Primary Peril

The Gatekeepers of Democracy #3

by Bill Lewers

First came The Gatekeepers of Democracy, the novel that introduced the genre of “election officer fiction.” Then came November Third, which delved even deeper into the world of election administration. Now author Bill Lewers moves the story in exciting new directions with Primary Peril.
A mere eleven votes had separated Republican Jennifer Haley and Democrat Emily Weston in their contest to fill a vacancy in Virginia’s State Senate. Now, twelve months later, they prepare for a rematch which will award the victor a full four-year term. Before that can occur, however, both must survive challenges in the parties’ June primaries. But just as the primary campaigns are heating up, a prominent political figure dies, unexpectedly. The media report a tragic accident. The police think it’s something else.

Accusations are made, human frailties exposed, and the election process is thrown into disarray as the police (and others) investigate the events leading up to the accident. Meanwhile, racked by doubt and suspicion, the candidates and their staffs grind on. Leaked reports indicate the police know the identity of the killer but as primary day dawns, no arrests have been made.

Who will be victorious at the polls? When will the police make their arrest? And will it be the right person?

Primary Peril combines the excitement of an election story with the intrigue of a who-done-it murder mystery. It joins The Gatekeepers of Democracy and November Third as the third installment of The Gatekeepers of Democracy series, which celebrates the women and men who serve as election officers.

438 pages, Paperback

Published February 3, 2019

About the author

While I have been a political junkie for as long as I can remember, it was only when I started serving as an election officer that I began to realize the special role these one-day volunteers have in ensuring that Election Day plays out as it should.

For fifteen hours or more, election officers get a ringside seat, as this crazy, mixed-up thing called democracy unfolds before them.

The voters come. They stand in line, quietly. They vote. They leave.

…and that’s how we pick out leaders.

And on that day, they are all equal. The rich. The poor. The well-connected. The marginalized. The healthy. The infirm. The prepared. The ignorant. The gracious. The less-than-gracious. And we election officers are charged with ensuring that each one is treated with accuracy, efficiency, and respect.

When I started to write, it seemed only natural that I should reflect on my own Election Day experiences, which I did in "A Voter’s Journey." But I also wanted to write fiction; to allow my imagination to build on the things I had seen to create stories that would hopefully connect with readers, both inside and outside the election administration community.

The result is the Gatekeepers of Democracy series, which is dedicated to the women and men who serve on Election Day. While the primary purpose of these books is to entertain, they hopefully do so in a way that mirrors the respect I have for the process and the people who make it work.

Right now the series consists of four volumes: "The Gatekeepers of Democracy," "November Third," "Primary Peril," and "The Main Event." In the meantime, I would encourage anyone who finds these books enjoyable, to consider signing up with their local office of elections. Election Day service is a rich and rewarding experience. Perhaps you will see things that will inspire you to add to the wide-open genre of “election officer fiction.”

In addition I have written an historical fiction title, "Eighteen Days in New York: A novel about the 1924 Democratic Convention."

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the first book in this series....