First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader

First Daughter is a fast moving political thriller, penned by NYT Best-Selling author Eric Van Lustbader. The novel starts off with the ending rather than the beginning, which adds great intrigue throughout the story. That was a very clever move, because the ending was so horrific that I just had to know what could have led up to these events.

Central to this novel is character Jack McClure. The author takes us a on a fascinating journey through Jack’s life, a dyslexic ATF agent who is put into the service of the Secret Service just as the President Elects daughter goes missing from her college dorm room. His job is to find her and bring her safely home. His past becomes eerily linked to the present, and to the missing daughter of the President Elect. Murders, people, and places almost too neatly relate back to Jack McClure throughout this novel. I felt that there were simply too many coincidences to make the story believable. Alas, that is the beauty of a novel rather than real life.

The final 25 pages are almost magical. The writing style is fluid and uncomplicated. If you are looking for your next contemporary political thriller read, this book should fit the bill very nicely.

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Release Date: October 14, 2008 (pre-order here)

The Brass Verdict is one of the very best books I have read in the last few years , bar none. The premise is simple yet very intricately woven throughout its easily read pages. The main character, a well loved character from several other novels, inherits a law practice and a big big time case from a murdered lawyer. The novel follows the main character as he masterfully defends all his new clients, balances his personal life, ex wives, little daughter, rehab, and a detective that is trying to keep him alive for several professional and personal reasons.

I will not give too much away in that it will ruin the suspense and the very unpredictable ending. The author has written around 20 novels all in this genre and over the years has developed the characters as well as any author I have come across, even better than my favorite author, Tom Clancy. I have already ordered the Lincoln Lawyer, the book before the brass Verdict because I am so involved with the characters this author has developed for my reading enjoyment.

The Brass Verdict is all about story telling on the harsh streets of LA, there are no punches pulled and you will get a dose of reality, violence and a touch of humor in the pages as they unfold before you. I am now a fan of Mr. Connelly and the novels he writes are now going to be permanently on my reading list.