Blindside -- Ed Gorman

I'm a big fan of Ed Gorman's work, no matter what the genre, so it's not surprising that I got such a big kick out of Blindside. It's a helluva book.

Dev Conrad's a political consultant, and this is his third appearance. This time an old friend asks him to help out with the campaign of his son, Jeff Ward. Dev is reluctant, but he agrees because he owes the father big-time. Ward's a liberal, running against a staunch conservative, and he's running behind. Dev is even more reluctant to help after he finds out that while Ward believes in the same causes Dev does, Ward is a consummate asshole, with a messier personal life than even Bill Clinton could dream up for himself. And when one of Ward's top people is murdered, Dev discovers that things are even worse than he'd thought.

Like most of Gorman's books, this one is compassionate, funny, suspenseful, and highly readable. It's also biting, bitter, and so cynical that there's practically acid dripping off the pages. Gorman knows politics, and he knows all the tricks that consultants use. He doesn't hold anything back here. You're going to find a lot of characters on both sides that are as amoral as they come.

If you're as old as I am, you'll remember when Charles Colson (I think it was Colson) said he'd walk over his own grandmother to get Richard Nixon re-elected. Well, the characters here would do the same, and kick her teeth in while they were walking. It's a sad commentary, but don't let that stop you from reading the book. It's terrific. Just don't give a copy to your Tea Party friends. They won't thank you for it.