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Senator Bobby Hart #1
Rubicon
It could Happen . . .Bobby Hart, an idealistic young senator from California, thinks that he's escaped the political spotlight when he decides not to run for president. Then, on a secret mission to Germany, he discovers that there is going to be an assassination. He doesn't know who is the target, who is behind the plan, or where it will take place. All he knows is that it will happen before the election. And that it operates under the code name Rubicon.
Rubicon, Hart remembers, is the river Caesar crossed with his army when he decided to seize power in Rome. For Caesar it meant that there was no turning back for a republic on its way to becoming an empire. But crossing the Rubicon meant the beginning of an era in Rome. Could it mean the end of something else today?
As events pile up before the predicted attack, it becomes clear that Rubicon isn't just about the election. It's a plot to steal the country. Now Hart is in a race against time to find out who is behind the conspiracy and how to stop it before it's too late and democracy in America is changed forever.
A blistering indictment of our current political climate, Rubicon is an intelligent, action-packed thriller that will change the way readers think about the next election.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
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58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 11, 2019
I recently discovered the wonders of D.W. Buffa’s political/legal thrillers and have been devouring them whenever possible. I came across a series debut in which Buffa uses his pseudonym, Lawrence Alexander, which packs quite a punch. Bobby Hart is a US senator from California, preparing for re-election while also serving his constituents as best he can. When Hart is approached to discuss a sensitive matter, he finds himself sitting at a café in Germany, unsure of what to expect. Hart soon learns that there is a plot to assassinate someone during the US elections, codenamed RUBICON, but before he can learn anything else, his contact is shot in front of him. Returning to the US, Hart tries to learn a little more, confiding in a friend within the intelligence community. When an explosion rocks a political event where one of the presidential candidates is rallying support, a bloodbath ensues and Hart is left to wonder if this is RUBICON in action. As he tries to dig a little deeper, Hart discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye, with the US Administration at the centre. Tensions run high as Hart must stay one step ahead of whomever it is pulling strings. RUBICON may seem like a terror plot, but it resonates up through the electoral campaign and into the constitutional fibre of the country. How can it be stopped and what is the final act that will signal no retreat? Alexander does well to lay some exciting groundwork in this thriller, which mixes politics with the hunt to neutralise a terror cell. Recommended to those who need a quick and easy read that includes some American political action as well.
While I have many authors I try to follow, few have made as much of an impact on me as D.W Buffa, even when he pens something under another name. He knows his politics and how to convey a story that will both intrigue and lure a reader to seek more by reading further. Bobby Hart is both a keen senator and a wonderful protagonist in this piece. He has a backstory and a wife that can sometimes surface, but is also somewhat vague. As he has this major political revelation tossed into his lap, Hart must decide how best to represent his constituents while saving the entire US republic from annihilation. True, it may seem a little far-fetched, but the author does well to add great intrigue to the story without getting too dramatic. As Hart is pulled deeper into the mystery, he becomes an unwitting target and must extricate himself while revealing the truth before it is buried for good. Others add depth and volume to this story, in a debut that is sure to see some returning faces. Alexander sets the groundwork for more Bobby Hart, be it in the political arena or as a private citizen. Alexander offers the reader quite the tale here, mixing political intrigue with thrilling terror plots in a single novel. Political thrillers are hard to keep sharp, but Alexander seems able to do so with little issue. I just hope I can find the subsequent novels with ease, as I remain highly curious.
Kudos, Mr. Alexander (Buffa), for a great debut. I am eager to see what else you have in store for Bobby Hart, noticing that there are three novels in this series to date.
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/...
While I have many authors I try to follow, few have made as much of an impact on me as D.W Buffa, even when he pens something under another name. He knows his politics and how to convey a story that will both intrigue and lure a reader to seek more by reading further. Bobby Hart is both a keen senator and a wonderful protagonist in this piece. He has a backstory and a wife that can sometimes surface, but is also somewhat vague. As he has this major political revelation tossed into his lap, Hart must decide how best to represent his constituents while saving the entire US republic from annihilation. True, it may seem a little far-fetched, but the author does well to add great intrigue to the story without getting too dramatic. As Hart is pulled deeper into the mystery, he becomes an unwitting target and must extricate himself while revealing the truth before it is buried for good. Others add depth and volume to this story, in a debut that is sure to see some returning faces. Alexander sets the groundwork for more Bobby Hart, be it in the political arena or as a private citizen. Alexander offers the reader quite the tale here, mixing political intrigue with thrilling terror plots in a single novel. Political thrillers are hard to keep sharp, but Alexander seems able to do so with little issue. I just hope I can find the subsequent novels with ease, as I remain highly curious.
Kudos, Mr. Alexander (Buffa), for a great debut. I am eager to see what else you have in store for Bobby Hart, noticing that there are three novels in this series to date.
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/...
March 8, 2025
This is not a bad book for those who aren't fed up yet with such stories about worldwide conspiracies. But if you're not satisfied only with the plot there are quite a few disturbing facts:
- the bad guys are stupid enough to fail in getting Mr. Hart dead, even if they try with much diligence
- there is no need of a Mafia boy, who should be killed himself later
-there are too many convenient circumstances, as Helen's phone
- the hit-men seem to be strangers to gun-undertones and very clumsy; why, for God's sake, Henry Lattimore didn't kill Hart in the hotel room???
- the Helen's story is syrupy, the final too steep for my taste.
So, three stars are more than enough. Almost much more...
- the bad guys are stupid enough to fail in getting Mr. Hart dead, even if they try with much diligence
- there is no need of a Mafia boy, who should be killed himself later
-there are too many convenient circumstances, as Helen's phone
- the hit-men seem to be strangers to gun-undertones and very clumsy; why, for God's sake, Henry Lattimore didn't kill Hart in the hotel room???
- the Helen's story is syrupy, the final too steep for my taste.
So, three stars are more than enough. Almost much more...
October 6, 2008
This is bound to be a major, major political thriller. Alexander looks at an American Reichstag Fire, a plot by the Republican crazies to assassinate key political figures just prior to the 2008 election in order to provide a pretext for postponing the election (permanently) and ensure their continuance in power. If it weren’t so credible, given the crowd in the White House, it would make a pretty good fairy tale. Alexander makes no bones of what he thinks of the neo-con crowd. He addresses the moves to set up alternative intelligence sourcing as a way to justify just about anything. He shows them killing anyone who learns too much. He does all this in a very convincing way. While also showing a democratic presidential candidate who is of less than presidential timbre, and discontent on the part of his hero, California Senator Bobby Hart (in a nod to the real senator Hart?) with the presidency being dominated by two families. The steps along the way are engaging and seem reasonable. This guy clearly knows something about Washington. There is a core notion of comparison between the USA of today and Rome when Caesar crossed the Rubicon. That move ensured that Rome would become an empire, and no longer a democracy, that it would be a state ruled by an emperor. The USA, having acquired an empire of sorts, is now about to cross that Rubicon also, scaring the populace enough that they would willingly give up all their political liberties. Scary stuff, fast-paced, believable enough. A must read.
When I read this, it was not yet in its final form. There are disputes between the author and editor, and what I read may not be the final version, but I doubt that the core of the story will change.
When I read this, it was not yet in its final form. There are disputes between the author and editor, and what I read may not be the final version, but I doubt that the core of the story will change.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
A very interesting book that was quite a bit reminiscent of the political spy thrillers of the early eighties, but working with a modern premise. Asking constantly the same question what limits are there to the power of the president.
We are presented with two honorable senators representing both major parties working together. And the final sequence in the Supreme Court could have done with a bit more time. The only reason I don’t give this book 5 stars is because I wasn’t completely satisfied with the end, it felt to much like a setup for a sequel.
For people who liked the premise I recommend Orion Scott cards hidden empire.
We are presented with two honorable senators representing both major parties working together. And the final sequence in the Supreme Court could have done with a bit more time. The only reason I don’t give this book 5 stars is because I wasn’t completely satisfied with the end, it felt to much like a setup for a sequel.
For people who liked the premise I recommend Orion Scott cards hidden empire.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2017
If a story cannot capture me within the first 50-60 pages then I toss it aside and move on to another book. Such is the case with "Rubicon". It was slow going. Started off well enough with some mystery and some action (urgent phone call/must meet mysterious man in Germany). Then, it plummeted downhill from there with lots of talk and no action. It didn't seem the story progressed much. I simply lost interest. Moving non.
January 8, 2022
I liked it and provided the parts on the US constitution and the Electoral College are factual I may understand a little more of the American political system. Being Canadian I find the American election system a bit confusing and overwhelming, not that our system is any more logical.
June 19, 2021
Interesantă, în genul filmelor de la Hollywood.
Read
April 21, 2025two thumbs up ... everyone in the U.S should read this ... now (2025)
April 10, 2008
We got an ARC in at the store, and I only picked it up because it had the word Caesar on the cover. (Actually, the ARC design is awesome compared to the actual cover, in that sort of old school Penguin bright colors and white text way, and I wish more people would design like that.) Two days later, I finished, and I have to say, it's a pretty solid read.
Vague spoilers contained below.
Basic premise: a US Senator is the only one able to put all the pieces together of what looks like a terrorist plot, but is actually something being planned by people in the US. By the end of the book, we've had assassinations, explosions, kidnappings, Senate briefings, and an all-too-brief stint at the Supreme Court (that chunk could have been 10 times longer and I would have LOVED it, because people getting bitchslapped by the Constitution is always awesome).
I don't think it's going to hold up much past November '08, although the book does get some good digs in about the election system. But the president and vice president are never named, so we automatically think of Bush and Cheney, and the supporting characters of people from the administration all have names VERY similar to their real life counterparts. It's fun and all, to think that Dick Cheney could be some evil mastermind, but read this 10 years down the line and you might be confused.
Hart is a solid sort of hero, and I really liked his best friend in the Senate, Charlie Ryan (although I sort of suspected him for the first 150 pages to be BEHIND IT ALL which while predictable, would have been awesome). His wife is barely a character sketch, but Lt. Coleman of the MPD is a pretty rocking minor character.
I would have actually given this 3.5 stars. I think this would have been a great film, because it would have been so subversive from the "stop the terrorist" plots, even when you get something like Die Hard 4, in which the main bad guy is American. But what if the bad guy was in the White House? It would make a rad movie.
Vague spoilers contained below.
Basic premise: a US Senator is the only one able to put all the pieces together of what looks like a terrorist plot, but is actually something being planned by people in the US. By the end of the book, we've had assassinations, explosions, kidnappings, Senate briefings, and an all-too-brief stint at the Supreme Court (that chunk could have been 10 times longer and I would have LOVED it, because people getting bitchslapped by the Constitution is always awesome).
I don't think it's going to hold up much past November '08, although the book does get some good digs in about the election system. But the president and vice president are never named, so we automatically think of Bush and Cheney, and the supporting characters of people from the administration all have names VERY similar to their real life counterparts. It's fun and all, to think that Dick Cheney could be some evil mastermind, but read this 10 years down the line and you might be confused.
Hart is a solid sort of hero, and I really liked his best friend in the Senate, Charlie Ryan (although I sort of suspected him for the first 150 pages to be BEHIND IT ALL which while predictable, would have been awesome). His wife is barely a character sketch, but Lt. Coleman of the MPD is a pretty rocking minor character.
I would have actually given this 3.5 stars. I think this would have been a great film, because it would have been so subversive from the "stop the terrorist" plots, even when you get something like Die Hard 4, in which the main bad guy is American. But what if the bad guy was in the White House? It would make a rad movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2010
This is the first novel I wanted to write. I like to season my fiction reading with authors I have never tried before. Lawrence Alexander is a strong reason for me wanting to continue this practice. "Rubicon" is a strong first novel -- best in my political suspense view since Stephen L. Carter's "The Emperor of Ocean Park."
Rubicon, and the connection to Caesar's fateful decision has personal resonance for me in that I named my consulting practice Rubicon Partners. This Rubicon is much more sinister: it is the code name for a plot to end our democracy as we know it. It reads almost as a roman a clef to the Bush, or perhaps more accurately from the story's point of view, the Cheney administration.
In our post bi-partisan age, the only element that doesn't ring plausible are two across-the-aisle senators, as heros. It is now near fantasy to envision senators as intelligent or as passionate enough about our democracy to take a stand. In many ways, that is the strength of the author's plot -- though written in another context (Bush) -- democracy being circumvented is probably even more a risk today. The risk is not evil but the failure to act.
It is not clear that Alexander is more than a one-hit-wonder. The is no indication of a second book. "Tis a shame.
Rubicon, and the connection to Caesar's fateful decision has personal resonance for me in that I named my consulting practice Rubicon Partners. This Rubicon is much more sinister: it is the code name for a plot to end our democracy as we know it. It reads almost as a roman a clef to the Bush, or perhaps more accurately from the story's point of view, the Cheney administration.
In our post bi-partisan age, the only element that doesn't ring plausible are two across-the-aisle senators, as heros. It is now near fantasy to envision senators as intelligent or as passionate enough about our democracy to take a stand. In many ways, that is the strength of the author's plot -- though written in another context (Bush) -- democracy being circumvented is probably even more a risk today. The risk is not evil but the failure to act.
It is not clear that Alexander is more than a one-hit-wonder. The is no indication of a second book. "Tis a shame.
February 8, 2017
Written from the viewpoint of the liberal Democrats, this is a political thriller centering around an upcoming presidential election. It deals with a domestic conspiracy disguised as terrorism and focuses on a Democratic senator. It was an interesting plot though as a conservative rather unsettling to have conservatives portrayed so evilly. It also demonstrates the "strange blindness" of liberals to the very real dangers we face as a nation from terrorism.
September 30, 2014
An interesting quick read about politics, terrorism, spies, the Middle East, war, government conspiracies, surveillance of its own citizens and the other issues facing this country during and since the Bush administration and 9-11. Is it possible some in high positions could have wanted the war so they could exercise more control over the American populace by making them fearful enough to give up their freedoms in order to prevent an attack? Is war a way of extending our control and power over the world by telling citizens we need to invade countries because they might attack us someday? Are assassinations and terrorism tools to keep the current people in power, and are people sent to Guantanamo to keep them from talking? Are Senate committees lied to by the CIA, FBI and Justice department?
A book of fiction of course, it couldn’t possibly happen here.
A book of fiction of course, it couldn’t possibly happen here.
July 12, 2008
This fast-paced political thriller was a pleasure to read. The first two chapters sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading it until the story was finished.
On the down side, the ending was not as cut and dried as I wanted, however, everything else about this book was favorable.
What I learned from reading this story --- the U. S. Constitution is a clever bit of legislation that won't let the "bad guys" get away with murder. Should I explain this statement? Nah, read the book.
On the down side, the ending was not as cut and dried as I wanted, however, everything else about this book was favorable.
What I learned from reading this story --- the U. S. Constitution is a clever bit of legislation that won't let the "bad guys" get away with murder. Should I explain this statement? Nah, read the book.
October 1, 2009
This book is based on a lot of the issues this country has faced since 9/11. Though it is a book of fiction, it is not far from the truth about what the Bush Administration did while in office. Though somethings seem far fetched, I suppose in todays world they could happen.
The Author is actually DW Buffa, he used an alias for this book.
Any one who enjoys Buffas books or any other governmental conspiracy book should read this!
The Author is actually DW Buffa, he used an alias for this book.
Any one who enjoys Buffas books or any other governmental conspiracy book should read this!
July 25, 2010
In a nutshell I liked the idea of the story, but the audience he is looking for is those who are like-minded liberals who mostly will read this book and be shocked that it didn't happen in real life. Politics aside, the story is a bit too fantastical and seems more than unlikely, no matter how ill one must think of Dick Cheney and those like him.
Over all, it wasn't a complete waste of time, but I'm just glad it wasn't longer.
Over all, it wasn't a complete waste of time, but I'm just glad it wasn't longer.
November 5, 2017
pretty good "what-if" scenario book, but I thought that the main character, for how smart he was supposed to be, it took him a long time to figure out how the code name Rubicon and its connection to Roman history related to what was happening. I felt like screaming at him.
Still, all in all, I enjoyed the read.
Still, all in all, I enjoyed the read.
December 8, 2008
A fun thriller with a lot of editorializing on the Bush administration. But, it agrees with my perspective and gave me better arguments for what I think could have been done better in the war against terror and providing for the safety of the US.
September 16, 2008
For a guy following the threads to a dark conspiracy where knowledge equals death....he sure trusts a lot of folks.
January 10, 2009
This is fiction, with thinly-veiled fictious characters, but the events could have happened a few months ago in the USA.
February 16, 2011
Really good suspense novel, current with the times now - scary to think it could happen. Fast read, great characters.
April 3, 2011
author aka D.W. Buffa
December 19, 2013
A crackling first effort by the author, posing a fascinating question of what would happen when terrorism intersects with presidential elections.
April 26, 2015
Conspiration at the White House, super wicked plot. Delightful weekend read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews