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Bodies on the Potomac
Karl Blumenthal’s Bluffton, South Carolina automobile dealership is being terminated by Universal Motors. He believes it’s because he’s failed to financially back the reelection efforts of the sitting US president.
For guidance, Blumenthal calls on good friend and former Washington power broker Taylor Clark. But Clark is skeptical. However, when a live round fired from a silenced pistol narrowly misses him, Clark begins to fear the worst—that the country could be on the edge of the messiest national scandal since Watergate.
Clark immediately engages his boss, Loraine Sinatra, a feared Washington operator who secretly controls a black unit buried deep within one of America’s least understood but most powerful and autonomous law enforcement organizations. Clark and Sinatra search desperately for footing in the investigation, tapping sources they haven’t called on for years. When they arrive seconds too late to prevent a firearms confrontation on Blumenthal’s front lot, it becomes clear that a national catastrophe looms. It isn’t long before they discover that Bluffton is nothing more than a single speck in a bold scheme masterminded by Russian billionaire Mikael Azarov to bend the president of the United States to Moscow’s will by seizing control of Universal Motors for himself.
Azarov’s daring plot places his $25 billion fortune at risk—but he has killed before, and he’s willing to kill again if that’s what it takes to win. It’s up to Clark to stop him.
From the Lowcountry of South Carolina to the halls of power in the nation’s capital, from the skyscrapers of San Francisco’s famed financial district to the stormy streets of flooded Savannah, Clark’s resourcefulness and nerve fuel his pursuit of the truth—a pursuit that ultimately ends in violent public death.
A work of fiction, Bodies on the Potomac is pure entertainment that will leave the reader wanting more.
For guidance, Blumenthal calls on good friend and former Washington power broker Taylor Clark. But Clark is skeptical. However, when a live round fired from a silenced pistol narrowly misses him, Clark begins to fear the worst—that the country could be on the edge of the messiest national scandal since Watergate.
Clark immediately engages his boss, Loraine Sinatra, a feared Washington operator who secretly controls a black unit buried deep within one of America’s least understood but most powerful and autonomous law enforcement organizations. Clark and Sinatra search desperately for footing in the investigation, tapping sources they haven’t called on for years. When they arrive seconds too late to prevent a firearms confrontation on Blumenthal’s front lot, it becomes clear that a national catastrophe looms. It isn’t long before they discover that Bluffton is nothing more than a single speck in a bold scheme masterminded by Russian billionaire Mikael Azarov to bend the president of the United States to Moscow’s will by seizing control of Universal Motors for himself.
Azarov’s daring plot places his $25 billion fortune at risk—but he has killed before, and he’s willing to kill again if that’s what it takes to win. It’s up to Clark to stop him.
From the Lowcountry of South Carolina to the halls of power in the nation’s capital, from the skyscrapers of San Francisco’s famed financial district to the stormy streets of flooded Savannah, Clark’s resourcefulness and nerve fuel his pursuit of the truth—a pursuit that ultimately ends in violent public death.
A work of fiction, Bodies on the Potomac is pure entertainment that will leave the reader wanting more.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2014
3 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Daniel O'Neil
1 book1 followerDaniel O’Neil is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a former sports broadcaster and current insurance consultant. His personal collection of fiction is extensive and serves as his inspiration to introduce readers to BODIES ON THE POTOMAC, his debut novel. O’Neil, the father of two sons, has lived in a variety of locations, including Wisconsin, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina. He currently resides in Florida where he is at work on his next book.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 12, 2014
This book was hard to put down, it had me guessing the ending all the way to the last page.
October 4, 2016
For the first time in my own history of reading a small press book, the description for Bodies on the Potomac is absolutely dead-on accurate. It’s about a political conspiracy that at first seems far-fetched, leaving the reader just as skeptical as the main character, Taylor Clark, a former Washington power broker, when he gets a call from his friend, Karl Blumenthal, who’s upset that his automobile dealership contract (owned by the fictional Universal Motors) is being terminated. Karl immediately launches into a conspiracy theory rant about how this ties into the current reelection efforts of the sitting US president. Naturally, Clark shrugs the theory off, not understanding how termination of one car dealership could have anything to do with re-electing the president, or how it could mean the “messiest national scandal since Watergate”, but it isn’t long before Clark (taking readers along with him) begins grudgingly researching as a favor to his friend, and suddenly, the story gets plunged full-tilt into a mystery thriller so intricate, the plot becomes not only utterly believable, but scarily so.
There are so many wonderful things about this book. There’s an unexpected revelation by a main character about a government organization secretly buried deep within one of America’s least understood but most powerful and autonomous law enforcement organizations, that even feared Washington operator, Loraine Sinatra, who secretly controls this black unit doesn’t know the full scope of. Sinatra, by the way, has to be one of the coolest female characters I’ve ever encountered in a story. She literally reminded me of actress Linda Hunt in her physical descriptions, and even more so in her acerbic wit and darkly humorous dialogue laced throughout the book. Some of the best and most entrancing scenes in the book are the conversations about the situation between Loraine and Clark.
In fact, the reveal of just how far back and intricately hidden the secret government organization, known as the SA (and tied directly to the Sergeant at Arms) goes, in chapter sixteen, is nothing short of reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code. And once again, the idea is not only entirely believable, but highly probable that something exactly like it exists, just as almost all the revelations, intricate plans, political fiascos and shady doings (there’s a group of congressmen and women who are fleecing the stock market with insider trading), unravel in this book, and one of the women in this group is the ex-wife of the novel’s leading foe, Mikael Azarov, another all-too-plausible villain who is attempting to pull off usurping control of the United States President in an all-too-realistic fashion. Again, I’m reminded of another story, this time the film, “Conspiracy Theory”, where supposed nut-job Mel Gibson’s Jerry Fletcher, actually and accidentally gets one of his major theories right, causing the bad men executing their clandestine plans to come after him.
Very early on, Clark muses over the history of the building of the Hoover Dam, and it quickly blows the mind of the reader, just how spot-on the character is in his musings of the folly of our modern day bureaucracy to get anything done in a timely manner, and with much more finesse than I could ever relay without simply re-printing the entire section. In chapter four, Loraine gives a very convincing delivery of her insight on how the Nixon scandal was “the seminal moment” of the modern age in the US, and again, it’s delivered with such candor and insight, it blows the mind.
And then there’s Mikael Azarov, the Russian-American businessman and scoundrel behind the entire main plot involving Universal Motors and the attempt at getting the president reelected, simply to gain full control of not only the prez, but the entire American government along with him. Sound ridiculously impossible? Not the way O’Neil spins it.
Azarov employs the services of an up-and-coming insider trading phenom, Rasey Campbell, who’s been under the tutelage of big-time trader Tally, whose last name is never revealed throughout the entire novel. Azarov also has in his employ a dashing young genius named Randall, who is spun as probably the most adept and in-depth hacker the world has ever seen, to help him further amass his eventual 25-billion-dollar empire. It isn’t long after they meet before Rasey and Randall begin an interesting “fling”, which I hesitate to call a torrid love affair. The romance that develops between the two had me feeling like it was a cross between “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Fifty Shades of Grey”, but with more sophistication, and definitely more subtlety. I’m not complaining, mind you. Randall definitely had the guile and charm of Christian Grey, but without the serious BDSM fetish and commitment issues. I do wonder, however, if naming Randall’s target love interest “Rasey” was a purposeful jest.
At any rate, the love story between these two characters was a surprising and welcome shift in the story, as well as a nice littler breather from the constant conspiracy-political-action/thriller passages that comprise the rest of the book. I also really liked Rasey as a female character, she had some real spunk to her, as well as Clark’s girlfriend, Carmen, yet another female character that proves she can kick some butt and isn’t a damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued by her boyfriend. Although, Clark’s dog, a lab named Duchess (who rightfully earns props as an actual character in the book) does help Carmen out in one scene, but it’s just another example of a female (yes, Duchess is technically a bitch) kicking ass and taking names.
There are so many different characters and subplots in this book, it would tend to sound confusing when talking about it, but author Daniel O’Neil delivers each new twist and turn with such expertise, it’s simply another turn on the roller coaster ride that is Bodies on the Potomac, and the story is told in such a way, you don’t even realize how many different things are being thrown at you (history lessons on the Hoover Dam, the large scale ramifications of the Nixon scandal, the explanation of the SA, the intricate misdealing’s of the secret Congress group, etc., not to mention the entire plot of Universal Motors being the linchpin in a Russian mobster’s plan to overthrow the entire American economic system, as well as unseat the government), because everything in this novel is delivered in a very straight forward, almost conversational tone, that makes it not only easy to absorb all the various characters and information in the plot and subplots, but nearly impossible not to believe this book, while obviously a work of fiction, is happening right this very moment, in Washington, under the noses of American citizens oblivious to the potential detonation of our way of life and everything we think we know (and so desperately want to believe) about our country and its leaders.
Bodies on the Potomac is an engaging read, definitely a thriller, but it isn’t in-your-face. There are a few car chases, to be certain, and even a shootout, and a few bodies that pile up by the end of the story, but the novel has more of a slow burn feel to it, “All the President’s Men” style, and lacking any “Fast and Furious” bustle and commotion. This is more of a “The Firm” or “The Pelican Brief” type thriller, that takes a bit of time to fully develop and reveal itself, which is how any conspiracy would naturally develop to anyone called upon (as Karl Blumenthal does) to investigate (as Taylor Clark does) and the entire plot unfolds from there; a simple cancellation of a contract on an automobile dealership, that eventually plunges the readers, along with Clark, Loraine and a slew of other characters into a gently roiling and treacherous story line.
The book’s description is absolutely accurate: “A work of fiction, Bodies on the Potomac is pure entertainment that will leave the reader wanting more.” And, by the way, I also found the conversations between all the various characters inside this novel to be among the most entertaining, interesting, and genuine discourses of dialogue that I’ve ever read. The manner of speech of each character is separate, distinctive, and utterly believable, which only adds to the already conversational tone of the entire book. Not to mention, some of the out loud laughs this book elicited came from some of the funny verbal exchanges between Clark and Loraine. Loraine was my favorite character in the entire book, especially her interactions specifically with a man named Calloway Ridge (Ridge was pretty great himself) near the end of the novel. There are a few other splices of levity throughout the story, specifically that special care is taken by the author to describe many characters’ various preparations and enjoyments of coffee and tea beverages, which may sound tedious, but it becomes the welcoming hallmark opening of multiple chapters throughout the novel.
Author Daniel O’Neil definitely holds his own among some of the larger commercial selling authors in the last few decades, including Dan Brown, John Grisham, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and even E. L. James. I can (and did) easily see this novel being turned into a hit commercial film. In fact, this book seems almost destined for the big screen, if it ever catches on with a larger readership first, which it absolutely deserves to do.
This book decidedly left me wanting more. I can easily see many of these characters becoming staples in future political thrillers, conspiracies and plots, in a series of novels, if the author decides to utilize these characters further. I could definitely go for a series involving Clark, Loraine, Carmen… I’d even like to read more on the developing romance between Rasey and Randall. I absolutely recommend this book if you like thrillers, mysteries, political intrigue, or conspiracy plots. If you like romance, there’s a little of that, too. If you like all of those things, you’ll love this book. Oh, and if you love dogs on top of everything else, you’ll utterly adore this novel. I know I did.
There are so many wonderful things about this book. There’s an unexpected revelation by a main character about a government organization secretly buried deep within one of America’s least understood but most powerful and autonomous law enforcement organizations, that even feared Washington operator, Loraine Sinatra, who secretly controls this black unit doesn’t know the full scope of. Sinatra, by the way, has to be one of the coolest female characters I’ve ever encountered in a story. She literally reminded me of actress Linda Hunt in her physical descriptions, and even more so in her acerbic wit and darkly humorous dialogue laced throughout the book. Some of the best and most entrancing scenes in the book are the conversations about the situation between Loraine and Clark.
In fact, the reveal of just how far back and intricately hidden the secret government organization, known as the SA (and tied directly to the Sergeant at Arms) goes, in chapter sixteen, is nothing short of reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code. And once again, the idea is not only entirely believable, but highly probable that something exactly like it exists, just as almost all the revelations, intricate plans, political fiascos and shady doings (there’s a group of congressmen and women who are fleecing the stock market with insider trading), unravel in this book, and one of the women in this group is the ex-wife of the novel’s leading foe, Mikael Azarov, another all-too-plausible villain who is attempting to pull off usurping control of the United States President in an all-too-realistic fashion. Again, I’m reminded of another story, this time the film, “Conspiracy Theory”, where supposed nut-job Mel Gibson’s Jerry Fletcher, actually and accidentally gets one of his major theories right, causing the bad men executing their clandestine plans to come after him.
Very early on, Clark muses over the history of the building of the Hoover Dam, and it quickly blows the mind of the reader, just how spot-on the character is in his musings of the folly of our modern day bureaucracy to get anything done in a timely manner, and with much more finesse than I could ever relay without simply re-printing the entire section. In chapter four, Loraine gives a very convincing delivery of her insight on how the Nixon scandal was “the seminal moment” of the modern age in the US, and again, it’s delivered with such candor and insight, it blows the mind.
And then there’s Mikael Azarov, the Russian-American businessman and scoundrel behind the entire main plot involving Universal Motors and the attempt at getting the president reelected, simply to gain full control of not only the prez, but the entire American government along with him. Sound ridiculously impossible? Not the way O’Neil spins it.
Azarov employs the services of an up-and-coming insider trading phenom, Rasey Campbell, who’s been under the tutelage of big-time trader Tally, whose last name is never revealed throughout the entire novel. Azarov also has in his employ a dashing young genius named Randall, who is spun as probably the most adept and in-depth hacker the world has ever seen, to help him further amass his eventual 25-billion-dollar empire. It isn’t long after they meet before Rasey and Randall begin an interesting “fling”, which I hesitate to call a torrid love affair. The romance that develops between the two had me feeling like it was a cross between “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Fifty Shades of Grey”, but with more sophistication, and definitely more subtlety. I’m not complaining, mind you. Randall definitely had the guile and charm of Christian Grey, but without the serious BDSM fetish and commitment issues. I do wonder, however, if naming Randall’s target love interest “Rasey” was a purposeful jest.
At any rate, the love story between these two characters was a surprising and welcome shift in the story, as well as a nice littler breather from the constant conspiracy-political-action/thriller passages that comprise the rest of the book. I also really liked Rasey as a female character, she had some real spunk to her, as well as Clark’s girlfriend, Carmen, yet another female character that proves she can kick some butt and isn’t a damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued by her boyfriend. Although, Clark’s dog, a lab named Duchess (who rightfully earns props as an actual character in the book) does help Carmen out in one scene, but it’s just another example of a female (yes, Duchess is technically a bitch) kicking ass and taking names.
There are so many different characters and subplots in this book, it would tend to sound confusing when talking about it, but author Daniel O’Neil delivers each new twist and turn with such expertise, it’s simply another turn on the roller coaster ride that is Bodies on the Potomac, and the story is told in such a way, you don’t even realize how many different things are being thrown at you (history lessons on the Hoover Dam, the large scale ramifications of the Nixon scandal, the explanation of the SA, the intricate misdealing’s of the secret Congress group, etc., not to mention the entire plot of Universal Motors being the linchpin in a Russian mobster’s plan to overthrow the entire American economic system, as well as unseat the government), because everything in this novel is delivered in a very straight forward, almost conversational tone, that makes it not only easy to absorb all the various characters and information in the plot and subplots, but nearly impossible not to believe this book, while obviously a work of fiction, is happening right this very moment, in Washington, under the noses of American citizens oblivious to the potential detonation of our way of life and everything we think we know (and so desperately want to believe) about our country and its leaders.
Bodies on the Potomac is an engaging read, definitely a thriller, but it isn’t in-your-face. There are a few car chases, to be certain, and even a shootout, and a few bodies that pile up by the end of the story, but the novel has more of a slow burn feel to it, “All the President’s Men” style, and lacking any “Fast and Furious” bustle and commotion. This is more of a “The Firm” or “The Pelican Brief” type thriller, that takes a bit of time to fully develop and reveal itself, which is how any conspiracy would naturally develop to anyone called upon (as Karl Blumenthal does) to investigate (as Taylor Clark does) and the entire plot unfolds from there; a simple cancellation of a contract on an automobile dealership, that eventually plunges the readers, along with Clark, Loraine and a slew of other characters into a gently roiling and treacherous story line.
The book’s description is absolutely accurate: “A work of fiction, Bodies on the Potomac is pure entertainment that will leave the reader wanting more.” And, by the way, I also found the conversations between all the various characters inside this novel to be among the most entertaining, interesting, and genuine discourses of dialogue that I’ve ever read. The manner of speech of each character is separate, distinctive, and utterly believable, which only adds to the already conversational tone of the entire book. Not to mention, some of the out loud laughs this book elicited came from some of the funny verbal exchanges between Clark and Loraine. Loraine was my favorite character in the entire book, especially her interactions specifically with a man named Calloway Ridge (Ridge was pretty great himself) near the end of the novel. There are a few other splices of levity throughout the story, specifically that special care is taken by the author to describe many characters’ various preparations and enjoyments of coffee and tea beverages, which may sound tedious, but it becomes the welcoming hallmark opening of multiple chapters throughout the novel.
Author Daniel O’Neil definitely holds his own among some of the larger commercial selling authors in the last few decades, including Dan Brown, John Grisham, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and even E. L. James. I can (and did) easily see this novel being turned into a hit commercial film. In fact, this book seems almost destined for the big screen, if it ever catches on with a larger readership first, which it absolutely deserves to do.
This book decidedly left me wanting more. I can easily see many of these characters becoming staples in future political thrillers, conspiracies and plots, in a series of novels, if the author decides to utilize these characters further. I could definitely go for a series involving Clark, Loraine, Carmen… I’d even like to read more on the developing romance between Rasey and Randall. I absolutely recommend this book if you like thrillers, mysteries, political intrigue, or conspiracy plots. If you like romance, there’s a little of that, too. If you like all of those things, you’ll love this book. Oh, and if you love dogs on top of everything else, you’ll utterly adore this novel. I know I did.
April 20, 2016
Every time I thought I had this figured out...I was wrong and I loved it! This thriller is action packed and covers a wide range of characters, locations and conspiracies. I am tied on who my favorite character is which is great because there are so many well developed individuals who comprise a very sneaky and smart group. Rasey and Calloway are the the epitome of the idea for not take anything or anyone for granted. I actually disliked both of these characters at first, but near the end of the book several actions take place that made me re-evaluate the story and their roles! My favorite scene is a tie between Calloway and Lorraine's conversation near the end of the book, when Clark's girlfriend demonstrates her driving prowess under pressure or the dialogue between Rasey, Clark and Carmen after finishing at the restaurant.
The plot is very well developed and each facet has depth that enriches the story and its characters. I finished this book several weeks ago and still when I reflect on this story I am blown away by how many different moving pieces were running different schemes or goals along Clark's path of finding out answers to his friends and the nations problem. I had never thought about the importance of car dealerships or campaign finance in these lights, but you will question it after reading this story!
The cover of this book stands out to me and I have to share why! When I look at this cover I think of NCIS and its credits. To me it epitomizes Washington, DC and politics which helped build the atmosphere before I started reading. When I finished reading this book and while reading it I kept wondering could this happen? With the focus today on corruption and lack of government transparency, it is interesting to think about. If you enjoy fast-paced, action packed thrillers that will have you guessing from cover to cover you will want to check this story out. I enjoyed this book and hope to see Clark, Lorraine, Rasey, Calloway again in more adventures!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The plot is very well developed and each facet has depth that enriches the story and its characters. I finished this book several weeks ago and still when I reflect on this story I am blown away by how many different moving pieces were running different schemes or goals along Clark's path of finding out answers to his friends and the nations problem. I had never thought about the importance of car dealerships or campaign finance in these lights, but you will question it after reading this story!
The cover of this book stands out to me and I have to share why! When I look at this cover I think of NCIS and its credits. To me it epitomizes Washington, DC and politics which helped build the atmosphere before I started reading. When I finished reading this book and while reading it I kept wondering could this happen? With the focus today on corruption and lack of government transparency, it is interesting to think about. If you enjoy fast-paced, action packed thrillers that will have you guessing from cover to cover you will want to check this story out. I enjoyed this book and hope to see Clark, Lorraine, Rasey, Calloway again in more adventures!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 1, 2015
While I wouldn’t call myself a fan of thrillers, this was a great book to read while I had a heck of a lot going on in real life. Bodies was a really well-written escape and had the same feel of a thriller movie, with crisp but full-bodied writing. O’Neil is an extraordinarily talented writer, in my opinion. If somebody reads thrillers or conspiracy-type books, this would be one to read, certainly. Bodies reads on the same level as most James Patterson novels, if not more enjoyable.
Thrillers, for me, have seemed to be more in the line of entertainment and this is certainly true for Bodies on the Potomac. The story – without spoiling much – follows a man named Clark who has been called in on a favor when his friend’s car dealership is closed down due to what his friend thinks is a political failure on his part. When Clark starts getting shot at, he realizes that things may run a bit deeper than he expected.
And then the Russians get involved and from there is an adventure worthy of a film, really.
Daniel O’Neil writes in a way that reads simply but gives an honestly vivid image of the story that’s happening. It’s hard to write a good thriller because thrillers are usually formulaic and predictable. I didn’t get anything formulaic or predictable from O’Neil’s novel, nor from his characters. His characters are actual complex people and not just archetypes in a grand scheme or conspiracy.
Thrillers, for me, have seemed to be more in the line of entertainment and this is certainly true for Bodies on the Potomac. The story – without spoiling much – follows a man named Clark who has been called in on a favor when his friend’s car dealership is closed down due to what his friend thinks is a political failure on his part. When Clark starts getting shot at, he realizes that things may run a bit deeper than he expected.
And then the Russians get involved and from there is an adventure worthy of a film, really.
Daniel O’Neil writes in a way that reads simply but gives an honestly vivid image of the story that’s happening. It’s hard to write a good thriller because thrillers are usually formulaic and predictable. I didn’t get anything formulaic or predictable from O’Neil’s novel, nor from his characters. His characters are actual complex people and not just archetypes in a grand scheme or conspiracy.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews