that the president is actually party to serial murder … if not THE serial murderer! And why not? It’s not as if the history of the American presidency hasn’t led to the possibility of such an outré idea – Kennedy’s less than secret affairs with Mafia whores; Clinton’s inability to keep it in his pants around his favorite intern; and then Trump’s self-confessed groping, alleged sexual assaults and possible rapes! Perhaps the idea is a little over the top but, by God, Margolin brings it off from first page to last and manages to close it all out with a satisfying, surprise, climactic twist.
Paul Weiss
May 13, 2013
Executive Privilege is what some would call an airport novel or, a little less kind, a potboiler. Before you take that as a criticism, let me comment that there is a important need for potboilers. Man can not live on Pynchon alone. Sometime we need to escape into a world where good and bad is tightly defined, the sex is sleazy, and everything is wrapped up in a neat if ridiculously implausible package.
Phillip Margolin writes really good airport novels. While Thomas Pynchon need not worry about his reputation, John Grisham is looking over his shoulder nervously. Margolin loves his convoluted plots, his intrepid lawmen and lawyers out for the good fight, and his slimy power-grabbers. Certainly a horny president with female corpses littering his road to the top is right up Margolin's alley...the kind of alley that has Deep Throat hiding behind a dumpster.
I really liked this novel. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. It gave me a few hours of escapism into a world where the good guy triumphs and the bad guy is caught...if only until the next potboiler. If this is what you want. Margolin is your man.
Phillip Margolin writes really good airport novels. While Thomas Pynchon need not worry about his reputation, John Grisham is looking over his shoulder nervously. Margolin loves his convoluted plots, his intrepid lawmen and lawyers out for the good fight, and his slimy power-grabbers. Certainly a horny president with female corpses littering his road to the top is right up Margolin's alley...the kind of alley that has Deep Throat hiding behind a dumpster.
I really liked this novel. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. It gave me a few hours of escapism into a world where the good guy triumphs and the bad guy is caught...if only until the next potboiler. If this is what you want. Margolin is your man.
August 1, 2018
I made the mistake of not reading reviews carefully. If I had realized there was a serial killer in the story, I would have skipped the book. The protagonists of the story are Dana Cutler, a P. I., who had been a police officer. She lives in Washington, D. C. The other one is a young lawyer, Brad Miller, who is defending a serial killer.
The book is well written and is fast moving. I think there are too many characters in the story. I listened to this on an audiobook and found it got confusing a few times keeping all the characters straight. The plot was interesting up to a point. The story was interrupted too many times for a backstory. It isn’t a bad book, but it is not a great book either. Okay for a summer read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours long. Jonathan Davis does an excellent job narrating the book. He makes the book more enjoyable. Davis is a ten- time nominee and three- time winner of the coveted Audie Award. Davis is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator. He is known for his voice-over work for National Geographic Television.
The book is well written and is fast moving. I think there are too many characters in the story. I listened to this on an audiobook and found it got confusing a few times keeping all the characters straight. The plot was interesting up to a point. The story was interrupted too many times for a backstory. It isn’t a bad book, but it is not a great book either. Okay for a summer read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours long. Jonathan Davis does an excellent job narrating the book. He makes the book more enjoyable. Davis is a ten- time nominee and three- time winner of the coveted Audie Award. Davis is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator. He is known for his voice-over work for National Geographic Television.
January 23, 2013
It's not a bad book, it just wasn't for me. I don't care for the style of writing; there's far to much telling instead of showing. I don't want a three paragraph backstory interrupting the action every time we meet a new character. There were too many point of view characters to really identify with anyone. The plot held no surprises. You immediately know who the good guys are, who the bad guys are, and the story just sort of plays out without anyone facing any real challenges. I never once felt a sense of jeopardy, not even when one of the main characters was being shot at.
August 27, 2021
A good into to Dana Cutler I am assuming since this is book #1. Lots of intrigue and when dealing with the "elite" there is always expectations of freedom of movement without consequence. This book brings it to a level of awareness for the reader.
November 24, 2011
First of the series with Brad Miller and Dana Cutler. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Good introduction of characters, nice plot line that keeps you guessing and plenty of action. A real page turner. The story starts out as a young college student is murdered and is mutilated like a victim of a notorious serial killer. Dana Cutler an ex-cop turned private eye has been hired by an unnamed client to follow the young woman when she tracks her to a private home that has high security she starts taking pictures and then realizes the man she has been taken to is the President. Dana realizes she has a big problem now after the girl turns up dead and there are now men trying to kill her. On the West coast Brad Miller an associate lawyer at a big firm now gets a pro bono case to represent another serial killer. This killer says he has been framed for one of the murders and is very angry about it because he actually has an alibi for the time he supposedly killed this other woman. The killing happened when the now President was the Governor of Oregon. You can see where this is going. Lots of assassins and a few twists and turns to throw you off. I figured out who was the killer and was able to sense out the time line pretty closely. I think with all the assets available that this could have been handled differently. Still a terrific read.
March 25, 2022
What a Great Read and Ending, WOW... Did not see that Coming!!!!
July 29, 2025
4 Stars. A intriguing start to the Dana Cutler series. She's tough and tenacious. In her early 30s, she's seen difficult times, but Cutler is hanging in as a private investigator. Dale Perry, that well-connected Washington DC lawyer and lobbyist, wants to hire her. He needs a tail on a 19-year-old university student, Charlotte Walsh. Cutler has met him before and thinks he's a "pig" but her bank account is almost depleted. Meeting Perry at 2 am in a pancake house does seem overly secretive. He is reputed to be close to the President, Christopher Farrington, the former Governor of Oregon. The tail leads to a private rendezvous with Farrington in suburban Virginia. She gets pictures. When Walsh is found dead, they suddenly become valuable. In the meantime a young lawyer in Oregon, Brad Miller, is assigned a pro-bono case to represent serial killer Clarence Little who claims not to have murdered one of the victims. The young woman had been babysitting for the Farmington's while the Governor and his wife were at an event. Little has a very unique defence. Do you see where this is leading? Do you feel the circles tightening around the White House? It's a good one! (Fe2021/Jul2025)
January 8, 2013
This was a great book, the blood and gore precluded me from giving it five stars. The pace is terrific. Characters are a little shallow. The author keeps you guessing until the surprise ending.
January 4, 2013
I'll admit that after finishing this work I was scratching my head. It wasn't the "mystery" element of the book the cause this condition -- instead, I was perplexed at how the author managed to make an interesting concept into a pretty boring mystery book.
Now I won't brag that I'm a great intellect nor did I expect a tour de force novel. But I figured out "who-dunit" in the first quarter of the book so the only real remaining suspense was how the author was going to pad the book for the balance of the remaining pages.
The starting premise is pretty good and I think the foundation of the story would have served for an interesting political novel rather than a mystery. However the two main characters (and apparently the characters who are going to be featured in the ongoing series) are more cliches than real. I think two supporting characters -- the FBI agent and the Special Prosecutor -- would be far more interesting as primary protaganists and narrators of the story. Had it been a political drama told through their perspectives of investigating allegations of sexual impropriety and the process of uncovering the truth -- gee, it coulda been great. Ah, coulda, woulda, shoulda.
A couple of additional comments:
Another reviewer wrote that this is a good book for airport readers. Perhaps. However, I'd consider it akin to "piling on" to inflict this book on top of sitting in a cramped jet with minimal creature comforts. Perhaps fliers in 1st class might feel differently.
Finally, I would have felt cheated had I paid $10 or so for this e-book. Fortunately, B&N featured this on a recent "Free Fridays" for their Nook owners and it was worth what I paid.
Now I won't brag that I'm a great intellect nor did I expect a tour de force novel. But I figured out "who-dunit" in the first quarter of the book so the only real remaining suspense was how the author was going to pad the book for the balance of the remaining pages.
The starting premise is pretty good and I think the foundation of the story would have served for an interesting political novel rather than a mystery. However the two main characters (and apparently the characters who are going to be featured in the ongoing series) are more cliches than real. I think two supporting characters -- the FBI agent and the Special Prosecutor -- would be far more interesting as primary protaganists and narrators of the story. Had it been a political drama told through their perspectives of investigating allegations of sexual impropriety and the process of uncovering the truth -- gee, it coulda been great. Ah, coulda, woulda, shoulda.
A couple of additional comments:
Another reviewer wrote that this is a good book for airport readers. Perhaps. However, I'd consider it akin to "piling on" to inflict this book on top of sitting in a cramped jet with minimal creature comforts. Perhaps fliers in 1st class might feel differently.
Finally, I would have felt cheated had I paid $10 or so for this e-book. Fortunately, B&N featured this on a recent "Free Fridays" for their Nook owners and it was worth what I paid.
August 30, 2013
I'm not a published author so I don't like writing terrible reviews, but this is a book review site after all. I see that only eight people have given this book one star. I'm going to be the ninth.
There is a lot of telling and not showing in the writing. Never have I read a book and been so distracted by the writing that I started trying to figure out how it could have been written better. My prose has never been that great, but this book should give aspiring writers everywhere hope that one day they too can be published.
The story was a thriller that never grabbed my attention and failed to thrill. If I'm twenty percent into a thriller and the thought of reading another page is painful, there is a serious problem. I can't read any more. If I was immortal, I might read the rest of it.
There is a lot of telling and not showing in the writing. Never have I read a book and been so distracted by the writing that I started trying to figure out how it could have been written better. My prose has never been that great, but this book should give aspiring writers everywhere hope that one day they too can be published.
The story was a thriller that never grabbed my attention and failed to thrill. If I'm twenty percent into a thriller and the thought of reading another page is painful, there is a serious problem. I can't read any more. If I was immortal, I might read the rest of it.
July 4, 2016
Truyện hay, đọc cũng có tính li kì, nhưng cái kết chưa được hoành tráng cho lắm. Nếu có sách, mình chắc vẫn sẽ đọc tiếp Dana Cutler.
Một vài review mình vừa đọc phê bình cách viết của tác giả, cách tác giả miêu tả nhân vật. Thực sự là mình không để ý đến mấy cái chi tiết đó, hoặc có thể dịch giả đã hoàn thành quá tốt nhiệm vụ của mình.
Mình đọc cuốn này trong tình trạng vất vưởng, ngồi/nằm trên xe suốt 20 tiếng đồng hồ, rồi đọc nốt trong tình trạng 3h sáng dậy không ngủ lại được, nên review có vẻ hơi mệt mỏi.
Một vài review mình vừa đọc phê bình cách viết của tác giả, cách tác giả miêu tả nhân vật. Thực sự là mình không để ý đến mấy cái chi tiết đó, hoặc có thể dịch giả đã hoàn thành quá tốt nhiệm vụ của mình.
Mình đọc cuốn này trong tình trạng vất vưởng, ngồi/nằm trên xe suốt 20 tiếng đồng hồ, rồi đọc nốt trong tình trạng 3h sáng dậy không ngủ lại được, nên review có vẻ hơi mệt mỏi.
May 16, 2019
Really loved this one. Solid characters, good plot and fast paced. I did guess where this was going but the ride to get there was an enjoyable read.
This is a first in the series and I plan to continue reading this series.
This is a first in the series and I plan to continue reading this series.
February 5, 2013
Absolutely fabulous from beginning to end! One of his best works by far. This is an excellent suspense thriller. 10 of 10 stars
July 11, 2014
The President of the United States is linked to the murders of two young women by a junior lawyer and a private detective, triggering a race against time as ruthless elements connected to the president attempt to destroy evidence and the Good Guys attempt to find it and bring the killer to justice.
As other GoodReaders have noted, this is an airport novel: twist-and-turn-y enough to keep your attention, but not so complicated that it ever risks confusing the reader. I'd be happy to give it three stars (my rating for "good, not great") except for two irritating habits: his intrusive descriptions of character appearances on their first appearances ("Brad stared in the mirror at his half-shaved face. Nothing about his average looks or personal history was outstanding. He was twenty-six, with curly black hair, a straight nose, and clear blue eyes--not ugly but certainly not male model material."--from the prologue) and his treatment of female characters. Compare the previous description to this one, a few paragraphs later: "Dana had been sleeping in a T-shirt and panties and she looked sexy until she took off the T-shirt, revealing the scars on her breasts and stomach." Also, one of my least favorite tropes is at work:
I finished reading this book essentially because I wanted to be able to rate it two stars with a clear conscience. Everyone else who's not an inveterate thriller reader: learn from my experience. Skip this one.
As other GoodReaders have noted, this is an airport novel: twist-and-turn-y enough to keep your attention, but not so complicated that it ever risks confusing the reader. I'd be happy to give it three stars (my rating for "good, not great") except for two irritating habits: his intrusive descriptions of character appearances on their first appearances ("Brad stared in the mirror at his half-shaved face. Nothing about his average looks or personal history was outstanding. He was twenty-six, with curly black hair, a straight nose, and clear blue eyes--not ugly but certainly not male model material."--from the prologue) and his treatment of female characters. Compare the previous description to this one, a few paragraphs later: "Dana had been sleeping in a T-shirt and panties and she looked sexy until she took off the T-shirt, revealing the scars on her breasts and stomach." Also, one of my least favorite tropes is at work:
I finished reading this book essentially because I wanted to be able to rate it two stars with a clear conscience. Everyone else who's not an inveterate thriller reader: learn from my experience. Skip this one.
January 1, 2015
A fast-paced and easy read. The set up of the story was what I appreciated the most. Three separate protagonists all working a portion of a case that comes together in a number of disturbing ways. Dana Cutler, Brad Miller and Keith Evans, hard-nosed PI, junior lawyer and seasoned FBI Agent respectively, each become heavily and dangerously involved in the bringing down of a philandering US President. None of them knew each other and yet worked together to solve a complex set of crimes. The perpetrator is easily identified in this one but how they are finally "caught" is still very satisfying. Character development is a bit lacking with attempts to develop the back story of the main character, Dana, demonstrating why she's so tough and damaged, a bit unbelievable. The character of Evans and Miller are more appealing but really only Miller's back story, motivation and behavior successfully fleshes out his character to the end of the novel. If you're looking for a light, entertaining read and aren't bothered by a fair bit of violence and multiple gun fights, this book is worth a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2011
Very strange - I couldn't get into this book despite all the action. It just didn't grab me. There was just something about it that struck me as...I don't know pedestrian maybe? But here's the strange thing, one quarter of the way into a book that's not grabbing me, I pick up Hostage Zero by John Gilstrap and am hooked almost right from the start even though both are from the same genre, political thriller/action story.
However, while HZ started off with the discovery of a kidnapped boy and a prison break both for unknown reasons, EP kind of lays it all out right from the get-go. There is no mystery. It reads like an episode of any crime drama you'd see on television. It's all about the chase and eventual (I assume) justice-shall-prevail ending.
Anyway, I'm putting this one down for now. I'm going to finish Hostage Zero first. I might give EP another chance one day but with my reading backlog the way it is I don't hold out much hope.
However, while HZ started off with the discovery of a kidnapped boy and a prison break both for unknown reasons, EP kind of lays it all out right from the get-go. There is no mystery. It reads like an episode of any crime drama you'd see on television. It's all about the chase and eventual (I assume) justice-shall-prevail ending.
Anyway, I'm putting this one down for now. I'm going to finish Hostage Zero first. I might give EP another chance one day but with my reading backlog the way it is I don't hold out much hope.
October 16, 2017
I read about 70 minutes straight to finish this book. What would you do if you knew the President of the United States was involved in murder? Keep it quiet? Or go after truth and justice, in which case there would be no safe place to be, since the President does have an awful lot of power? It's a scary premise I hope is only fiction. This story alternates between the President's sleazy loyalists and a small-time lawyer out in Oregon looking into the disturbing facts of another murder case. The two plots merge together in what I thought was kind of clunky writing. However, the climax had a twist or two that I enjoyed. Overall, I still felt like this was the kind of quickly-written book by a mass-market novelist - something I might bring to read at an airport for a long flight.
June 11, 2010
Um. This book is hard to figure out. I love the creativity and the main plot idea behind this book. PLUS, I got it free on my Kindle! Whoo hoo! However, it was one of the most poorly written books, in terms of style, I have ever read. It was almost painful to read. Ugh. I was interested in the book and wanted to finish it, but the plot twists seemed obvious, and the style was on a 7th grade level. Gross.
Mrs. Horton, you read this one right? I am curious what you thought about the style.
Mrs. Horton, you read this one right? I am curious what you thought about the style.
April 12, 2019
Just Ok
This book was just okay. I like the main characters well enough but mystery itself wasn't all that mysterious. I pretty much knew who the killer was about 25% into the book. I didn't have anything else particularly interesting to read at the moment so I went ahead and finished it but it's not a book I would recommend unless there's just nothing else out there that appeals to you.
This book was just okay. I like the main characters well enough but mystery itself wasn't all that mysterious. I pretty much knew who the killer was about 25% into the book. I didn't have anything else particularly interesting to read at the moment so I went ahead and finished it but it's not a book I would recommend unless there's just nothing else out there that appeals to you.
November 11, 2008
Blech - "twist" ending seen from the very beginning. Flashback at the beginning of the book never supported. Bad characterization. All of this makes for a poorly written book. Margolin - you are off the list.
November 11, 2014
It didn't grab my attention. First hundred pages were rather slow.
I'm not really into books in which you jump from one character to another.
However, the ending was good, except this strange Dana and Jake thing which was completely out of place.
I'm not really into books in which you jump from one character to another.
However, the ending was good, except this strange Dana and Jake thing which was completely out of place.
May 30, 2019
I loved it! This is the type of book that keeps you up at night reading. A friend recommended this author to me and I'm sure glad she did.
September 4, 2019
I seriously enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down even though I didn't have much time to read.
One of the best reads in 2019
One of the best reads in 2019
April 8, 2020
4.5 ⭐️ Really enjoyed it... a fast, take-me-away Calgon, type of read. Just what I needed during these strange times.
November 5, 2020
This was a good distraction from the real presidential election. A twisted plot involving a president with a habit for sleeping with teens who somehow end up dead. He was very easy to dislike.
October 6, 2021
First book in the Dana Cutler series with a corrupt president that also involves a serial murderer on death row and a very clever ending.
February 3, 2018
Executive Privilege Audiobook – Unabridged:
I listened to the audio book edition of "Executive Privilege" by Philip Margolin on a long car ride - what a great murder mystery.
For me, much of the credit goes to narrator Jonathan Davis because I figured out who the murderer is right during "the event." (I am purposely not saying which one - no spoilers.) Still, Davis' terrific voice kept me hooked.
To Margolin's credit, his plot makes absolute sense. From the moment when I began to suspect who the real killer is I was wondering wonder how private detective Dana Cutler could even solve this mystery but Margolin's plot is flawless. There are no stupid coincidences other authors use to make their plots work.
Never having visited Washington, DC, Davis' reading of Margolin's awesome descriptions of Washington DC, the various FBI safe houses in Virginia, even the description of the empty parking lot where the murder occurs made me feel I was there.
Private eye and ex-cop Dana Cutler is supposed to observe a pretty college student, Charlotte Walsh. Since she has to phone in her reports Dana thinks that maybe Walsh's parents want to have her watched. Cutler is bored with the job because Walsh has an seemingly uneventful live. All Walsh does is studying and working for the president's opponent presidential election campaign.
When finally Walsh meets with a lover in a house the countryside, a house that is guarded by security guards who will shoot at sight, things turn sour quickly. Walsh will be dead a little later and Cutler will be on the run.
I also liked Margolin's second major character - young lawyer Brad Miller. Miller starts out as a loser. His girl friend left him, his employer, a huge law firm in Oregon, US president Christopher Farrington' home state, treats him like dirt; as a result, Miller is depressed.
That is until Brad Miller's obnoxious boss drops serial killer Clarence Little's file on his desk. Little is on death row for killing pretty girls but even though he admits to the murders he claims that one of them wasn't his victim, and that he can prove it. In fact, Little wants Brad Miller to clear his name of this murder. Death penalty or not, to Clarence Little it matters who he killed and didn't kill.
Kind of apathetic, Miller embarks on his mission and handling this case awakens him. Gone is the loser. Miller remembers why he studied the law and rises to the occasion which will lead him to cross path with Dana Cutler.
It turns out somebody with connections to the White House may have killed both girls.
I highly recommend the audio edition of this book - It is so well presented.
5 stars, Gisela Hausmann
I listened to the audio book edition of "Executive Privilege" by Philip Margolin on a long car ride - what a great murder mystery.
For me, much of the credit goes to narrator Jonathan Davis because I figured out who the murderer is right during "the event." (I am purposely not saying which one - no spoilers.) Still, Davis' terrific voice kept me hooked.
To Margolin's credit, his plot makes absolute sense. From the moment when I began to suspect who the real killer is I was wondering wonder how private detective Dana Cutler could even solve this mystery but Margolin's plot is flawless. There are no stupid coincidences other authors use to make their plots work.
Never having visited Washington, DC, Davis' reading of Margolin's awesome descriptions of Washington DC, the various FBI safe houses in Virginia, even the description of the empty parking lot where the murder occurs made me feel I was there.
Private eye and ex-cop Dana Cutler is supposed to observe a pretty college student, Charlotte Walsh. Since she has to phone in her reports Dana thinks that maybe Walsh's parents want to have her watched. Cutler is bored with the job because Walsh has an seemingly uneventful live. All Walsh does is studying and working for the president's opponent presidential election campaign.
When finally Walsh meets with a lover in a house the countryside, a house that is guarded by security guards who will shoot at sight, things turn sour quickly. Walsh will be dead a little later and Cutler will be on the run.
I also liked Margolin's second major character - young lawyer Brad Miller. Miller starts out as a loser. His girl friend left him, his employer, a huge law firm in Oregon, US president Christopher Farrington' home state, treats him like dirt; as a result, Miller is depressed.
That is until Brad Miller's obnoxious boss drops serial killer Clarence Little's file on his desk. Little is on death row for killing pretty girls but even though he admits to the murders he claims that one of them wasn't his victim, and that he can prove it. In fact, Little wants Brad Miller to clear his name of this murder. Death penalty or not, to Clarence Little it matters who he killed and didn't kill.
Kind of apathetic, Miller embarks on his mission and handling this case awakens him. Gone is the loser. Miller remembers why he studied the law and rises to the occasion which will lead him to cross path with Dana Cutler.
It turns out somebody with connections to the White House may have killed both girls.
I highly recommend the audio edition of this book - It is so well presented.
5 stars, Gisela Hausmann
June 24, 2017
I don't know why it took me so long to finally read this book but it was definitely what I was in the mood for. A private investigator is the subcontractor on a case. She doesn't know the name of the client, but the job is easy if dull. Follow a young woman and report her every move. It's easy until the young woman is found murdered and the PI looks at her pictures long enough to realize the young woman was with the POTUS. Suddenly, people in uniforms want her dead, too. Meanwhile, at a law firm across the country, a young associate is asked to take on a pro bono death penalty appeal by a partner who happens to be a good friend of the POTUS. The associate does his job a little too well and it turns out the murderer, who certainly deserves his death sentence, just not for one of the murders he was convicted for. Is it possible that the two could be connected? An FBI agent is also fitting the pieces together. The young women is supposed to have been murdered by the DC Ripper but then they find him and realize that was impossible. Maybe the PI's theory about the POTUS really holds weight. It's fast-paced and entertaining. I would recommend it, it just isn't memorable once you are finished, hence the three stars.
September 30, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up. I'd almost given up on Mr. Margolin after reading and not particularly enjoying Wild Justice a couple of years ago. I liked this one much better...a good story combined with two terrific characters in Brad Miller and Dana Cutler. On to the complaint department... This is billed as the introduction of a series character, Dana Cutler, who feels like more of a supporting player with Brad Miller being the lead. I do intend to read the next in series but I hope Cutler is more in the foreground.
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