Product Description

The dazzling sequel to The Inside Ring finds Joe DeMarco, the Speaker of the House’s all-purpose “fixer” in a battle of wits against a lethal female spy.

When the Secretary of the Navy’s nephew says he believes that two colleagues at a U.S. naval base may be committing fraud, his uncle is skeptical. Reluctant to launch an official investigation based on a relative’s vague suspicions, the secretary asks House Speaker, John Mahoney, to send his troubleshooter, DeMarco, to check out the story. As DeMarco and his friend Emma, a retired DIA agent, began to investigate what they thought was a low-stakes government swindle, they come to the terrifying realization that an espionage ring has infiltrated the naval base.

The leader of the espionage cell is a woman with whom Emma has a history that goes back to the cold war. Their encounter destroyed the woman’s once promising career and turned her into a ruthless operative who cares about only one thing: destroying Emma, the person responsible for her shame, dishonor, and shattered life. DeMarco has never been near a spy in his life—at least not that he knew of—and now he’s dealing with a foreign agent who is more deadly than anyone he’s ever encountered.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1651621 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-18
• Released on: 2006-07-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The second outing for political troubleshooter Joe DeMarco, who's employed by House Speaker John Mahoney, proves that Lawson's fine debut, The Inside Ring (2005), was no fluke. Soon after DeMarco's arrival at the U.S. naval base in Bremerton, Wash., which an espionage ring has infiltrated, dead spies start turning up. Their control, a beautiful Chinese national, Li Mei, appears to be killing her underlings once they complete their jobs. After Li Mei gets her hands on top secret information about nuclear submarine technology, she boldly takes the next step—kidnapping one of DeMarco's operatives, who, theoretically, could be tortured into revealing more secrets about nuclear subs. While the author's prose is highly readable and his plot fast-paced, it's the character of DeMarco, a man of insecurities, weaknesses and outright defects, that separates this new series from the herd. DeMarco also has a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor that contrasts nicely to the solemn gravity of his professional circumstances. (July)
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From AudioFile
Joe DeMarco, United States government "fix-it" man, must uncover a Chinese spy ring that has infiltrated a Navy base in Bremerton, Washington. LeMei, a beautiful Chinese national, has gone rogue, killing everyone around her after copying top-secret information about nuclear submarine technology. Richard Poe handles feminine characterizations with ease and skillfully adds foreign accents when appropriate to differentiate the cast. His warm depiction of DeMarco captures the spirit of his self-deprecating character. In contrast, his portrayal of DeMarco's friend Emma under torture is chilling. Poe's reading pace compensates for the story's slow start and then matches the rising tension as the plot escalates to a surprising climax. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Government fix-it man Joe DeMarco returns for a second adventure. After foiling a plot to assassinate the president in The Inside Ring (2005), he now has a job that may be even tougher: to nail a spy ring that's operating out of a naval base. The novel is more accomplished stylistically than its predecessor, and the author (a former civilian contractor for the U.S. Navy) works in plenty of the kinds of details only an insider could know. At once a solid thriller and a revealing look behind the scenes of American politics, the tale will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers. David Pitt
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