White House (Mass Market Paperback)

Kirk and his lover come to DC to see Elizabeth, but a passing car opens fire on the restaurant where the McGarvey party is eating. Kirk's mistress is dead and Elizabeth is injured. An angry Kirk accepts the position of acting Deputy Director of Operations for the agency. Meanwhile, in North Korea, a nuclear bomb explodes in an underground site. The intelligence community feels that North Korea possesses four more bombs that could cause havoc on Seoul and Tokyo. Someone does not want McGarvey involved even if it means killing him or abducting his former spouse and their daughter. Kirk goes into field knowing his life is on the line but willing to risk it because something very sinister is happening in Asia.

The tortured Kirk McGarvey is a classic antihero who somehow gains the attention and fond attachment of the readers simply because the audience simply likes this obstinate person. However, Kirk is no comic book Bond. The triangular love exchanged between him, his ex-wife, and their daughter bring forth a humanity that keeps him from totally going out in the cold. The story line chills the bones of the audience as the scenarios seem to have the potential of happening. Unlike most sub-genre tales where the action rules, the characters add depth to WHITE HOUSE and pumps the readers, adrenaline readings off the scales. David Hagberg puts the Thrill in a thriller.

Harriet Klausner

A former student, Jason Crowell attends Sherman College located in the western suburbs. An anonymous group, the Women Warriors, accuse Jason of rape, plastering flyers all over the campus. The media is playing the story. Milan agrees to look into the situation and learns some strange facts. No one knows who are the members of the female activist group. The alleged victim has never surfaced. Jason has always been squeaky clean and his sexual preference tends towards males. As the school administration wants to hang Jason as a sexual predator, a related murder occurs in which the freshman serves as the prime suspect. Milan believes the lad is innocent and plans to uncover the identity of the real killer.

The Milan Jacovich mysteries remain an entertaining treat as they strip away the image of a burning Lake Erie and a rusted city to provide a tour of the real Cleveland. The latest novel, THE BEST-KEPT SECRET, is an interesting tale as Milan investigates the ugly atmosphere of a nearby campus. The story line seems far-fetched that Jason would come under such a blitz attack based on almost nothing. However, the fact that indiviudals serving hard time have been freed due to DNA testing prove otherwise. Les Roberts has kept fresh his down to earth sleuth in a tale that fans will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner