What do you think?
Rate this book
Joe DeMarco #1
The Inside Ring
THE WEST WING MEETS 24 IN A PACE-RIDDEN TALE OF CONSPIRACY, CORRUPTION AND COLD-BLOODED MURDER Joe De Marco is running out of time. Someone has made an attempt on the president’s life, but the wrong man is dead. How could this happen when the president and those nearest to him are protected by a group of men known as THE INSIDE RING? Is there a chink in the armour? A break in the circle, is someone not quite what they seem? Joe's search for the answers takes him from the corridors of power to the swamps of the southern states, where one lie will need to another until finally the shocking truth will emerge in an orgy of violence. THE INSIDE RING
where greed and corruption walk hand in hand with murder.
where greed and corruption walk hand in hand with murder.
432 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2005
660 people are currently reading
2514 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lawson
45 books438 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Pen name: M.A Lawson
Michael Lawson was raised in Pueblo, Colorado and attended college at Seattle University, receiving a degree in engineering. On leaving college he went to work for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer, spending approximately thirty years working for the Navy's nuclear power program. Some of this time was spent in Washington D.C. but most was spent at a large naval shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
At the shipyard he managed a number of different organizations related to overhauling nuclear powered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers, ending up as a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service
To date he has published 12 books starring Joe DeMarco, a fixer for a corrupt politician and three books in his Kay Hamilton series under the name of M. A. Lawson: He has won the Friend of Mystery Award twice and is a five time nominee for the Barry Award.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
March 19, 2022
Joe Demarco is a fixer who works for the speaker of the house, after the President almost assassinated Demarco is called into action to find who was behind it. After carefully digging
He learns that it was a member of the secret Serive. This was a great thriller audiobook!!!
He learns that it was a member of the secret Serive. This was a great thriller audiobook!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2025
This novel begins earnestly but loses steam through tortuous actions inflicted upon the supposed hero. The ending was clipped and left this listener feeling short-changed. 5 of 10 stars
May 27, 2020
The first book of a now 14-volume series about Washington DC political fixer, Joe DeMarco. This is my first read of the author and as political thrillers go I really enjoyed it. DeMarco works for the Speaker of the House and after the President of the United States is almost assassinated DeMarco is called upon to figure out who was behind this and was a member of the President’s Secret Service detail involved in the attempt. Really good first novel, good dialogue, action moves but not at unbelievable pace. Good plot, very realistic characters and great villains! I now have all of this series on my Kindle and look forward to the continuing exploits of Joe DeMarco. Top Notch effort!
July 13, 2021
The Inside Ring about congressional fixer Joe DeMarco by Mike Lawson is the first book in this series. Sadly I started with the two latest and now feel the need to catch up. Someone made an attempt tpo assassinate the president but who is behind the attempt? Joe is tasked with digging into this sordid story, but he feels like a fish out of water and I must sadly agree. I will read one or two more in this series before I decide what I think but this first one was a little lacking. I find the concept for the series good and I really liked books 14 and 15. I will recommend this series anyway because it has something new.
April 27, 2018
Joe Demarco is the son of a well known gangster. An attorney, he works for the Speaker of the House as a fixer. DeMarco thinks his ancestry keeps him from decent work. Guess he never heard of the Kennedys.
Someone tries to assassinate the President. The Speaker sends Joe to investigate. Not because he's worried about the president, but to get something on the head of the secret service.
Of course, it all goes back to 1963.
Someone tries to assassinate the President. The Speaker sends Joe to investigate. Not because he's worried about the president, but to get something on the head of the secret service.
Of course, it all goes back to 1963.
August 23, 2022
Много добър роман, начало на серия свързани с американската политика трилъри!
Запознайте се с Джо Демарко - момче за всичко на влиятелна личност във Вашингтон, политическото и финансово сърце на САЩ. Няма мърсотия, в която да не е бил принуден да зарови нос.
Та когато някой опитва да убие президента, точно Джо трябва в последствие да се рови из кирливите ризи на агентите от Сикрет сървиз. И никак не му допадат нещата, които открива...
Препоръчвам, чудесно се забавлявах!
Запознайте се с Джо Демарко - момче за всичко на влиятелна личност във Вашингтон, политическото и финансово сърце на САЩ. Няма мърсотия, в която да не е бил принуден да зарови нос.
Та когато някой опитва да убие президента, точно Джо трябва в последствие да се рови из кирливите ризи на агентите от Сикрет сървиз. И никак не му допадат нещата, които открива...
Препоръчвам, чудесно се забавлявах!
Read
January 27, 2015Good reading. Interesting approach to a possible event. I will read his next book to see if he follows the pattern.
July 16, 2014
Calling this book a thriller isn't quite right. It starts off with a bang. That's for sure. The President is shot. The man next to him is killed. Did someone on the 'inside ring' of his protection detail set him up? Will there be another attempt? There are plenty of questions. The problem is that for a long time all we have are questions. What is in short supply are thrills and suspense.
We meet some interesting characters. We're treated to a tour of some Washington D.C. sites and offices. We get some hints at some odd connections. Leads turn into dead ends with more unanswered questions. We get some threats, but they seem vague and toothless. We get a lot of background on Joe Demarco, our protagonist. But for a long time it felt like the story was adrift. There was no ticking clock. I didn't feel any suspense or imminent threat. Where were the thrills? I almost gave up.
It didn't help that some of the prose feels a little wooden. Chapters start with a seemingly obligatory description of the scene. Characters are introduced with a full description of clothing, hair color, and facial features. But after that, there is a good flow of narrative and dialog. I stuck with the book because it's an easy read and the mysteries are oddly interesting.
The last third of the book finally earns the thriller designation. Demarco starts getting some answers, starts getting his butt kicked, and starts fighting back. The reader gets their thrills. I look forward to reading more about the adventures of Joe Demarco, but I hope they are a bit more uniformly thrilling.
We meet some interesting characters. We're treated to a tour of some Washington D.C. sites and offices. We get some hints at some odd connections. Leads turn into dead ends with more unanswered questions. We get some threats, but they seem vague and toothless. We get a lot of background on Joe Demarco, our protagonist. But for a long time it felt like the story was adrift. There was no ticking clock. I didn't feel any suspense or imminent threat. Where were the thrills? I almost gave up.
It didn't help that some of the prose feels a little wooden. Chapters start with a seemingly obligatory description of the scene. Characters are introduced with a full description of clothing, hair color, and facial features. But after that, there is a good flow of narrative and dialog. I stuck with the book because it's an easy read and the mysteries are oddly interesting.
The last third of the book finally earns the thriller designation. Demarco starts getting some answers, starts getting his butt kicked, and starts fighting back. The reader gets their thrills. I look forward to reading more about the adventures of Joe Demarco, but I hope they are a bit more uniformly thrilling.
July 30, 2015
**2.5 stars**
I had several problems with this book but my main issue was that I couldn't suspend disbelief. So the head of Homeland Security gets a note warning that something will happen to the President and he lets himself be convinced to do nothing? Worse, nobody takes the note seriously even after an assassination attempt? Please!
I liked DeMarco very much but I didn't like that he couldn't take care of business. Unlike Jack Reacher, John Rain or Jason Bourne, kicking ass wasn't his superpower so when he was confronted with really bad guys, he was horribly outmatched. When I read thrillers, I like to know the bad guys will be getting their comeuppance and the hero will be the one delivering it, not that he will be constantly praying, hoping to get out of their clutches.
I figured out early on the reason for the assassination attempt (classic Agatha Christie...look at what really happened not what it seemed it happened) so it was TOTALLY CRAZY for the villains to go that extent. There were probably like a million easier ways for them to get the same result.
The villain was so villainous that he was a caricature. Whatever evil deeds you can imagine, the evil guy did them. Am I to believe that after subjugating a community for 30 years and committing all sorts of attrocities, nobody thought to plug him in the back of the head? C'mon!
This is my first time listening to Scott Brick and he did a great job with the narration. DeMarco's New York accent was subtle but there, so that I knew after a few minutes of hearing him, where he came from.
Not continuing the series but I definitely hope to listen to another book by Scott Brick again.
Audiobook narrated by Scott Brick.
I had several problems with this book but my main issue was that I couldn't suspend disbelief. So the head of Homeland Security gets a note warning that something will happen to the President and he lets himself be convinced to do nothing? Worse, nobody takes the note seriously even after an assassination attempt? Please!
I liked DeMarco very much but I didn't like that he couldn't take care of business. Unlike Jack Reacher, John Rain or Jason Bourne, kicking ass wasn't his superpower so when he was confronted with really bad guys, he was horribly outmatched. When I read thrillers, I like to know the bad guys will be getting their comeuppance and the hero will be the one delivering it, not that he will be constantly praying, hoping to get out of their clutches.
I figured out early on the reason for the assassination attempt (classic Agatha Christie...look at what really happened not what it seemed it happened) so it was TOTALLY CRAZY for the villains to go that extent. There were probably like a million easier ways for them to get the same result.
The villain was so villainous that he was a caricature. Whatever evil deeds you can imagine, the evil guy did them. Am I to believe that after subjugating a community for 30 years and committing all sorts of attrocities, nobody thought to plug him in the back of the head? C'mon!
This is my first time listening to Scott Brick and he did a great job with the narration. DeMarco's New York accent was subtle but there, so that I knew after a few minutes of hearing him, where he came from.
Not continuing the series but I definitely hope to listen to another book by Scott Brick again.
Audiobook narrated by Scott Brick.
April 15, 2025
4 Stars. Started slow but it finished. Boy did it finish. It is my first Lawson book. Everything I heard told me it would be great but it took a little while longer than I would have liked. In the end, I just might be hooked on this character. Demarco has real potential. I’m here for more.
September 27, 2017
"A Conspiracy Thriller With Corruption At The Highest Level"
This is one of those books where the US and UK covers are completely different and although the US cover probably divulges more of the plot than its UK counterpart, the UK cover is probably the more dramatic of the two.
I quite often find that political thrillers, whether English or American in origin, can be a very difficult, consuming struggle to read and it can almost be a relief when the end is in sight. Not 'The Inside Ring' however, I think that Mike Lawson got this one almost spot-on, with just the right mix of political jargon and departmental detail, traded off well with some great violent action and personal dialogue chapters.
Lawson has brought together a fictional political event and expertly interwoven the story around that of one of the world's most infamous political tragedies of modern times, into a seamless and continuous, well plotted storyline.
Joe DeMarco, is a nondescript lawyer, trying hard to shake off his father's reputation, which has kept him side-lined for much of his career. Suddenly he is charged with digging into the past to come up with some answers of national importance, but his search finds him way in over his head and potentially in great danger, as he uncovers political corruption and abuse of government power at the highest level, which leaves the two main National Security agencies, trying to bring each other to their knees.
The resulting cover-up, with the incident being very much packaged into a tidy parcel and dealt with in-house, leaves a trail of destruction, which leads all the way back to a battered and bruised DeMarco, who once again finds himself left on the outside of 'The Ring', looking in!!
De Marco's character, although quite well developed, for this, his first mission, could nonetheless be built upon even more, to expand his personality for future stories, but for plot twists, action and political treachery, this is a great first novel.
This is one of those books where the US and UK covers are completely different and although the US cover probably divulges more of the plot than its UK counterpart, the UK cover is probably the more dramatic of the two.
I quite often find that political thrillers, whether English or American in origin, can be a very difficult, consuming struggle to read and it can almost be a relief when the end is in sight. Not 'The Inside Ring' however, I think that Mike Lawson got this one almost spot-on, with just the right mix of political jargon and departmental detail, traded off well with some great violent action and personal dialogue chapters.
Lawson has brought together a fictional political event and expertly interwoven the story around that of one of the world's most infamous political tragedies of modern times, into a seamless and continuous, well plotted storyline.
Joe DeMarco, is a nondescript lawyer, trying hard to shake off his father's reputation, which has kept him side-lined for much of his career. Suddenly he is charged with digging into the past to come up with some answers of national importance, but his search finds him way in over his head and potentially in great danger, as he uncovers political corruption and abuse of government power at the highest level, which leaves the two main National Security agencies, trying to bring each other to their knees.
The resulting cover-up, with the incident being very much packaged into a tidy parcel and dealt with in-house, leaves a trail of destruction, which leads all the way back to a battered and bruised DeMarco, who once again finds himself left on the outside of 'The Ring', looking in!!
De Marco's character, although quite well developed, for this, his first mission, could nonetheless be built upon even more, to expand his personality for future stories, but for plot twists, action and political treachery, this is a great first novel.
August 15, 2010
Maybe I am over-rating it but it was a great "page-turner" and filled with the details of our national security system and contemporary politics.
When a book is this hard to put down (with plenty of idiosyncratic characters), it deserves commendation.
Should be interesting to see how far Lawson can carry Joe DeMarco without any character development. Or if DeMarco grows, will I like the direction Lawson takes?
When a book is this hard to put down (with plenty of idiosyncratic characters), it deserves commendation.
Should be interesting to see how far Lawson can carry Joe DeMarco without any character development. Or if DeMarco grows, will I like the direction Lawson takes?
November 2, 2018
After an attempt to assassin ate the president which ends up killing a famous author as well as a Secret Service agent, Joe DeMarco, a fixer unofficially working for the Speaker of the House, is asked to look into the possibility that someone on the president's protective detail may have been involved in the attack. DeMarco quickly realizes he is in way over his head, but his boss insists he continue to dig deeper into what is looking more and more like wide-reaching conspiracy.
Unrealistic but entertaining, despite the fact that one-dimensional villains and the protagonist being surrounded by assholes he lets walk all over him make this an occasionally fairly frustrating read.
Unrealistic but entertaining, despite the fact that one-dimensional villains and the protagonist being surrounded by assholes he lets walk all over him make this an occasionally fairly frustrating read.
November 20, 2021
I tried 50 pages and dnf'd. This is not for me. I didn't care or like the characters and I'm just not in the mood for this sort of political thriller. Thanks but pass. May try again in the future but I doubt it.
January 24, 2020
It was probably 5 or 6 years ago that I first read a book penned by M.A. Lawson, Rosarito Beach. That was a 3-book series with Kay Hamilton as the protagonist and I was disappointed that the series was so short. I liked her.
Then come to find out that there was this guy writing under the name of Mike Lawson who just happened to be that same M.A. Lawson of Rosarito Beach and so I put him on my To Buy list but on a back burner. Just one of the many errors I've made in my life.
The Joe DeMarco series starts off with a bang.
Joe is a fixer working under the auspices of Congress but more correctly, working for the Speaker of the House. Joe isn't a superman. He isn't a martial arts expert nor overly proficient with a gun. If he has a major redeeming quality it's his dogged determination to find and fix the problem. And this time the problem may fix him!
Action, intrigue, drama. It's all in this book and quite well written in this, Mr. Lawson's debut novel.
There has been an attempt on the President's life and everything is wrapped up in a neat bow to solve the crime and leave no room for conspiracy theories. Or is there?
Well it looks like there's a lot of wiggle room in the solution to this case and Joe is sent to find and fix. But the problem isn't that simple. Some very powerful figures in the government don't want any meddling in the case, especially by someone that can topple the apple cart as they say.
Like real life in Washington, D.C. things are not always as they seem and that includes the solution to this particular problem. But you'll have to READ THE BOOK in order to see what I mean.
Colorful, believable characters, situations that take little effort to suspend belief and one woman who is . . . well, she is a lady of character but to put it mildly she's kick ass! I'm speaking of Emma and if you read the book you meet her fairly soon once you begin. No, not a romance between Joe and Emma but a great working relationship.
Well written, believable, colorful characters that are also believable; this book is a winner.
Then come to find out that there was this guy writing under the name of Mike Lawson who just happened to be that same M.A. Lawson of Rosarito Beach and so I put him on my To Buy list but on a back burner. Just one of the many errors I've made in my life.
The Joe DeMarco series starts off with a bang.
Joe is a fixer working under the auspices of Congress but more correctly, working for the Speaker of the House. Joe isn't a superman. He isn't a martial arts expert nor overly proficient with a gun. If he has a major redeeming quality it's his dogged determination to find and fix the problem. And this time the problem may fix him!
Action, intrigue, drama. It's all in this book and quite well written in this, Mr. Lawson's debut novel.
There has been an attempt on the President's life and everything is wrapped up in a neat bow to solve the crime and leave no room for conspiracy theories. Or is there?
Well it looks like there's a lot of wiggle room in the solution to this case and Joe is sent to find and fix. But the problem isn't that simple. Some very powerful figures in the government don't want any meddling in the case, especially by someone that can topple the apple cart as they say.
Like real life in Washington, D.C. things are not always as they seem and that includes the solution to this particular problem. But you'll have to READ THE BOOK in order to see what I mean.
Colorful, believable characters, situations that take little effort to suspend belief and one woman who is . . . well, she is a lady of character but to put it mildly she's kick ass! I'm speaking of Emma and if you read the book you meet her fairly soon once you begin. No, not a romance between Joe and Emma but a great working relationship.
Well written, believable, colorful characters that are also believable; this book is a winner.
January 9, 2014
I was hoping I had found a new series to bury myself in for a while but I had a hard time just coming back to finish this first installment.
The pacing of the book is very disturbing to me- the author might spend many pages or chapters uncovering small bits of information and then you turn to the next chapter to get a raft of new clues/information that is just handed to you with no story around it - just kind of filling in the blanks. Also, the foreshadowing is so simplistic I found myself face-palming when things are explained 100 pages after it was exceedingly obvious.
It was an ambitious plot that even the author doesn't seem to believe and dismisses as nobody will ever know for sure. I could maybe accept that if the reason for the plot had been because he wanted to fully explore the mystery that built up to it. The overall experience was less thrilling than fast-forwarding through an episode of The West Wing.
The pacing of the book is very disturbing to me- the author might spend many pages or chapters uncovering small bits of information and then you turn to the next chapter to get a raft of new clues/information that is just handed to you with no story around it - just kind of filling in the blanks. Also, the foreshadowing is so simplistic I found myself face-palming when things are explained 100 pages after it was exceedingly obvious.
It was an ambitious plot that even the author doesn't seem to believe and dismisses as nobody will ever know for sure. I could maybe accept that if the reason for the plot had been because he wanted to fully explore the mystery that built up to it. The overall experience was less thrilling than fast-forwarding through an episode of The West Wing.
October 16, 2018
First time reader of this author and now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative series. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this series.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this series.
July 25, 2024
I thought this a very clever and well put together thriller. I liked the writing style of the author, who I had not read before, easy to read and fast paced which kept me interested all the time and also full of witty one liners and innuendo which I like and had me tittering here and there.
There is an attempt on the presidents life where he was left injured but his best friend and a secret service operative were killed. Previously a note had been sent to Homeland Security and then passed onto the Secret Services saying that ‘Eagle One’ is in danger, but it was ignored. The suspected assassin was found dead, an apparent suicide, but this is found to be suspicious and in the end lawyer Joe DeMarco is set to find out what really happened at the assassination attempt. DeMarco is met with all sorts of barriers and suspects which involve not only the FBI, Homeland Security but also the Secret Sevice and his own life comes under threat more than once. Can it be that someone knows his every move?
A quite engrossing and also entertaining story, I enjoyed it very much and I think I will be reading more of Joe DeMarco. 4/5
There is an attempt on the presidents life where he was left injured but his best friend and a secret service operative were killed. Previously a note had been sent to Homeland Security and then passed onto the Secret Services saying that ‘Eagle One’ is in danger, but it was ignored. The suspected assassin was found dead, an apparent suicide, but this is found to be suspicious and in the end lawyer Joe DeMarco is set to find out what really happened at the assassination attempt. DeMarco is met with all sorts of barriers and suspects which involve not only the FBI, Homeland Security but also the Secret Sevice and his own life comes under threat more than once. Can it be that someone knows his every move?
A quite engrossing and also entertaining story, I enjoyed it very much and I think I will be reading more of Joe DeMarco. 4/5
August 22, 2017
This was a government thriller with secret service, FBI, etc I can't wait to read the next books in the series. Good author. It had intrigue and suspense.
September 15, 2022
3.25 stars
June 3, 2023
Lots of twists and turns to keep one guessing. Well written, suspenseful. Very intriguing ending.
October 10, 2017
Interesting government conspiracy thriller. It was an easy read.
June 18, 2022
Конспиративно криминале без детектив, в което постоянно получаваш подсказки какво се е случило и трябва да се досетиш преди края. Разбира се, цялостната картина е непредвидима и получава максималните 5/5.
Ще опитам и следващата част от серията.
Ще опитам и следващата част от серията.
March 19, 2010
Another good action-packed Lawson thriller, this is #1 in the Joe DeMarco series. I read #3 first, so I knew Joe was going to be okay in this book. Lawson is a very clever and inventive writer and takes the Washington conspiracy thriller up a notch higher than others who write in this genre.
DeMarco has a very unusual "support system" - people whom he has met along the way who owe him favors and are glad to help when called upon. One thing I really like is that DeMarco is not portrayed as a superhero....he is just a normal guy in some abnormal situations. One thing I do not like is when an author interjects political views in a novel and Lawson did this a couple of times.
The bad guys in this book are really bad, in fact they are evil; the plot is complicated and ingenious; and the solution to the mystery completely measures up to what came before it.
There were some people who suffered in this book because of DeMarco's ineptness, but I think Lawson corrected this flaw in later books.
DeMarco has a very unusual "support system" - people whom he has met along the way who owe him favors and are glad to help when called upon. One thing I really like is that DeMarco is not portrayed as a superhero....he is just a normal guy in some abnormal situations. One thing I do not like is when an author interjects political views in a novel and Lawson did this a couple of times.
The bad guys in this book are really bad, in fact they are evil; the plot is complicated and ingenious; and the solution to the mystery completely measures up to what came before it.
There were some people who suffered in this book because of DeMarco's ineptness, but I think Lawson corrected this flaw in later books.
August 24, 2012
I thought the story was pretty good. I really liked the characters, except the bad ones, of course. I had actually figured out the plot before I was done, but there was too many other things happening to quit before I got to the end. I am not sure I like the main character enough to read any more books (this is #1 in a series), but this 1st one was fine.
September 28, 2008
One of the best, most entertaining novels I have read this year. The author leads you through a twisted web of intrigue after an attempted assassination of the President. Non-stop action and suspense from the first page to the last.
February 6, 2012
I met Mike Lawson last year at Bouchercon then picked this up and I'm glad I did. It's a great book - with an excellent, hilarious hero and terrific action
June 25, 2019
Не вярвай на всичко, което ти кажат. Проверявай преди да отсъдиш.
September 9, 2020
Almost liked it but then it got gruesome.
Main character ok, plot ok.
Main character ok, plot ok.
April 6, 2021
So I’ve just met Joe Demarco. I like him enough I think I’ll spend some serious time in his world.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews