Dark Ambition

This is quite a suspenseful and exciting read. The Secretary of State,a close friend of the President, is murdered in his home. The President wants the case solved quickly. There are false leads and his gardener is an early suspect. As the investigation broadens more candidates come into play. The Chinese had instigated a plot filming him while sexually involved with a woman. They anticipated that he could be blackmailed into dropping his support for Taiwan. Plenty of high level governmental intrigue involving the Secretary of Defense, the President's chief of staff,the head of operations for the CIA and a highly trained female assasin. I particulary enjoyed this read since the author concentrated on the plot without interjecting his ideological feelings as he has in some of his more recent writings.

Very engaging and well written. It keeps you glued to your seat to the very end.

This book was an excellent follow up to Topol's first book "SpyDance". In this book the Secretary of State Robert Winthrop ismurdered by a visitor named George Nesbitt who actually turns out to be Gwen a psycho contract killer. The blame for the crime is place on the Winthrop gardener Clyde Gillis.Assigned to prosecute the case in Ben Hartweel.Hired to defend Gillis isJennifer Moore an old love of Hartwell's.They launch a thoroughinvestigation. They discover ties to the Chinese government and ahuge conspiracy. The actual villains in this story will actuallyshock you.This is an outstanding murder-mystery book that youwill enjoy. It is definitely enjoy. Definitely read this book.

Topol might be the most riveting spy-adventure writer in America today. Dark Ambition is his second novel, and it continues the pacing and excitement of Spy Dance, his first novel (which you should read immediately if you enjoy Dark Ambition).Dark Ambition unveils the perplexing murder of an indiscreet Secretary of State, combining powerful maneuverings in Washington, tangled detective work, and underhanded court dealings. Various characters are linked to the murder, from corrupt Chinese government officials who detested the Secretary of State for his support of Taiwan's weapons' buildup, to the most intimate of the presidential Oval Office advisors.The masterful plot moves seamlessly between Washington, China, Zurich, London, and New York, while at the novel's core is the American process of honest, courageous people battling bureaucracy to ascertain the truth. I found myself solidly immersed in Topol's multi-faceted conspiracy and am eagerly anticipating his next work.