Review: The Washington Lawyer by Allan Topol

Title: The Washington Lawyer by Allan Topol
Publisher: SelectBooks
Genre: Contemporary, Political Thriller
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

In the high-stakes world of Washington politics, hotshot lawyer Andrew Martin is being put to the test. When long-time friend Senator Wesley 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.

Review:

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.