Synopsis
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. On a tip from his nephew, the Secretary of the Navy asks House Speaker John Mahoney to send his troubleshooter, Joe DeMarco, to check out a potential case of fraud within the navy. As DeMarco and his friend Emma, a retired DIA agent, begin to investigate, 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. DeMarco has never been near a spy in his life and now he s dealing with a foreign agent who is more deadly than anyone he s ever encountered.
Publishers Weekly
Joe DeMarco returns for a second adventure after last year's excellent debut, The Inside Ring. This time out DeMarco, an unofficial operative for the Speaker of the House, is asked to casually look into a security company that may be price gouging the government for its services at a U.S. naval base. However, DeMarco's innocent investigation quickly becomes a deadly matter of national security, involving stolen top secret information, murder and a ruthless Chinese agent out for revenge. Poe does an excellent job reading this complex thriller, providing just the right pace to keep the thrill quality of the material high, yet pulls back when needed in order to present the more human and less melodramatic aspects. He is especially adept in bringing out the humor laced lightly through the book. Poe gives DeMarco a ruffled, slightly put-upon but ultimately heroic persona, a solid, multileveled characterization. Karen DiMattia's abridgment should also be noted, as her judicious cutting manages to keep the story moving at a ready clip but never sacrifices coherency or character. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover (Reviews, May 29). (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.