Big Guns

In his second biting political satire, ex-Congressman Steve Israel takes aim at the gun industry, its lobbyists and elected officials who pass the buck in order to pad their coffers and ensure re-election. With the sharp wit and political acumen that marked his first novel, The Global War on Morris, Israel takes to task those who sacrifice the safety of others in the name of the almighty dollar.

Violent crime is raging in Chicago, and the city's mayor is trying to organize local governments nationwide to ban handguns. If that wasn't bad enough for billionaire firearms manufacturer Otis Cogsworth, the Department of Justice is threatening to investigate his company. He calls in his trusty lobbyist, Sunny McCarthy, who sets a plan in motion to get legislation passed that would require all citizens to own a firearm. It doesn't take long for mayhem to ensue both on the nation's streets and in the halls of Congress.

Israel's 16 years as a Congressman from New York is evident in his cynical yet authentic representation of political power struggles, corrupt wheeling and dealing and the use of fear to manipulate the public. Especially poignant is his depiction of the Washington blame game: "Some days the House blamed the Senate. Other days the Senate blamed the House. Every day both blamed the president who blamed both in return. The bald eagle was being replaced by a scapegoat." Hilarious, thought-provoking and wickedly smart, Big Guns packs plenty of explosive, page-turning entertainment. --Jen Forbus, freelancer

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