Hillary

Senator Bobby Hart #3

by D.W. Buffa

“A Dan Brown read-alike tailor-made for an election year." — Booklist

A President is murdered. A First Lady demands answers. And a young Senator will uncover a conspiracy that threatens to upend the global balance of power.

When Robert Constable, President of the United States, dies in bed with a woman in a New York hotel room, the public is told that he died suddenly and peacefully of natural causes—and alone. The truth, however, is anything but that. The President’s wife, Hillary Constable asks young senator Bobby Hart, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, to find out who had her husband murdered and why.

As Hart begins to learn more about the President’s shady dealings, he uncovers a massive global criminal and financial conspiracy, headed by a secret underground organization nicknamed The Four Sisters. Yet the closer Hart gets to the truth, the more shocking secrets are revealed that could threaten his life, American Democracy, and the future of the nation.

A riveting and controversial political thriller from acclaimed, bestselling Edgar nominee D.W. Buffa, Hillary is a novel that will appeal to fans of David Baldacci, Brad Meltzer, Brad Thor, and Vince Flynn.

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 11, 2016

About the author

D.W. Buffa (full name: Dudley W. Buffa) was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. After graduation from Michigan State University, he studied under Leo Strauss, Joseph Cropsey and Hans J. Morgenthau at the University of Chicago where he earned both an M.A. and a Ph. D. in political science. He received his J.D. degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Buffa was a criminal defense attorney for 10 years and his seven Joseph Antonelli novels strive to reflect, from his own experience, what a courtroom lawyer does, the way he (or she) thinks, and the way he feels about what he does.

Buffa had been writing for pleasure for many years when Henry Holt and Co. decided to publish his first novel, The Defense, in 1997. The week it was published, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, the literary critic of the New York Times, called The Defense ‘an accomplished first novel" which ‘leaves you wanting to go back to the beginning and read it over again."

The Defense was followed by The Prosecution and then The Judgment, which was one of the five books nominated in 2002 for the Edgar Award as best novel of the year. While the first three novels are set in Portland, the author's fourth novel, The Legacy, takes place in San Francisco and is as much a political thriller as it is legal thriller. Star Witness tells the story of Stanley Roth, one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, who is charged with murder of his famous movie star wife.

Breach of Trust, published in 2004, was considered by one critic as "one of the few books that fifty years from now will really matter." It offers readers a scintillating look at Washington politics. Buffa's seventh Joseph Antonelli novel, Trial by Fire, was released in 2005; in this latest Antonelli book, the focus is on the media and the role that television "Talking heads" increasingly play in very high profile criminal cases. Publishers Weekly says of Trial by Fire, "In this intelligent, gripping legal thriller... fast moving dialogue and fine sense of characterization keep the reader hanging on for the ride."

The author's last several novels reflect a subtle shift in storyline from D.W. Buffa's original 'judicial' arena into the the broader one of politics. Buffa has built a new series around protagonist Senator Bobby Hart, an Antonelli-type everyday hero of strong moral fiber who is willing to take on "The Establishment" for the betterment of his constituents...

D.W. Buffa lives in Northern California.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always one for a great novel of political thrills and criminal intrigue, I turned again to the work of D.W. Buffa and his short Senator Bobby Hart series. While I loved the first book, I was not able to get hold of the second, forcing me to fill in some blanks as I pushed through into this, what appears to be the last for the time being. President of the United States (POTUS) Robert Constable has quite the way with women, so it is not entirely shocking that he would die of a heart attack when in bed with a prostitute. The Secret Service agent on the scene quickly whisked the hysterical woman out of the hotel room and secured the scene. The world mourns and an elaborate funeral takes place, though the First Lady, Hillary Constable, appears detached and dry-eyed. When Senator Bobby Hart is summoned to speak with her at the reception, he is told that this was no heart attack and that Constable was murdered. The First Lady delivers the news stoically, but also wants to know who might have targeted her husband. While Hart begins to make some inquiries, he also learns that a New York Times reporter was set to meet POTUS the following day and had hoped to discuss The Four Sisters. As Hart soon learns, The Four Sisters is a highly complex financial company based out of France, with a reach far larger than it appears, through a series of shell companies. Hart and the reporter, working separately, learn just how high things go and that POTUS might be guilty of some foreign influence at the core of the Administration’s contract allocations. When numerous men with information on The Four Sisters turn up dead, Hart can only wonder what sort of cover-up is taking place. Travelling to the core of the matter might be his only hope, but he, too, could be a target to keep him quiet and smear his career, all while the country prepares to look towards the next election, with Hillary Constable poised to make her own run for the Oval Office. A sharp thriller that keeps the story moving swiftly throughout. Recommended to those who love a mix of politics with their crime thrillers, as well as the reader who has a passion for the work of D.W. Buffa.

I always find such pleasure when I am able to get my hands on another Buffa novel, though some around me cannot help but roll their eyes as I slide into my faux-Southern accent and express happiness. Senator Bobby Hart is back, ready to help where he can, even if it means putting himself into danger. Hart seems to be drawn into the major goings-on within the US political system that could get him killed, though his dedication to the country he loves rises above all else. While there are some far-fetched aspects to the character’s involvement in the plot, Buffa does keep the action high as he seeks to entertain his readers throughout. Other characters not only complement one another, but appear to push an interesting underlying narrative that might better explain the plot of the book and the larger political machinery at work. Buffa weaves these into a strong narrative and uses his characters to push the story along effectively from start to finish. In a book that does not stop with its twists, Buffa keeps the reader wondering as they see the layers of this strong plot reveal themselves the further along things get. Using a mix of short and longer chapters, Buffa hooks his reader and does not stop until the final reveal, even then offering some hanging threads to keep the story open for more down the road. A great piece that will have me coming back for more soon, as I see another Buffa (sadly, not from this series) set to be released in the coming weeks!

Kudos, Mr. Buffa, for another wonderful novel that mixes the zaniness of politics with the gritty side of crime. I hope others discover the wonders of your writing soon!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Kathy kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I too picked up this book because of its title. the President is murdered and the plot twists. I probably would have slimmed down the information about the Crusades. A bit tedious. The book was apparently published before the last Presidential election. Would have been interesting to see if there were any changes if Clinton had been elected. Basically a good read, with more in common with The House of Cards.

[Gaylon Holder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beginning but got tedious about halfway through.

[Russty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the ending sucked...

[Kai Wardi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is exactly the same book as "The Grand Master", written in 2009. Buffa only changed the president's wife's name from Madelaine to Hillary.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

On three separate occasions I attempted to read this book. I found it disjointed and incoherent, poorly written and edited.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange book and no it's not about Hillary Clinton

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I picked this book based on the title. Robert Constable, President of the United States, dies in a hotel with a woman in his room. The First Lady, Hillary, wants Senator Bobby Hart to investigate because she is sure it's murder. His investigation is convoluted and high stakes as people begin dying. Soon the press has him as the head of a conspiracy killing the President. From France, the banking industry, the CIA and the FBI, Bobby Hart can trust no one. A great book that would be successful no matter what the title. D.W. Buffa has written numerous titles that I've never read but when I'm in the mood for my next espionage book I'll look for a Buffa book.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The death of President Robert Constable occurred in a hotel room where he was meeting with a woman. The public story is that he died peacefully . . . and alone.
But First Lady Hillary Constable demanding answers and asks Senator Bobby Hart, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to find out what happened . . . and why.

With its sharp dialogue, tantalizing plot, believable characters, there is much to appreciate in this political thriller. And there’s an explosive, unexpected twist at the end that readers simply won’t see coming to ramp up the tension.

Recommended.

[Gayle Coleman]

While the names were identifiable, the characters were not. In today's day and age, intriguing plots like the one in Hillary are no longer fiction, but could more likely occur. The twists and turns were page turners and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I discovered D.W. Buffa last year and have read each one of the books.

[Ellen Arvin]

Predictable, but a very fast read

[Jon Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly standard thriller. Did not really capture my imagination

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Plot moves right along with several twists and turns. Some similarities to today’s life.