A private investigator must find one of the oldest books in the United States. Michael McGill is a private investigator in New York City who doesn't want to be a private investigator anymore. When the White House Chief of Staff enters his office, however, Michael finds that he doesn't have much choice. The Chief of Staff tasks Michael with finding a book - a secret Constitution that previous presidents used to run the country, until it was lost by Richard Nixon. The Chief of Staff wants it so he can restore the United States to its former, ultra-conservative glory. Michael needs to find it - otherwise he'll wind up dead. Michael attracts a variety of horrible things on a daily basis, and one of the first things he attracts on his search for the book is a young college student named Trix, who is researching sexual fetishes. At first, Michael is unsure whether or not Trix is a good thing, but as they travel from New York to Los Angeles, encountering a whole slew of disgusting, perverted, fetishistic, violent people, Michael and Trix begin to bond, and their relationship turns sexual. After Trix sleeps with an old ex-boyfriend - who knows where the book is - Michael leaves her behind, stung that she would do such a thing. With the book in hand, however, Michael and Trix come to an agreement about their relationship and sex. But Michael has to make another decision - whether or not to turn the book over to the Chief of Staff, thus helping to create a United States where people like Trix couldn't exist.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
Best part of story, including ending:
Warren Ellis, a Brit, manages to capture some great things about the United States while pointing out some of the bizarre, gross things that actually happen here.
Best scene in story:
The most memorable scene - not necessarily a "favorite" - is the scene where Trix convinces Michael to have saline injected into his testicles. Disturbing yet funny, the scene certainly sticks with you.
Opinion about the main character:
Michael is a hapless magnet for terrible things, yet he still manages to make a true connection with Trix and complete his mission through hard work and perseverance.
