Executive Privilege

Presidents of the United States have been accused of many transgressions, but being a serial killer--so far--has not been one of the accusations (unless you include undeclared wars. However, that's the gist of the plot of Mr. Margolin's fascinating 10th novel. To give any further detail would give away too much of the plot. Suffice it to say that the portrayal of the characters is real, and the story moves forward at a rapid pace. The descriptions of the FBI procedures and insights into the appointment and actions of a Special Prosecutor investigating a high ranking executive are superb, indicative of the author's legal background. Highly recommended.

Pageturner (cliché), blockbuster (cliché), fastpaced (cliché. Right. You won't get many hours sleep once you have started this one. In my opinion, the best book Phillip Margolin has ever written. The idea of this story almost made me catch my breath, so far-fetched did it seem when it finally hit me what was going on. I thought I was reading a really good, although nothing out of the "ordinary really good", thriller, until I realized to which extremes the author has gone with this book. Down through the history, Kings and Presidents have been murdered. Also, as during The French Revolution in 1789, Kings and Queens have been charged with horrible crimes and executed. The latter is, however, a bit different and/or difficult to compare with a modern times President of The United States being under suspicion for murder. And so cleverly has the web been woven, that it takes the reader (at least it did me) until the very last pages to figure out "who did it, and why"! In fact, I did NOT find out, but had to wait impatiently until it was finally all explained to me in great detail. I won't reveal more of the story and spoil new readers' fun. It's simply a terrific read. A sophisticated, fascinating, horrible fairytale for grownups! Or is it? Could something like this really happen? The idea seems daunting, and neither is the solution what you may be tempted to guess according to the synopsis. Nevertheless, Mr. Margolin has written an amazing book. Buy it!

This kept me on my toes the whole way. I loved it and if you want a book that you absolutely can't put down....this is a great choice! Happy Reading!!!!

Brad Miller isn't having his best year. He moved the width of an entire continent, from New York to Oregon, in order to put maximum distance between himself and Bridget Malloy, yet he still thinks of her almost constantly. It was his hope that his new position as junior associate in the state's most prestigious law firm might take his mind off Malloy and their traumatic breakup. Several months of a grueling workload, getting to know his colleagues and learning the ropes, has eased his pain somewhat. Just when he is starting to feel better, a case is assigned to him that involves potentially appealing the conviction of Clarence Little, the most notorious serial killer Oregon has ever seen. While this may provide the sort of distraction Miller needs to help him forget Malloy, it does not provide much in the way of comfort. Little insists, though, that he has been framed for one of the murders, despite an eerily similar MO. On the opposite side of the country, in Washington, DC, Dana Cutler is embarking on a new case too, one that will take her places she had never envisioned. An ex-cop with a host of her own bad memories, Cutler now works as a private investigator. She can usually count on high-powered DC attorney Dale Perry to throw business her way at least occasionally. The latest: A simple surveillance of a pretty young college student. Sounds easy. Of course, it isn't. In DC, not much is as it seems. There is always a hidden agenda. And Cutler should have known. The money was just too good. As the client instructed, Cutler follows Charlotte Walsh and ends up surviving a harrowing evening of jaw-dropping surprises and heart-racing chases. Unfortunately, Walsh does not. As it dawns on Cutler, who was pursuing her during the night, she is filled with a terrifying dread. She devises a little insurance for her safety, thinking that she might yet come out of this all right. But when she sees the news about the young woman's death, Cutler decides to take a powder, even though the murder is being attributed to the DC Ripper, a serial killer at work in the nation's capital. Meanwhile, back in Oregon, Miller is reluctantly starting to believe that Little may actually be innocent as he claims, whether the MO is the same or not. Little has an airtight alibi for the time of the crime. Miller unhappily notes the direction the evidence is taking him: straight to the president of the United States. Ex-governor of the state of Oregon, Chris Farrington was the poster boy for success and rose to the top political position in an enviably illustrious career. He is now up for re-election, and his opposition is running a strong campaign. The last thing he needs right now is a scandal. Since it can be proven that President Farrington knew Walsh, his relationship with her could be a spoiling point. But ties to a murdered girl may be the least of the president's problems. Some people have made a connection between Farrington and another dead girl, this one in Ore

Get ready to lose some sleep. I was not able to put this book down, and stayed up until 4 a.m. to finish it! The same thing happened to my mom, who was listening to it on the audio CD version. I believe this is Mr. Margolin's best effort to date. The book was fast paced, great characters, and a very credible, entertaining plot. If you like books that cover the U.S. from the West Coast to the East, politicians that you love to hate, lawyers, judges and law enforcement heroes that make you root for the home team and a little romance thrown in, then this is the book for you. I was very sorry to read that Mr. Margolin's beloved wife passed away early last year. I think that it is possible that this great loss has made him a more powerful, gifted writer, and I sure wish that she was able to read this book. It is truly one of his best.