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Inauguration Day
Tucker Daniels is about to retire from the U.S. Secret Service when the outgoing president asks him to undertake an off-the-books investigation into the validity of an accusation against president elect Henry Garvin . . . made by Garvin’s son.
When the son is killed in an accident on his way to bring evidence of his father’s treachery to the White House, Daniels believes the young man was delusional. Yet, the further he digs into the president-elect’s past, the more likely the accusation seems and the greater the danger Daniels puts his life and the lives of his son and fiance.
When the son is killed in an accident on his way to bring evidence of his father’s treachery to the White House, Daniels believes the young man was delusional. Yet, the further he digs into the president-elect’s past, the more likely the accusation seems and the greater the danger Daniels puts his life and the lives of his son and fiance.
- GenresFiction
394 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2017
4 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Peter G. Pollak
11 books82 followersI'm passionate about writing stories that readers don't want to put down.
Missing--my 7th novel, a mystery featuring a female private detective is now available on Amazon in print and digital versins.
My prior novels are:
* The Expendable Man (2011)--a thriller
* Making the Grade (2012)--a police procedural
* Last Stop on Desolation Ridge (2013)--a suspense
* In the Game (2013)--another procedural
* House Divided (2015)--a political thriller
* Inauguration Day (2017)--a political thriller
The summer of 2020 I published a memoir entitled "Left to Right." It's the story of my transition from a student leftist in the 1960s to a conservative in the 21st century.
To learn more about my future projects, sign up for my newsletter on my website @ petergpollak.com.
Missing--my 7th novel, a mystery featuring a female private detective is now available on Amazon in print and digital versins.
My prior novels are:
* The Expendable Man (2011)--a thriller
* Making the Grade (2012)--a police procedural
* Last Stop on Desolation Ridge (2013)--a suspense
* In the Game (2013)--another procedural
* House Divided (2015)--a political thriller
* Inauguration Day (2017)--a political thriller
The summer of 2020 I published a memoir entitled "Left to Right." It's the story of my transition from a student leftist in the 1960s to a conservative in the 21st century.
To learn more about my future projects, sign up for my newsletter on my website @ petergpollak.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 9, 2018
Page one told me who done it, at least I thought so, until I discovered I was wrong. The pace of the story did not overwhelm me in the least. It caught my attention and kept it. Tucker Daniels and his team are all heroes!
October 30, 2017
This story is very much plot-driven. The conspiracy feels complex, and we go along with Tucker Daniels in his attempt to find the truth within a political quagmire.
For me, the characters lack depth and personality. Tucker does come to life more as the story goes on, but his relationship with his fiancee feels shallow. The female characters feel one-dimensional, like their only job is to fill a roll in the story. I didn't find them interesting or all that believable, perhaps because I never really got to know them.
The pace, particularly through the first half of the book, tends to be slow. We spend a lot of time on leads that go nowhere, pondering possibilities, and, along with the main character, feeling like we'll never get answers. This is, in part, a necessity because of the way the story unfolds. The content does make you think about corruption in politics and all the behind-the-scenes secrets.
*I received an advance ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.*
For me, the characters lack depth and personality. Tucker does come to life more as the story goes on, but his relationship with his fiancee feels shallow. The female characters feel one-dimensional, like their only job is to fill a roll in the story. I didn't find them interesting or all that believable, perhaps because I never really got to know them.
The pace, particularly through the first half of the book, tends to be slow. We spend a lot of time on leads that go nowhere, pondering possibilities, and, along with the main character, feeling like we'll never get answers. This is, in part, a necessity because of the way the story unfolds. The content does make you think about corruption in politics and all the behind-the-scenes secrets.
*I received an advance ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.*
November 3, 2017
I thought the main character of soon to be retired Secret Service Agent Tucker Daniels, was written an absolute treat. And, before you groan, it's not one of those just two weeks from retirement cop-type things. He doesn't go out on 'just one more mission' with a colleague and buy the farm, etc. Nope. More that he’s got another life he's looking forward to, and that needs thinking about and planning for and shows his plate is already full. What I mean is, there's a refreshing realism and down to earthiness about Tucker, and pretty much all the characters. This is how you and I would be under such circumstances. He is a decent, likeable kinda guy, though he is high up in the Secret Service, he still gives the impression of being out of his depth, in a good way. He doesn't go all film-star, inner resources, didn't know he could do all this sort of thing unrealistic on us. He's a normal guy being thrown into a terrible situation.
That curve ball, is handed to him by the book's soon to be ex-President Palmer. It's interesting that the book is written to circumnavigate the orange idiot as President. Obama is/was real, but he was the guy before 'our' President Palmer. But, for those of us who thought Obama was The Man, Palmer seems cut from the same cloth. Yes, I can go along with Tucker being given the job by the President and told to keep quiet about it. It sure made things interesting with regard to how he can get help, and not least, how he avoids his fiancé finding out. That alone, had me quaking in my boots for him.
The feeling of getting nowhere in the investigation for quite a while is put over well. Frustrating for us to, if you're looking for quick answers. But they only happen in 50 minute (allowing for adverts) tv series, eh? He doesn’t have a plan, because there isn't one to be had. He's just bouncing from one setback to another. So, it's all going along nowhere quietly enough, with maybe a hint of a breakthrough here and there - then it all falls apart. Spectacularly. Kidnapping, death, death threats, blackmail, hidden movers and shakers. Things spiralling dramatically out of control. A(n appropriate) hurricane of dreadful deadly events. Our man is in the centre seemingly unable to do anything about it, except watch it all swirl around him.
Where it could be better, is being sharper. There's a lot of waiting for the next event built in, but not exploited to, I don't know, reveal something about the character. It's handled in a 'this happened, then we waited, then this happened' kind of way.
“He’d have to wait until Trey got home from work. The next five hours passed like people sick of winter wait for a sign of buds on the trees in their backyards. At six-thirty he dialled his son’s home number.”
That’s how it’s laid out too. Surely there should be some sort of a break, a line break, even, or a form of words to cover the period?
But that is about all that made me hesitate here and there.
There is the business of the cover. That need to be changed. It's just too normal. It's a holiday snap, not a thriller book cover. Looking at PGP's other works, the typeface is consistent, but he's made it hard on himself by choosing an expanded face, and a long word in the title. After all, where are the video screens? You'll know if you read it.
Read more on my blog: Speesh Reads
Or the Speesh Reads Facebook Page
That curve ball, is handed to him by the book's soon to be ex-President Palmer. It's interesting that the book is written to circumnavigate the orange idiot as President. Obama is/was real, but he was the guy before 'our' President Palmer. But, for those of us who thought Obama was The Man, Palmer seems cut from the same cloth. Yes, I can go along with Tucker being given the job by the President and told to keep quiet about it. It sure made things interesting with regard to how he can get help, and not least, how he avoids his fiancé finding out. That alone, had me quaking in my boots for him.
The feeling of getting nowhere in the investigation for quite a while is put over well. Frustrating for us to, if you're looking for quick answers. But they only happen in 50 minute (allowing for adverts) tv series, eh? He doesn’t have a plan, because there isn't one to be had. He's just bouncing from one setback to another. So, it's all going along nowhere quietly enough, with maybe a hint of a breakthrough here and there - then it all falls apart. Spectacularly. Kidnapping, death, death threats, blackmail, hidden movers and shakers. Things spiralling dramatically out of control. A(n appropriate) hurricane of dreadful deadly events. Our man is in the centre seemingly unable to do anything about it, except watch it all swirl around him.
Where it could be better, is being sharper. There's a lot of waiting for the next event built in, but not exploited to, I don't know, reveal something about the character. It's handled in a 'this happened, then we waited, then this happened' kind of way.
“He’d have to wait until Trey got home from work. The next five hours passed like people sick of winter wait for a sign of buds on the trees in their backyards. At six-thirty he dialled his son’s home number.”
That’s how it’s laid out too. Surely there should be some sort of a break, a line break, even, or a form of words to cover the period?
But that is about all that made me hesitate here and there.
There is the business of the cover. That need to be changed. It's just too normal. It's a holiday snap, not a thriller book cover. Looking at PGP's other works, the typeface is consistent, but he's made it hard on himself by choosing an expanded face, and a long word in the title. After all, where are the video screens? You'll know if you read it.
Read more on my blog: Speesh Reads
Or the Speesh Reads Facebook Page
November 2, 2017
While I found the theme, and plotting of Inauguration Day by Peter G. Pollak somewhat interesting, the obtuse writing tended to make it hard to keep reading. To be fair to the author, the story of an about-to-retire secret service agent being tasked by the president to do just ‘one more job’ is interesting, and there are the requisite action scenes, but I got a sense that whoever edited it wasn’t paying enough attention. I’ll give Mr. Pollak credit for this, even though I found the writing not quite up to par, I soldiered on through the entire book, because I was curious to see what would happen.
I received a free copy of this book. The author has some good ideas, but they just weren’t expressed as well as I’m sure he’s capable in this particular book, so I can only give it three and a quarter stars.
I received a free copy of this book. The author has some good ideas, but they just weren’t expressed as well as I’m sure he’s capable in this particular book, so I can only give it three and a quarter stars.
October 3, 2019
I received a free Advance Reader Copy and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
This is the first book I’ve read from Peter Pollak and was completely engaged with both his complex plotting and skillful writing. The story’s parallels with our present political situation are striking and thoroughly plausible.
I found the pace very well managed – I finished this book in two days. One of the things I enjoyed about the plot and event unfolding is that I just knew something bad was going to happen on the next page – and it did. That is the kind of writing that makes me keep turning the pages. The Daniels and Palmer characters were, I thought, the best developed, and as a result I liked them best.
As for the story line, I felt that there was a great deal of solid research behind Inauguration Day’s tale, and I only hope that the climax of events described in Pollak’s tale remain fiction. Time will tell.
Highly recommended.
This is the first book I’ve read from Peter Pollak and was completely engaged with both his complex plotting and skillful writing. The story’s parallels with our present political situation are striking and thoroughly plausible.
I found the pace very well managed – I finished this book in two days. One of the things I enjoyed about the plot and event unfolding is that I just knew something bad was going to happen on the next page – and it did. That is the kind of writing that makes me keep turning the pages. The Daniels and Palmer characters were, I thought, the best developed, and as a result I liked them best.
As for the story line, I felt that there was a great deal of solid research behind Inauguration Day’s tale, and I only hope that the climax of events described in Pollak’s tale remain fiction. Time will tell.
Highly recommended.
July 6, 2019
I have to rate my own book? Doesn't seem like one should.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews