Definitely not a read for those who like clean endings.
A tale of intrigue and manipulations at the highest level in the world - the off the American President. Stephen Baker, a clean cut, family loving President (with JFK’s charisma) is the new leader of America with just 61 days in his office before all hell breaks loose. He is threatened by his past - shown as nutcase for having had a psychiatric evaluation and accepting money from an Iranian.
While he manages to get out of the two scandals, a bigger one looms. Enter Maggie Costello, an adrenalin loving White Housenegotiator handpicked by the President and Stuart Goldstein (the President’s right hand man for 20 years) to track down the truth behind the blackmailer. So off goes Maggie on a wild goose chase through some of thedarker and seamier alleys of America unraveling a man who at the end has feet of clay.
Intrigue in the form of a consortium of global bankers who"predict the President", helped by their political machinations and the murder of all those involved in finding out the truth. Good old Maggie ( an Iron Lady after her British namesake)ferrets out the truth with incredible strokes of luck and finds that her god is anything but. The swift capitulation of Stephen Baker, finding a new moral high ground, is inevitable with the "unpredicted" Vice President becoming the new President and smiting the Mammon with a heavy bureaucratic sword.
And what of Maggie? Having survived a car crash, brokenribs, the death of close friends, the rejection by an old lover, she is back at solving the world crisis in Darfur.
The story line holds more potential as a movie rather than a book. The lack of credibility comes through in not explaining the main characters’ motivation and the gullibility of those whom Maggie and Co. seek to thwart. At 400 + pages, one requires heavy rubber boots and a suspension of reality to wade through.