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The Washington Lawyer
In the high-stakes world of Washington politics, hotshot lawyer Andrew Martin is being put to the test. When long-time friend Senator William Jasper calls, it’s with explosive news—and a favor to ask. A sex tryst at Martin’s beach house in Anguilla has gone awry and former model Vanessa Boyd is dead. Just how far will Martin go to protect the chief justice nomination he’s built his entire career on?
Staggered by the sudden death of her twin sister, archeologist Allison Boyd drops everything to fly home to her grieving family. But when she realizes that the pieces to the puzzle simply won’t add up, she is determined to discover the truth behind her sister’s death. Launching an investigation that will unveil a treasonous plot backed by foreign interests and enabled by blackmail, Allison finds herself up against something bigger and more lethal than she could have ever imagined. With Martin’s star associate Paul Maltoni at her side, she uncovers a complex, interconnected web of lies that will expose some of Washington’s most influential power players. And she will not rest until she sees them ruined.
From the best-selling author of the Craig Page series, The Washington Lawyer is a penetrating glimpse into Capitol Hill’s seedy underbelly. High-powered DC lawyer Allan Topol impresses again with this escapade into the intricate underpinnings of Washington’s elite, drawing you into a net of questionable morals, deadly intrigues, and treachery from which there is no escape.
Staggered by the sudden death of her twin sister, archeologist Allison Boyd drops everything to fly home to her grieving family. But when she realizes that the pieces to the puzzle simply won’t add up, she is determined to discover the truth behind her sister’s death. Launching an investigation that will unveil a treasonous plot backed by foreign interests and enabled by blackmail, Allison finds herself up against something bigger and more lethal than she could have ever imagined. With Martin’s star associate Paul Maltoni at her side, she uncovers a complex, interconnected web of lies that will expose some of Washington’s most influential power players. And she will not rest until she sees them ruined.
From the best-selling author of the Craig Page series, The Washington Lawyer is a penetrating glimpse into Capitol Hill’s seedy underbelly. High-powered DC lawyer Allan Topol impresses again with this escapade into the intricate underpinnings of Washington’s elite, drawing you into a net of questionable morals, deadly intrigues, and treachery from which there is no escape.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2015
13 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Allan Topol
20 books21 followersAllan Topol is the national bestselling author of six novels of international intrigue, including Spy Dance, recently translated into Chinese. He is a graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology, who majored in chemistry, abandoned science, and obtained a law degree from Yale University. A partner in a major Washington law firm, and an avid wine collector, he has traveled extensively, researching dramatic locations for his novels. You can join him on Facebook. Please let him know if you would like to receive his free newsletter. Allan is available for speaking opportunities on subjects of international affairs, dealt with in his novels.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 17, 2015
With a chillingly realistic storyline, a compelling mystery and plenty of international intrigue, Allan Topol's newest release, The Washington Lawyer, has all of the ingredients for a fast-paced, energetic read. It is another spine tingling look into the world of politics and espionage and the addition of the investigation into a mysterious death adds another layer to a complex storyline.
Archeologist Allison Boyd is devastated by the news of her twin sister Vanessa's death. When she learns her sister was vacationing on a Caribbean island by herself and that she drowned, Allison becomes convinced that someone is hiding the real circumstances of Vanessa's death. It is completely out of character for her beautiful ex-model twin to take a tropical vacation without a man by her side. Although Vanessa's death was ruled accidental, Allison finds it impossible to believe that Vanessa, who was an excellent swimmer, could have drowned. After Vanessa's funeral, Allison goes to D.C. to investigate her sister's life in an attempt to uncover the truth about her death.
Well as it turns out, Allison's assumption about a cover up is correct. Vanessa was, in fact, on a weekend getaway with her married lover, Senator Wesley Jasper. In a panic after Vanessa's drowning, Jasper calls the owner of the vacation home and his longtime friend, Washington lawyer and possible Supreme Court short lister, Andrew Martin for assistance. Although Andrew was completely in the dark about who accompanied Jasper on his vacation, he rashly offers to help the Senator cover up the incident. Even though Andrew is conflicted about his role in the conspiracy, once he is on the fast track for a nomination to the Supreme Court, his moral compass goes even farther off course during Allison's investigation.
Is there a darker reason for the philandering Senator's continued resistance to Martin's suggestion that they both admit to the cover up? The answer to this question becomes abundantly clear when Allison is targeted by the Chinese when she begins her investigation. Allison is bewildered by how doggedly the Chinese pursue her as she tries to uncover the identity of Vanessa's unknown lover. In an attempt to elude the increasingly persistent men chasing her, she decides to go the scene of her sister's death where she continues to be stonewalled by the local authorities. Her persistence pays off when Allison finally uncovers valuable evidence and then returns to D.C. where the case is blown wide open once she finally discovers the rather unsavory information that Senator Jasper has desperately tried to keep hidden.
The Washington Lawyer is a well-written political thriller with a large cast of interesting characters. Allan Topol expertly weaves topical issues with an intriguing mystery and the resulting story is riveting. An unexpected plot twist late in the novel demonstrates how even the most ethical person can be swayed when personal ambition and a thirst for power becomes more important than truth or justice.
Archeologist Allison Boyd is devastated by the news of her twin sister Vanessa's death. When she learns her sister was vacationing on a Caribbean island by herself and that she drowned, Allison becomes convinced that someone is hiding the real circumstances of Vanessa's death. It is completely out of character for her beautiful ex-model twin to take a tropical vacation without a man by her side. Although Vanessa's death was ruled accidental, Allison finds it impossible to believe that Vanessa, who was an excellent swimmer, could have drowned. After Vanessa's funeral, Allison goes to D.C. to investigate her sister's life in an attempt to uncover the truth about her death.
Well as it turns out, Allison's assumption about a cover up is correct. Vanessa was, in fact, on a weekend getaway with her married lover, Senator Wesley Jasper. In a panic after Vanessa's drowning, Jasper calls the owner of the vacation home and his longtime friend, Washington lawyer and possible Supreme Court short lister, Andrew Martin for assistance. Although Andrew was completely in the dark about who accompanied Jasper on his vacation, he rashly offers to help the Senator cover up the incident. Even though Andrew is conflicted about his role in the conspiracy, once he is on the fast track for a nomination to the Supreme Court, his moral compass goes even farther off course during Allison's investigation.
Is there a darker reason for the philandering Senator's continued resistance to Martin's suggestion that they both admit to the cover up? The answer to this question becomes abundantly clear when Allison is targeted by the Chinese when she begins her investigation. Allison is bewildered by how doggedly the Chinese pursue her as she tries to uncover the identity of Vanessa's unknown lover. In an attempt to elude the increasingly persistent men chasing her, she decides to go the scene of her sister's death where she continues to be stonewalled by the local authorities. Her persistence pays off when Allison finally uncovers valuable evidence and then returns to D.C. where the case is blown wide open once she finally discovers the rather unsavory information that Senator Jasper has desperately tried to keep hidden.
The Washington Lawyer is a well-written political thriller with a large cast of interesting characters. Allan Topol expertly weaves topical issues with an intriguing mystery and the resulting story is riveting. An unexpected plot twist late in the novel demonstrates how even the most ethical person can be swayed when personal ambition and a thirst for power becomes more important than truth or justice.
April 4, 2015
On a recent Saturday returning home I stopped at the local wine and cheese store in Washington, DC, to stock up for the evening. I noticed a gentleman with a pile of books and some cheese on a table. It turned out to be Allan Topol, a Washington lawyer and author of ten novels, hawking his latest, ‘The Washington Lawyer,’ a political thriller. As I like the genre and was privileged to get the author’s dedication to the book, I gladly purchased it.
‘The Washington Lawyer’ has it all: politics, murder, espionage, betrayal, sex. It is a page-turner with a plot that is both imaginative and, unfortunately, credible, given that it takes place amongst the political and legal elite in the Nation’s Capital. As one of the protagonists in the novel puts it: “It’s the air up on Capitol Hill. First their brains fill with hubris. Then it goes to their dicks.”
Topol doesn’t waste space with unnecessary descriptions. Much of the book is based on dialogue, which is what keeps the pages turning. The places – whether Washington, Anguilla, Beijing, Hong Kong or Oxford, Ohio – don’t get much description. The same with the people, although a central theme of the book pertains to ethical and moral dilemmas in face of ambition. This to me is the main weakness of the book. There are no sympathetic characters (that perhaps is realism and shouldn’t be held against the author), although some may have been meant so. Most characters are driven by a deadly (literally) quest for power, fame and money. The initial victim, a “drop-dead gorgeous blond” (I’m not making this up: Topol uses the cliché more than once), turns out to be a despicable gold digger. Her twin sister – the hero of the story – is an unlikely combination: a brilliant archeologist and the youngest ever professor in the field at Brown University, a former US Olympic athlete, who practices judo (and uses it against the bad guys). She is incredibly vindictive and tenacious: “I always play hard to win. In everything,” she states. Yet, she cries uncontrollably like a fountain at the mention of her dead sister and gets “wobbly in the knees” at the sight of danger (before kicking ass). Are we supposed to like this woman? Worse, some of the characters are truly caricatures, especially the patently evil Chinese.
Maybe this is unfair criticism. After all, I read the book in a few sessions and actually enjoyed it. Mostly. Except for the above.
‘The Washington Lawyer’ has it all: politics, murder, espionage, betrayal, sex. It is a page-turner with a plot that is both imaginative and, unfortunately, credible, given that it takes place amongst the political and legal elite in the Nation’s Capital. As one of the protagonists in the novel puts it: “It’s the air up on Capitol Hill. First their brains fill with hubris. Then it goes to their dicks.”
Topol doesn’t waste space with unnecessary descriptions. Much of the book is based on dialogue, which is what keeps the pages turning. The places – whether Washington, Anguilla, Beijing, Hong Kong or Oxford, Ohio – don’t get much description. The same with the people, although a central theme of the book pertains to ethical and moral dilemmas in face of ambition. This to me is the main weakness of the book. There are no sympathetic characters (that perhaps is realism and shouldn’t be held against the author), although some may have been meant so. Most characters are driven by a deadly (literally) quest for power, fame and money. The initial victim, a “drop-dead gorgeous blond” (I’m not making this up: Topol uses the cliché more than once), turns out to be a despicable gold digger. Her twin sister – the hero of the story – is an unlikely combination: a brilliant archeologist and the youngest ever professor in the field at Brown University, a former US Olympic athlete, who practices judo (and uses it against the bad guys). She is incredibly vindictive and tenacious: “I always play hard to win. In everything,” she states. Yet, she cries uncontrollably like a fountain at the mention of her dead sister and gets “wobbly in the knees” at the sight of danger (before kicking ass). Are we supposed to like this woman? Worse, some of the characters are truly caricatures, especially the patently evil Chinese.
Maybe this is unfair criticism. After all, I read the book in a few sessions and actually enjoyed it. Mostly. Except for the above.
March 27, 2015
I was made aware of this release by the good old WaPo Book World. I found it to be most interesting on its focus on the corrupting nature of raw ambition, and least interesting in the clichéd espionage sub-plot. For the first 2/3 I could barely put it down, but found it bogged down in the final 1/3 with the author's attempt to tie everything together.
January 14, 2017
I was convinced to read this book by no less than the author himself. I'm grateful that I did. It was an engaging and suspenseful tale. Mr. Topol words painted a vivid picture and puts the reader smack inside of a tense political thriller. It was a quick and enjoyable read.
April 20, 2015
OK story line. not well written
May 29, 2015
Crooked politicians? Say it ain't so!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews