by Ross Thomas
First published 1993
Crawdad Gilmore has served as advisor to six presidents over his long career. At ninety-two, he prepares to reveal a secret that could shake the foundations of power. Hours before his planned disclosure, someone kills him. Jake Pope takes on the case, determined to uncover both the killer's identity and the motive behind the murder. Pope must navigate the treacherous world of political secrets and powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried. As he digs deeper into Gilmore's past and the explosive information the old man planned to reveal, Pope discovers that some secrets are worth killing for. The investigation forces him to confront not just a murderer, but the corrupt forces that have shaped decades of American politics.
Genres: american-fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, action, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation
Setting: America, United States
Period: 20th-century
256 pages · Paperback · Mysterious Pr