Interesting to have a congressman as you detective, but the authoresses make it work. I liked the hustle and bustle of all the varying opinions and personalities that fill Washington DC. Having read through the Thatcher mystery series, I found this series with Ben Safford to be a little less focused, but I realize it is mostly due to the circumstances.
Overall, a great way to see the workings of DC, as written by ladies who are familiar with that territory.
I read a couple of books in this series 40 years ago and enjoyed them then as I do now. It's fun to read "vintage" mysteries because so much has changed. When I read books set in a previous period the details are not always accurate and the writer's "voice" or some phroases are so wrong. I wonder where the two women who were Emma Lathen came up with this name though. If you like Watergate era politics, this is a real time look.
A quirky little crime story, not necessarily super deep and provocative. If you like the show West Wing, you'd probably like this book. Probably won't reread this anytime soon though.