A grieving mother’s plea drives a Philadelphia detective to expose a murderer hiding among Washington, D.C.’s rich and powerful.
On detail to the Philadelphia Police Department's Dignitary Protection Unit, Detective Adam Kaminski’s latest assignment is to babysit the senior senator from Pennsylvania as she visits Philadelphia with the French Ambassador to the United States. When the senator’s aide is shot as the group prepares to leave DC, the FBI assumes the senator was the target. The aide’s parents aren’t so sure.
Sent to DC to find out what really happened, Adam finds himself facing down a powerful senator, a desperate architectural historian and a silver-tongued ambassador, all with an ambitious DCPD Officer who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her man. Adam has to sift through the muck that is the dark side of DC politics to find the truth before the murderer slips safely back into the protective shelter of wealth and power.
Jane Gorman is the author of the Adam Kaminski mystery series and the Cape May Cozy Mysteries with a Twist. Formerly an anthropologist, a diplomat and a park ranger (not all at the same time!) Gorman draws on her life experiences in each of her books. Gorman is a member of the Sisters in Crime and a former president of the Delaware Valley Chapter. She loves writing almost as much as she loves reading, and is always interested in hearing about a good book!
When his contact with VIPs visiting Philadelphia from DC gets shot the day their trips begins, Adam Kaminski finds himself headed to DC to offer insight to local officials. As they learn more about Jay Kapoor, Senator Lisa Marshall, and the French ambassador, Adam and local law enforcement seem to be looking for different answers. Diplomatic Security Agent Sam Burke and his liaison in the DCPD, Ramona Davis, however, her him search for unexpected clues. Will they uncover the truth or cause more trouble for those involved? POSSIBLE SPOILERS: I found the detective’s focus compelling since his search for the truth of his case seemed to keep him from noticing clues about changing circumstances back home. A couple of chapters presented thoughts from the view an unidentified character or characters that didn’t really seem to add much to the story even at the denouement. The author did think out the story and weaves in a few extra connections to get clues to right detectives.
I finished this book ONLY because I never leave a book as DNF. Absolutely horrible plot. There is mystery in it but the way people go about solving it is absolutely pathetic. Also, apparently, grinning is one of author's favorite words. Everyone are grinning (about nothing at all) in this book. Way too much attention is given to other things that have no relation at all to the ongoing story. That is not world building at all. It's just as if author submitted the draft and was informed to somehow double or triple the word count and she put in superfluous thing in it to make it a longer story. The one star I give is solely due to the wonderful portrayal of a brother sister relationship. Nothing else in this book matters and I highly recommend no one reads it.
I know it is a novel, but there are to many things not fitting together. Like the FBI shares or tolerates other police in their investigation, the way it was investigated, the story itself with the ambassador inviting the philly detective and many more things. Also some flaws like in one sentence the detective is sitting at home and can hear his wife doing the dishes, but than his boss comes to his desk ? Needs some fine tuning ........
I enjoyed the character development and pace of this story. Jane Gorman's writing ability is definitely a cut above, making this book a good read. It flows smoothly, but I wish the ending had been more dramatic. In my opinion, it ended with a soft thud. Who killed the young assistant, and why? Was he the intended target or was the senator or her husband? And who was the killer? There were no clear indicator, meaning someone was going to have to dig deep.
The writer is good, a story in a small enclosure where every one was suspect, having opportunities for killing. The dismay of the book is the usual political bashing FBI. Well, the two main characters, both cops, had sabotaged FBI investigation because their personal connection with the criminal.
Good, solid writing. Adam Kaminski is a history teacher turned Philly cop on special duty to protect VIPs. When the senator's aide gets shot, everyone thinks the senator or the ambassador was the target. Adam represents the interests of the actual victim. Then he learns the victim wasn't so innocent.
Detective Adams is on a detail mission in Washington DC when a sniper kills the aide of the senator.Thinking it was senator that was the target. All is not what it seems as Adams goes deeper into what happened. He is close to his sister which helps ground him for the work he does. Interesting of how he digs into and finds the clues and the person.
The story had great hope and yet went awry as it developed. The hard nosed cop always in hot water, the powerful and famous in DC, and the struggling personal relationships added up to a storyline out of a TV detective show. Could have been better.
I loved reading this book. This is a mystery. It's part of a series. The main character is a police detective that I immediately liked. This book has great characters, story, and settings. I like the style of this book. It's rich, full of people with complex lives and emotions. It's a very satisfying book to read.
The plot will keep you guessing. The characters, while interesting never really made me feel for them. I wasn't invested in Adam Kaminski and won't read more books in this series.
I enjoyed this book, with great insight into the workings in Washington DC. The description of the capital, the thinking of the characters and the dynamics between various departments in government made for a great read.
Kaminski a police detective from Philadelphia is directed to join an investigation in D.C. Upon arriving he is teamed up with a female DC police officer.
The author has written a very suspenseful and entertaining mystery story of a crime involving important and political people. A story that will keep you entertained and guessing as to what will be the outcome.
This is a book that grabs your attention and it grows from there. There are many clues as you read along but the end is surprising. Looking forward to reading more of your books.
A policeman from Philly has to work in DC to help the FBI and the local police. Help is the wrong word. Adam is not wanted by either group. The locals relent quickly, but the FBI never until he solved the problem. Good read.
Talk about twist and turns.. This story I couldn't put down. Characters were so real. If you like suspense, mysteries this is a book to hold your attention.
In this mystery with a thread of political scandal, the red herrings are as intriguing as the path to right solution. The explorations of the minds and lives of Washington D.C. residents—public personalities, behind-the-scenes influencers, low-level staff, and people in neighborhoods the power-players and tourists seldom see—give the book much of its strength. Jane Gorman does her research in depth yet never comes across as having to display her efforts. D.C. comes to life in all its dimensions as vividly and naturally as her Polish settings did in A Blind Eye. Some of the new characters introduced in this book are worthy of their own series, should the author ever be so inclined: Ramona Davis of the D.C. police, her family, and her mentor Sam Burke, now in Diplomatic Security. I’m a little concerned about Adam’s personal life. (Yes, I’ve become one of those reviewers who write as if the characters were real people.) That’s half of why we follow series, though, isn’t it? We like the plots and the way the mysteries unfold, and we also get attached to the characters.
Overall, it is a solid read. I liked it. The killer was obvious from the jump, but once you start reading these stories that happens all time so it's not a big deal. I felt the pacing was good, solid story telling. Overall, a good read. Why 4 stars instead of 5? Actually, it was the relationship the main character had. He was a warm and caring guy and his girlfriend was like a super sociopath. How did Mr I-Feel end up with her?! Never really could get behind their relationship. It actually started to distract me from the story, so 4 stars.
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think comparisons with the Alex Cross series are inevitable, so if you love those Gorman a try. The Washington DC setting reminded me if my years there, its perils and pleasures. A good airplane read, with a love interest you will love to hate.