ARA Review by Deborah Russo 1 of Political Dirty Trick

[Deborah Russo 1]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Political Dirty Trick.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Political Dirty Trick: A Crystal Moore Suspense is a thriller set in Texas. This is not a whodunnit mystery as the killer is identified at the time of the crime. At first there might be some question but the obvious prevails. There is little doubt on which side each character falls, making the what’s-going-to-happen plot the focus of the book.


Ron Drake, friend of heroine Crystal Moore and her grandmother, is running for governor of Texas, with a guy named Jim Bob as his opponent. While Jim Bob is presented as fairly innocuous he has dedicated loyalists determined to see him elected, which means discrediting Drake who is way ahead in the polls. The plan to accomplish this is simple- set Drake up for insurance fraud in such a way he cannot prove his innocence.


Drake happens to own one of those artworks that nobody likes but is valued in 7 figures because the artist is in vogue. It is underinsured and rather ignored by its owner, making it a target for his opponent’s supporters, who steal it and then store it in a unit which they rented under Drake’s name. Unfortunately this crime of theft results in a death, capital murder in Texas, which triggers many unintended consequences and ultimately leads to the making of a potential serial killer.


The beginning of the book is skillfully written and the transition into the main plot goes ahead with ease. The book progresses succinctly and logically, keeping the reader’s interest. Despite being revealed early on, the villain is a intriguing character drawn with inner thoughts exploring the evolution from the simple motive of enhancing a preferred candidate’s success in winning an election for public office, via a simple dirty trick, to the premeditation of a cold blooded and ultimately desperate killer. This is one of the most positive aspects of the book. The transition from nefarious naughtiness to outright perversion is not rushed nor is it too drawn out. The reader can easily accept the character’s development and understand the multiplication of motives for this villain who becomes trapped in a self-designed spiral of evil. Overall the book got off to a brisk start and had me hooked enough that I read it in one day with few breaks. For that reason, and the writing skill which yielded that result, I give the book a 5 out of 5 stars.


I found only two elements to criticize- Drake was just almost too good to be true as a politician. But history does wrought such rare personages so this was not enough to keep the book from a 5 star rating. Secondly, there was a one action very remiss of the police in that they did not immediately have the storage unit clerk see a photo of Drake so as to identify or eliminate him. However true crime tales suggest such failures are by no means unusual so again this was not sufficient to deprive the book of a 5 star rating. Amateur sleuth Crystal finally picks up this mantle dropped by the police, setting in motion lots of action which action-loving readers will enjoy. There is one minor technical error at the beginning of Chapter 15 where the killer’s thoughts are not in italics, which they are elsewhere.


Additional positives include that half way through the book retains interest. Character development continues to keep the reader focused. Also, the setting of East Texas adds to the book, which makes the true point that the very real importance of East Texas is often overlooked. Another illumination in the book is when the insurance guys pay the claim in an unexpectedly short period of time. This is because due to the underinsurance of the painting their company will make money if the painting is found. The legality of subrogation, quite possibly another term for legal theft , means the million dollar painting becomes the property of the insurance company if recovered. Another entertaining element of the book is the author managing to keep some suspense in the election without identifying political parties. Although I might have chosen differently, I assume the author agonized over who the winner would be- and then there is a possibility of a recount… These perks plus the overall enjoyable nature of the story completes the case for a 5 star rating.

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