Atria, Sep 2002, 25.00, 376 pp.
ISBN: 0743403525
Boston Record publisher Paul Ellis informs his expert investigative reporter Jack Flynn that a hostile takeover of the newspaper is in the works. He also states that the sudden heart-attack death of his predecessor five years ago may have been a homicide. Paul wants Jack to learn what is going on with the buyout attempt and the strange death of the previous publisher.
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Jack already has interesting information that Massachusetts Governor Lance Randolph inflated his résumé by recalculating his conviction record as a district attorney. Since the President plans to nominate Lance as the next Attorney General, a fabrication may prove almost as embarrassing and damaging as it did to college football coaches. Then again one must consider the standard of an Attorney General vs. that of a head football coach at Notre Dame. Jack flies to Florida to talk with the retired detective who apparently failed to investigate thoroughly the former publisher's death. Upon his return to Boston, Jack learns that Paul was killed in the head during what appears to be a robbery turned ugly. Now Jack seeks the connections that if he lives long enough may more than just abash a president and his nominee.
THE NOMINEE is an urban noir starring a modern day Sam Spade tough guy clone. Jack is an interesting hero who keeps the tale from spinning out of control with his colorful descriptions that uses bodily parts as metaphors and similes. Though the shifting between first and third person jars the reader, the investigation is fun and Jack's way with words will keep the audience thinking did he really say that?
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner