Eight stars
The intensity of this series by Joseph Flynn has me reading as much about Jim McGill as I can. While I finished the series to date, I failed to read and review an elusive short story in the collection, which wedged itself in the latter stages. This is that short story, which Flynn uses to help explore some of the sentiments Jim McGill had as his wife left the Oval Office, peppered with a few mysterious revelations. A great read that I undertook in a single sitting.
While Jim McGill enjoyed his time as the president's henchman, all good things come to an end. After eight years in the White House, McGill and President Patti Grant move on with the next chapter in their life. One such change leaves McGill deciding to sell his home in Evanston, Illinois. This comes with a great deal of emotion, including learning about an old manuscript McGill's uncle penned during the war years, headed somewhere in the house.
As McGill tries to locate the manuscript, rushing to locate it in the house that is set to be sold, he is handed a simplistic case to keep his skills sharp. Looking into a gastronomical award that went missing, McGill fills his time and stomach with some clues that help him set things straight. However, in the back of his mind, that manuscript nags at him. Flynn does well with this bridging piece that proved highly entertaining.
The political commentary made in the series is shelved with this piece, straddling the period when McGill was leaving the White House and before his investigation agency took off internationally. Flynn uses his skills to weave a wonderful short story that checks all the boxes without getting too deep into any one issue. Pulling on a number of great characters and some key plot points, Flynn keeps the story sharp and a great link between two strong novels in the series. I do enjoy the complex nature of the novels in the collection, but this pause is also refreshing and well worth the reader's time!
Kudos, Mr. Flynn, for a great read I could tackle in under an hour.
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