Congressman John Mahoney is fired up in Mike Lawson's 11th novel in the Joe DeMarco thriller series. His ego is bruised, and someone must pay.
In a regular trip back to Boston, Mahoney meets with his constituents to hear their concerns and issues. Plucky octogenarian Elinore Dobbs shares her current housing plight with Mahoney: Sean Callahan, a wealthy real estate developer, is trying to force her out of her long-term lease in order to demolish her building and erect a mammoth development catering to the upper class. But Dobbs doesn't want to leave. She likes her apartment and has three more years on her lease. So Callahan is resorting to underhanded tactics to force her out.
Mahoney takes an immediate liking to Dobbs and wants to help her. He knows Callahan, a donor to his last election campaign, and figures he can negotiate a mutually agreeable arrangement, winding up a hero in the process. But instead of cooperating, Callahan essentially says he's more powerful than any politician and Mahoney can go jump in the lake. The clash between the two powerful men sets off deadly Rube Goldberg machinations, ensnaring Joe DeMarco in his most terrifying job yet.
Lawson delivers an explosive plot with a brilliant construction of events that add up to a swift, exciting novel. Encapsulating both hot-button issues and Lawson's darkly creative imagination, House Revenge is the political thriller at its finest. And with a self-contained story line, even series newbies can relish this high-stakes DeMarco adventure. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts