Eight stars
As my Jim McGill series binge intensifies, I remain in awe with all that Joseph Flynn has been able to accomplish. McGill is still in the middle of the action, even with the White House years behind him. This allow the private investigator to remains close to the action, as his company has branched out significantly. In a case where there are two apparent lotto winners, McGill and his team must get to the root of the issue to see if luck is on the side of the ticket holder. Also, in a freak shooting outside McGill's Washington office, there appears to be someone gunning for a feisty journalist. A chilling novel that pulls on all the strings to keep things moving. Flynn does a masterful job once more!
Jim McGill has built a reputation for being someone that can be relied upon to help friends and foes alike. When two former Metro PD cops approach McGill for some assistance with a new client, he is happy to guide them. Former MPD detectives Meeker and Beemer have a client who has recently won the Grand Slam lotto, with a jackpot of a whopping $212 million. However, there appears to be a second winner, one who is not being named inn the media. The validity of this second winner is in question, forcing the new investigators to get to the root of the issue to see what's going on. This is a massive payout and no one wants to be pat of a scam.
After meeting with McGill that same morning, newswoman and intense investigative journalist Ellie Booker is shot at outside of McGill Investigations International's Washington office, just after confiding that she might be in some trouble. While she is protected by a man in uniform, her issues begin to snowball and the truth about the shooters, Jordanian nationals, comes to light. Who could want her dead is the real question, which is exacerbated when a second attempt on her life occurs aboard her yacht. A plot to kill Ellie is afoot and McGill refuses to stand down until he has all the pieces in place.
While those appear to be two completely individual cases, Jim McGill knows better than the ignore any errant strings that might be dangling. He's eager to get to the bottom of it all and make some progress, while helping those around him. All this while his wife, former US president Pattie McGill, seeks to strengthen her impact on the world scene as a force of charitable nature. Joseph Flynn does a great job working through the various plots in this novel to deliver something stunning.
Flynn has done a stellar job once more with the story, presenting and developing many plot points and moving away from the politics-heavy themes. The narrative remains clear and strong, pushing forward with added momentum from a cast of well-placed characters and ongoing story arcs to effectively entertain the reader. Those who have followed the series will see a bunch of great themes developing or resolving, while new ones emerge to tantalise the reader once more . Flynn's best work comes when he keeps the reader busy synthesising what is going on.
Flynn continues to develop chapters as true 'parts' of the book, while vignettes serve the role of shorter chapters. This requires some patience, but is well worth the time invested. Flynn scatters his narratives within chapters, advancing plot points, using more of a mystery flavouring. There remains a great deal to remember, which helps the reader to pay close attention and keep track of plot lines, as well as individual characters. This has been part of Flynn's process throughout the series.
Kudos, Mr. Flynn, for keeping me attentive as I devoured this book.
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