Born to Run

March 2, 2009
In this newest installment of the Jack Swyteck mysteries, the vice president dies during an alligator hunt in the Everglades, and Jack’s father, the former governor of Florida picked by the president to fill the vacant v-p slot, brings Jack to Washington as his legal counsel. But Washington politics prove deadly, and soon Jack is investigating a mystery that has its roots 40 years in the past. Jonathan Davis brings considerable skill to his reading; with clear articulation and a keen sense of timing, he conveys the book’s suspenseful plotting and nicely balances numerous characters of diverse ethnicities and genders. It is a fine performance that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. A HarperCollins hardcover.

October 15, 2008
Veteran thriller writer Grippando has been known to inject presidential politics into his thrillers before, most notably in The Abduction (1998), whichfeatured a heated contest between a female Democratic nominee and an African American Republican. In this eighth Jack Swyteck novel, the politics turn deadly when the vice president, out hunting crocodiles in the Everglades, ends up dead. Jacks father, Harry, is asked to take over as the presidents number-two man, but Jack suspects the late vice president might have been murdered and that his father might be next. When Jack receives an e-mailoffering tosell information about President Keyesinformation that could make Jacks dad the next presidenthe starts to dig deeper, gathering information from everyone from the late vice-presidents widow to thesister of a slain tabloid reporter. And as if Jack didnt have enough trouble, he also must deal with the fact that hes turning 40. This, of course, is a subject of great humor for Jacks best friend and all-around wiseacre, ex-con Theo Knight. But Jacks more visiblepolitical profile spells trouble for his relationship with FBI agent Andie Henning, who fears her boyfriends newfound status will negatively affect her career. Grippando ratchets up the action to a breakneck pace in the last half of the novel, stopping to liberally sprinkle the proceedings with snarky dialogue, pointed satire, andsome touching father-son moments. Everything you expect in a Grippando novel and more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)