The Washington Decree

by Scott Sherwood

Election night, America breaks.
President Ted Hawley refuses to accept defeat. He freezes the vote count, weaponizes the news cycle, and dares a divided nation to stop him. Protests ignite, markets convulse, militias mobilize—and the Constitution becomes a battlefield.

Then a hidden failsafe from the founding era The Washington Decree, a secret mechanism created by George Washington and twelve early leaders to defend the Republic from internal tyranny. Its guardians—known only as the Thirteen—have watched from the shadows for more than two centuries. Now, for the first time, they’re forced to invoke their extraordinary powers.

President-elect Tracy Rockefeller is brilliant, disciplined, and untested at this scale. Thrust into the storm with her daughter, Elle, she must navigate a collapsing Washington where loyalties fracture, alliances splinter, and buried truths surface—while Hawley tightens his grip and the country edges toward civil conflict.

A near-future political thriller of constitutional brinkmanship and hidden history. Read free with Kindle Unlimited.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2025

About the author

Scott Sherwood is a lifelong student of political history and institutional resilience. A three-decade global career took him to multiple countries around the world where he gained insight into many different cultures and political systems. He infuses that global perspective into his writing. The Washington Decree is his debut political thriller.

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real page turner! All I can say is I wish the plot was real for today's political atmosphere.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the blend of fiction and history. A very good thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[A. Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A way out!

For those of us with a different allegiance, take heart!
Scott Sherwood shared his extensive political knowledge, and brought us along on a history lesson extraordinaire.

[Sheila McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Quick paced and well written.

I really enjoyed the timely political commentary interwoven with historical context. The quick pace and detailed writing really draw you in and make this a great read.

[LinSpinner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a very intriguing premise, but unfortunately while the concept captivated my interest, the technical execution of it was a huge disappointment. The book was a bit too fast-paced for my liking, and some parts felt very rushed through or details glossed over. Partway through, dialogue switched from narrative-style to that of a script. But both styles were then occasionally mixed together in the same conversation, which was weird to read. The book also suffered from very poor and/or lack of editing, especially in regard to punctuation and dialogue, which ranged from sloppy to outright confusing at times.

Won in a Goodreads giveaway. Great ideas and concept, which is why I finished it, albeit with a lot of skimming, but the sheer number of errors made it read like a draft, which is a big turn-off for me and why I almost quit multiple times.

[Thomas Lennek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this on Goodreads. An outstanding take on what could happen if there were guardrails for our " American Experiment." Interesting plot, well developed characters both heroic and scummy performing as we all wish would happen in real life. Read this for an entertaining book that gets into the weeds of the Constitution, the role of the Presidency and checks and balances for governing. It'll make you yearn for the wisdom of George Washington today.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 2.5* rounded up. Great concept, good characters, needed a good editor. The narration method changed in the middle of the book, which was distracting. Overall, I did enjoy, hopeful that there were still those in our government who understood that they are Public Servants voted in to work for the People and must adhere to our Constitution. Unfortunately, we don't have the Thirteen to help save our Democracy....

[Penny S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Premise

Not the best written book. Sherwood needs a better editor. I also think he could do better on character development. As I said it’s an interesting premise, but not very believable.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway