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Senate Proof
Set against the backdrop of the nation's capital, a generations old bootleg distillery finds itself in the midst of a power struggle between the younger generation and old guard, turning time-tested allies into foes. Cloaked in secrecy, the elite circle of political leaders had operated the distillery without incident for decades while producing barrel after barrel of illegal spirits, among other ventures. But things were beginning to change.
Caroline left a promising career on Wall Street and moved to rural Virginia to solve the mystery that had haunted her throughout her entire life – her father’s murder. She uncovers ties between her new employer and her father, and before long, she finds herself the target of the distillery’s powerful entrenched political entourage, sending her running for her life. Unwillingly forced into harm’s way, her new friend, Jackson, relies on his cunning instinct to try and solve a crime that reaches into the depths of the US Senate and Supreme Court. As the body count rises, questions begin to swirl around the District and nobody knows who to trust.
Caroline left a promising career on Wall Street and moved to rural Virginia to solve the mystery that had haunted her throughout her entire life – her father’s murder. She uncovers ties between her new employer and her father, and before long, she finds herself the target of the distillery’s powerful entrenched political entourage, sending her running for her life. Unwillingly forced into harm’s way, her new friend, Jackson, relies on his cunning instinct to try and solve a crime that reaches into the depths of the US Senate and Supreme Court. As the body count rises, questions begin to swirl around the District and nobody knows who to trust.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 5, 2015
Various levels of conspiracy fill this story about a bootlegging still for the modern age near D.C., involving rich people, politicians, and FBI agents. Internal strife threatens the entire operation, with some changing sides midstream.
The one note I made about halfway through was “This story is very uneven,” and that opinion did not change at the end. There are two main steams running through, one about a woman looking for clues to her father’s murder, the other about the still’s history and possible futures. At times they seemed to be written by different authors. The revelation at the end annoyed me, as there was no hint to it coming. It’s certainly not bad, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it. 2.5/5
The one note I made about halfway through was “This story is very uneven,” and that opinion did not change at the end. There are two main steams running through, one about a woman looking for clues to her father’s murder, the other about the still’s history and possible futures. At times they seemed to be written by different authors. The revelation at the end annoyed me, as there was no hint to it coming. It’s certainly not bad, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it. 2.5/5
July 19, 2015
Set against the backdrop of the nation’s capital and the political elite, a generation’s old bootleg distillery finds itself in the midst of a power struggle between the hungry youth and the old guard, turning time-tested allies into foes. Cloaked in secrecy, an exclusive and clandestine network of politicians and law enforcement agents had operated the whiskey distillery without incident for decades, while producing barrel after barrel of illegal spirits, among other ventures. But things were beginning to change.
Caroline Mills left a promising career on Wall Street to solve the mystery that had haunted her throughout her entire life—her father’s murder. Newly settled in rural Virginia, she uncovers ties between her new employer, the distillery head, and her father. Before long, Caroline finds herself a target of the distillery’s powerfully entrenched political entourage, sending her running for her life. Unwillingly forced into harm’s way, her new friend, Jackson Cole, relies on his cunning instinct to solve a crime that reaches into the depths of the United States Senate and Supreme Court. As the body count rises, questions begin to swirl around the District and nobody knows whom to trust.
BIO: An avid sports enthusiast, you can find Logan Snyder cheering on the Chicago Cubs and longing for that elusive World Series Championship. Snyder holds a law degree from the University of Louisville and an MBA from Notre Dame. A native Kentuckian, he has lived in Boston and currently resides in Chicago, with his wife and son. Senate Proof is his first novel.
Senate Proof is Logan Snyder’s first novel. An avid sports enthusiast, you can find him cheering on the Chicago Cubs and longing for their elusive World Series Championship. Snyder holds a law degree from the University of Louisville and an MBA from Notre Dame. A native Kentuckian, he has also lived in Boston. He currently resides in Chicago, with his wife and son.
January 11, 2015
An interesting tale with a somewhat novel plot. I found the distillery plot a bit hard to believe but as the novel unfolds you become engrossed by the stories of Caroline and Jackson. As the new guard struggle with the old guard to take over the illegal whiskey business, Caroline and Jackson become immersed in a fight for their lives. It is not clear until which characters are involved with which "camp". You will be surprised to find the Chief Justice of the US involved in nefarious activities in addition to his day job.
Caroline is not who she appears to be. There are a number of surprising plot twists that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
Caroline is not who she appears to be. There are a number of surprising plot twists that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
February 6, 2015
I received this book as a free eARC from netgalley.com. While I enjoyed this book it was at times hard to follow and seemed to be all over the place. However, the book was very enjoyable and the ending was shocking and something I never expected. I'm glad I got the opportunity to review this book. It is a book I will definitely recommend to my friends
November 25, 2019
I didn't know the author's work so I didn't know what to expect. One of the joys of NetGalley is the excitement of discovery. Unfortunately, I felt that the novel was disappointing on so many levels. One dimensional characters, a really overblown premise of a plot that didnt really go anywhere. All in all, much ado about nothing.
January 4, 2025
This book should have been a 10 but it got so confusing, convoluted with characters toward the end...
Old bootlegger keeps making whisky with the help of his political friends who help him cover up the illegal activities. A young woman goes to work on the farm, she is undercover!
Young lawyer, friends...
Old bootlegger keeps making whisky with the help of his political friends who help him cover up the illegal activities. A young woman goes to work on the farm, she is undercover!
Young lawyer, friends...
March 14, 2017
River Grove Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Senate Proof. This is my honest opinion of the book.
Senate Proof weaves an intricate and convoluted web of lies and deceit, far reaching into the branches of the federal government. Collateral damage is common and paranoia is at an all time high, for good reason. At its core is a bootleg whiskey operation, which has blossomed to include certain highly illegal side projects. There are two sides caught in a power play - the old guard trying to hold on to the more legitimate operations, while the younger generation is hungry for more power and wealth. Two outsiders get caught in the deadly game: Caroline is a young woman who has taken a job on the farm, in order to try and solve her dad's murder. Jackson is a young man looking for a summer law internship, but he gets tangled in the web. When the struggle ends and the smoke clears, who will be left standing?
The book was well paced and thrilling, but there were too many side plots that took away from the central story. I was disappointed in the ending, especially in regards to a plot twist that, frankly, felt like it was just thrown in there. Certain aspects of the story flowed well, but the conflict between the two groups went on entirely too long. Senate Proof was good, but could have been great with a more cohesive plot and more advanced character development. I liked the author's writing style, so I would recommend it to those readers who like thrillers with multiple plot lines.
Senate Proof weaves an intricate and convoluted web of lies and deceit, far reaching into the branches of the federal government. Collateral damage is common and paranoia is at an all time high, for good reason. At its core is a bootleg whiskey operation, which has blossomed to include certain highly illegal side projects. There are two sides caught in a power play - the old guard trying to hold on to the more legitimate operations, while the younger generation is hungry for more power and wealth. Two outsiders get caught in the deadly game: Caroline is a young woman who has taken a job on the farm, in order to try and solve her dad's murder. Jackson is a young man looking for a summer law internship, but he gets tangled in the web. When the struggle ends and the smoke clears, who will be left standing?
The book was well paced and thrilling, but there were too many side plots that took away from the central story. I was disappointed in the ending, especially in regards to a plot twist that, frankly, felt like it was just thrown in there. Certain aspects of the story flowed well, but the conflict between the two groups went on entirely too long. Senate Proof was good, but could have been great with a more cohesive plot and more advanced character development. I liked the author's writing style, so I would recommend it to those readers who like thrillers with multiple plot lines.
July 7, 2020
A bit over the top but, overall, a fun read. Two main characters were easy to root for but the story was a bit convoluted and unbelievable.
April 27, 2015
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. So that's what I'll aim to do.
I had a lot of issues with the book, some of which I think could have been cleaned up with a bit more editing. First, all the major plot points are there. The book follows a set of characters. At the center of the action is the McAllister Distillery, an illegal bootlegging distillery in suburban Virginia. John McAllister, the reigning patriarch of the illegal empire and family has unwittingly allowed the operation to run away from him as other players in the operation attempt to wrest control of the operation, and its wealth away from him.
Enter Caroline, a beautiful girl out to investigate her father's murder 20 years prior in the town. Enter Jackson, a handsome young law student out to get a summer job in town, who's interviewer is inconveniently murdered the night before the interview. Other involved people, Ron McAllister, John's erstwhile son who after 20 years of exile is trying to get back to the head of the organization, Senator Windgate who is planning his retirement from the Senate (and the distillery), and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Michael Abramson.
Sounds good right? Yeah, it should be. But it's not. So here are some of the problems.
While the characters should be interesting they aren't. Their motivations are always too convenient and too two-dimensional. At the end of the book, I'm not even sure I could tell you what purpose Jackson even served. He's a cute law student. He hits on Caroline. After she's "discovered" by McAllister, she agrees to go away for the weekend with Jackson. So after her dog has been shot and her apartment ransacked, she's what... looking forward to a weekend of boozing and horse track betting? After she's revealed at the end of the book as a federal agent, this makes even less sense.
She gets kidnapped in Louisville by some unnamed member of the distillery group and is then inexplicably passed from place to place as the plot tries to make you fear her ultimate demise. Jackson, pledging to rescue her, also goes to an old law firm, then someone's home, and then finally back to the distillery to try to rescue her. All the while he has no plan and no actual skills to do this. In the end, he's saved by the Chief Justice and Caroline. What?
Amidst all this nonsensical plodding along of the plot, the writing gives out inexplicable levels of detail. Here's an example: (after being held captive in a dark room, the light switch is turned on and)
"She barely made out the outline of a large cabinet against the wall just a few feet away. Blindly, she felt her way to it and wedged herself tightly against the side. Luckily, a blue tarp was next to her and she eased her way under it without making much noise."
The captor then believes she has somehow escaped and sounds the alarm. I really didn't know what to make out of this whole scene.
Here's another one: (our heroine Caroline has been beaten)
"Because of the darkness, Caroline hadn't notice that she was blind in her right eye. It was swollen shut. She reached up to touch it, but winced in pain as she grazed the wound. That explained the blood on her mouth. It must have been running down her face for quite some time."
So hopefully you get the point that a lot of the narration was just oversharing the details. Even the character development was painfully spelled out for the reader. I believe that if the author has to tell me that the character has grown as a person and therefore that's why he's now taking action, that really is a red flag that perhaps the author didn't do a good enough job showing me the character and letting me conclude on their own that he has now grown as a person.
Overall, I thought the writing should have been tighter. For example, when we are first introduced to Jackson, we see him drive to Notre Dame, get dumped for another guy by his girlfriend Samantha, get beat up by said guy, and return to Virginia in disgrace. A more effective introduction would have been to meet Jackson, at his home in Virginia, nursing his wounds. The entire part of the trip to see her was completely overkill. Although he does call Samantha later in the novel, this plot point never develops into anything. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to care about or remember her at all.
The story and the writing show promise, so I don't want to seem completely down on it. It reminded me a bit of Steve Berry's earlier work that started out a bit sloppy and again too convenient until he got a feel for his style and character. I wouldn't completely say no to reading another Logan Snyder book again, but it won't be something that makes its way to the top of my to-read pile.
I had a lot of issues with the book, some of which I think could have been cleaned up with a bit more editing. First, all the major plot points are there. The book follows a set of characters. At the center of the action is the McAllister Distillery, an illegal bootlegging distillery in suburban Virginia. John McAllister, the reigning patriarch of the illegal empire and family has unwittingly allowed the operation to run away from him as other players in the operation attempt to wrest control of the operation, and its wealth away from him.
Enter Caroline, a beautiful girl out to investigate her father's murder 20 years prior in the town. Enter Jackson, a handsome young law student out to get a summer job in town, who's interviewer is inconveniently murdered the night before the interview. Other involved people, Ron McAllister, John's erstwhile son who after 20 years of exile is trying to get back to the head of the organization, Senator Windgate who is planning his retirement from the Senate (and the distillery), and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Michael Abramson.
Sounds good right? Yeah, it should be. But it's not. So here are some of the problems.
While the characters should be interesting they aren't. Their motivations are always too convenient and too two-dimensional. At the end of the book, I'm not even sure I could tell you what purpose Jackson even served. He's a cute law student. He hits on Caroline. After she's "discovered" by McAllister, she agrees to go away for the weekend with Jackson. So after her dog has been shot and her apartment ransacked, she's what... looking forward to a weekend of boozing and horse track betting? After she's revealed at the end of the book as a federal agent, this makes even less sense.
She gets kidnapped in Louisville by some unnamed member of the distillery group and is then inexplicably passed from place to place as the plot tries to make you fear her ultimate demise. Jackson, pledging to rescue her, also goes to an old law firm, then someone's home, and then finally back to the distillery to try to rescue her. All the while he has no plan and no actual skills to do this. In the end, he's saved by the Chief Justice and Caroline. What?
Amidst all this nonsensical plodding along of the plot, the writing gives out inexplicable levels of detail. Here's an example: (after being held captive in a dark room, the light switch is turned on and)
"She barely made out the outline of a large cabinet against the wall just a few feet away. Blindly, she felt her way to it and wedged herself tightly against the side. Luckily, a blue tarp was next to her and she eased her way under it without making much noise."
The captor then believes she has somehow escaped and sounds the alarm. I really didn't know what to make out of this whole scene.
Here's another one: (our heroine Caroline has been beaten)
"Because of the darkness, Caroline hadn't notice that she was blind in her right eye. It was swollen shut. She reached up to touch it, but winced in pain as she grazed the wound. That explained the blood on her mouth. It must have been running down her face for quite some time."
So hopefully you get the point that a lot of the narration was just oversharing the details. Even the character development was painfully spelled out for the reader. I believe that if the author has to tell me that the character has grown as a person and therefore that's why he's now taking action, that really is a red flag that perhaps the author didn't do a good enough job showing me the character and letting me conclude on their own that he has now grown as a person.
Overall, I thought the writing should have been tighter. For example, when we are first introduced to Jackson, we see him drive to Notre Dame, get dumped for another guy by his girlfriend Samantha, get beat up by said guy, and return to Virginia in disgrace. A more effective introduction would have been to meet Jackson, at his home in Virginia, nursing his wounds. The entire part of the trip to see her was completely overkill. Although he does call Samantha later in the novel, this plot point never develops into anything. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to care about or remember her at all.
The story and the writing show promise, so I don't want to seem completely down on it. It reminded me a bit of Steve Berry's earlier work that started out a bit sloppy and again too convenient until he got a feel for his style and character. I wouldn't completely say no to reading another Logan Snyder book again, but it won't be something that makes its way to the top of my to-read pile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2015
Bootleg distillery intrigue in the nation’s capital...
There is much going on in the nation’s capital and has been for a generation. It all began with a bootleg distillery that still operates and caters to the nation’s elite run by political leaders that would shock the nation. There is a power struggle going on as the younger generation wants to diversify into more seriously illegal activities against the wishes of the old guard.
Caroline Mills has always wondered about the murder of her father when she was a child. It’s been her obsession to solve the mystery of what happened to him. Her research has led her to rural Virginia. She leaves an investment banker career on Wall Street to take a job as a horse groomer and farmhand on a plantation for an old man. This gives her a slower paced life and the time she needs to delve further into what happened to her father in the area. But there are those that are not happy with her presence on the property that hides the distillery. When she finds a tie between the owner and her father she soon finds herself on the run for her life. This lady is also keeping secrets that surprised this reader.
Jackson Cole, a recent law school graduate, has an interview for a non-traditional legal job in rural Virginia. He’s looking for a change of scenery and the job description was perfect but the interview turns out to be with a man who is murdered the day before his interview, a fact that he doesn’t learn until he arrives in town. While at the local pub he meets the beautiful Caroline and they strike up a friendship when he tries to pick her up. There is definite chemistry between these two and amusing banter. Jackson invites Caroline to join him and his best friend at the horse races during the weekend and hopes she’ll take him up on his offer. He does not expect the danger that she brings to him when she shows up at his home.
This book has an interesting, unique, and at times incredible plot with lots of suspense and many compelling characters. You don’t know who should be trusted. I found myself drawn into the storyline and very much rooting for Caroline and Jackson and the old guard. I was much impressed with the character growth that Jackson exhibited. He’s not the slacker that we are originally led to believe. Thrust into conspiracies that he doesn’t understand he finds his inner strength and goes on the offensive.
There are many twists and turns to unravel and you are kept guessing, betrayals abound throughout the story. Sometimes the bad guys seek their own redemption and have their own sense of honor. Sometimes crossing certain lines brings out a conscience. The end is an absolute surprise that I did not see coming. The last two chapters though not labeled as such were the epilogue where things were explained and we see where the future is headed for Caroline and Jackson.
The writing could have been more fluid and editing was needed. There were missing words, extraneous words, and incorrect tenses, in total 32 errors were noted. This was a random “Read Now” find on NetGalley that was not labeled as an ARC so the errors are not expected to have been corrected in the retail version.
3.5 stars
There is much going on in the nation’s capital and has been for a generation. It all began with a bootleg distillery that still operates and caters to the nation’s elite run by political leaders that would shock the nation. There is a power struggle going on as the younger generation wants to diversify into more seriously illegal activities against the wishes of the old guard.
Caroline Mills has always wondered about the murder of her father when she was a child. It’s been her obsession to solve the mystery of what happened to him. Her research has led her to rural Virginia. She leaves an investment banker career on Wall Street to take a job as a horse groomer and farmhand on a plantation for an old man. This gives her a slower paced life and the time she needs to delve further into what happened to her father in the area. But there are those that are not happy with her presence on the property that hides the distillery. When she finds a tie between the owner and her father she soon finds herself on the run for her life. This lady is also keeping secrets that surprised this reader.
Jackson Cole, a recent law school graduate, has an interview for a non-traditional legal job in rural Virginia. He’s looking for a change of scenery and the job description was perfect but the interview turns out to be with a man who is murdered the day before his interview, a fact that he doesn’t learn until he arrives in town. While at the local pub he meets the beautiful Caroline and they strike up a friendship when he tries to pick her up. There is definite chemistry between these two and amusing banter. Jackson invites Caroline to join him and his best friend at the horse races during the weekend and hopes she’ll take him up on his offer. He does not expect the danger that she brings to him when she shows up at his home.
This book has an interesting, unique, and at times incredible plot with lots of suspense and many compelling characters. You don’t know who should be trusted. I found myself drawn into the storyline and very much rooting for Caroline and Jackson and the old guard. I was much impressed with the character growth that Jackson exhibited. He’s not the slacker that we are originally led to believe. Thrust into conspiracies that he doesn’t understand he finds his inner strength and goes on the offensive.
There are many twists and turns to unravel and you are kept guessing, betrayals abound throughout the story. Sometimes the bad guys seek their own redemption and have their own sense of honor. Sometimes crossing certain lines brings out a conscience. The end is an absolute surprise that I did not see coming. The last two chapters though not labeled as such were the epilogue where things were explained and we see where the future is headed for Caroline and Jackson.
The writing could have been more fluid and editing was needed. There were missing words, extraneous words, and incorrect tenses, in total 32 errors were noted. This was a random “Read Now” find on NetGalley that was not labeled as an ARC so the errors are not expected to have been corrected in the retail version.
3.5 stars
September 14, 2015
I won this book from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
Caroline Murphy has left her high paying job to work as a farm hand on the politically connected McCallister farm. The farm also serves as a front to an illegal distillery. The farm is also close to where her father was murdered 20 years ago and his murder remains unsolved murder. When another murder strikes down the small town she meets Jack, a bad boy college student in town for an interview, things start to go crazy.
There was lots to like about this story, it remained fast paced, and the political connections were kind of fun to imagine. The biggest downfall in this book is the amount of "plot twists". Towards then end I felt like I was reading a script for Scooby Doo. Everyone who was good, is suddenly bad, and vice versa. It began to get hard to keep track of who were the good guys after all. Also the last quarter of the book doesn't seem to be edited by the same person as the rest of the book, or they quit at that point. While there weren't any glaring errors the first 3/4 of the book, they start popping up quite often in the last 1/4.
Caroline Murphy has left her high paying job to work as a farm hand on the politically connected McCallister farm. The farm also serves as a front to an illegal distillery. The farm is also close to where her father was murdered 20 years ago and his murder remains unsolved murder. When another murder strikes down the small town she meets Jack, a bad boy college student in town for an interview, things start to go crazy.
There was lots to like about this story, it remained fast paced, and the political connections were kind of fun to imagine. The biggest downfall in this book is the amount of "plot twists". Towards then end I felt like I was reading a script for Scooby Doo. Everyone who was good, is suddenly bad, and vice versa. It began to get hard to keep track of who were the good guys after all. Also the last quarter of the book doesn't seem to be edited by the same person as the rest of the book, or they quit at that point. While there weren't any glaring errors the first 3/4 of the book, they start popping up quite often in the last 1/4.
November 10, 2015
Enjoyed how Logan Snyder has intertwined the various people in this story. He made it work effortlessly. This book captures the reader in the first few pages and refuses to let go.
Thoroughly enjoyable, even to people who aren't interested in the inner workings and corruption of politics.
I liked how this had the perfect amount of intrigue that keeps the reader guessing. Really appreciated how this book being relatively short, had a lot going on.
The only issue I had was the amount of errors this had. I don't know if this was an editing issue, but it got annoying fast. Whether it was word repetitions or missing words, it was a disappointment when the little things like that was overlooked. Especially when the book was so great.
Other than that, absolutely loved this one!
Thoroughly enjoyable, even to people who aren't interested in the inner workings and corruption of politics.
I liked how this had the perfect amount of intrigue that keeps the reader guessing. Really appreciated how this book being relatively short, had a lot going on.
The only issue I had was the amount of errors this had. I don't know if this was an editing issue, but it got annoying fast. Whether it was word repetitions or missing words, it was a disappointment when the little things like that was overlooked. Especially when the book was so great.
Other than that, absolutely loved this one!
March 26, 2016
The book has twists and turns and some were hard to get before the book revealed who was who and what was what. I liked that!!
I did not think the part about Jackson losing all of his money had any bearing what-so-ever on the story, this should have been left out, the story ended and nothing else was ever mentioned, not good!! Had no point to it at all, it did not even make a good McGuffin.
But other than that the book was very good!!!
I did not think the part about Jackson losing all of his money had any bearing what-so-ever on the story, this should have been left out, the story ended and nothing else was ever mentioned, not good!! Had no point to it at all, it did not even make a good McGuffin.
But other than that the book was very good!!!
October 1, 2015
Wow what a book just got done reading the book called Senate Proof by the author Logan Snyder and I have to say that I would have to give this a 5 star rating . I won this book from Goodreads.Frist Reads there is a lot of things that I didn't know about bootlegging but I do now . Would like to thank Goodreads Frist Read and to the author Logan Snyder for this book .
April 18, 2016
3.5 - 4 stars
Positives for this book:
- Very interesting plot, likeable characters, a lot of conspirations, easy to read.
Negatives:
- People keep changing sides and one can end up losing itself between the "good guys" and the "bad guys".
I enjoyed this book and for a first novel I think it's a very promising start.
Thanks to Logan Snyder for gently providing a giveaway copy in exchange for an honest review.
Positives for this book:
- Very interesting plot, likeable characters, a lot of conspirations, easy to read.
Negatives:
- People keep changing sides and one can end up losing itself between the "good guys" and the "bad guys".
I enjoyed this book and for a first novel I think it's a very promising start.
Thanks to Logan Snyder for gently providing a giveaway copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2016
I won this book on goodreads, and I am very grateful. I really enjoyed this book. There is no one you can trust in this book on Washington politics. Are there any good guys? There is a group of people in the highest reaches who run a distillery. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Intrigue after intrigue. Read this good book by Mr. Snyder.
February 24, 2016
FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.
January 22, 2017
I won this book through Goodreads. Really good. So many plot twists it keeps you guessing till the very end. And the end is fantastic. Wasn't able to put the book down.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews