Top Secret Kill

by James P. Cody, Peter T. Rohrbach

The opening adventure in the legendary D.C. Man series of breathtaking thrillers, back in print for the first time in fifty years.Brian Peterson is an ex-military intelligence officer-turned-D.C. lobbyist recovering from his family’s tragic death in a car accident. With his lobbying business in the toilet, he’s become a political fixer who uses his sharp intellect, his vast political connections, and his lethal, combat skills to solve sensitive problems.Someone is leaking top secret documents from a congressional subcommittee to foreign spies in Germany, which could lead to an embarrassing scandal and spark a devastating, global crisis. Peterson is hired to plug the leak…any way he can.This new edition includes an explosive introduction by private investigator Tom Simon, a former FBI Special Agent and co-host of the Paperback Warrior podcast, that solves the mystery of who author “James P. Cody” really was…“Fast-moving.” New York Times“An excellent story of political intrigue with crisp writing and a fat-free plot. It serves as a great introduction to a complex and nuanced action hero.” Paperback Warrior“Man, this is a damned good book. I have zero-to-little interest in politics… but it's so much better than 90% of paperback fiction that I couldn't help but fall for it.” Bloody Spicy Books

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rediscovered series from the 1970's. Brian Petersen is a guy who was on his way to being a Master of the Universe with his lobbyist father in law smoothing the way for his own lobbying business. Then his wife and child were killed by a drunk driver.

Petersen succumbs to grief, but after spending 6 months bumming around Florida, he's back in DC. He has a small lobbying business, but his real job is doing little favors for the powers in Washington. If they want something found out, or hushed up, he is the man they call.

He's called in to plug a leak from a committee. The investigation doesn't go smoothly. From the beginning, his employers don't really cooperate. Petersen himself makes a couple of rookie mistakes.

There's potential here. We'll see where it goes.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Petersen is a recovering lobbyist in Washington DC whose persuasive skills include the laying on of hands. He’s engaged by a Senator to find the leak on his committee. It gets ugly fast when one of his discrete information conduits is murdered. This is personal now. A quick and nicely paced story with Petersen grabbing the bull by its horns and getting some satisfaction and vengeance.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Top Secret Kill by James P. Cody is a fast-paced, well-defined mystery from the past. I love it.

Will Brian track down the correct leak from the Congressional Committee?

Brian Peterson
Our investigator is Brian Peterson, ex-military, ex-lobbyist turned fixer. Brian has been hired to figure out who is leaking the information from a Congressional Committee Senator Brickman runs. However, he is dealing with the grief of losing his wife and daughter in a car accident earlier in the year.

He has a part-time secretary, Annie, who keeps him moving, and his father-in-law checks in on him, too. Yet, he is still alone most of the time. Brian still lies in the house that he and his wife bought. I felt sorry for him, but I could tell that he wouldn't like to know that.

I like Brian. He is a tough guy, but you can tell that he loves his wife and daughter. Brian is also really smart, even though he falls for a red herring in this story.

The Mystery
The mystery is well-written and keeps you guessing. A couple of murders make it a bit thrilling. I was positive it was someone it wasn't, mostly because I didn't care for the guy. I also enjoyed seeing Washington, D.C., in the 1970s. I am sure that some of those elements are still there today.

Five Stars
My rating for Top Secret Kill by James P. Cody is five stars. I was totally entertained. It was like watching one of those old cop shoes on the television. The author's storytelling is superb, but mostly, I liked that he made his characters real. If you like a traditional, adventurous mystery, you should check out this series from the past.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Top Secret Kill by James P. Cody.

Until the next time,



This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove