by Ace Atkins
Part of Spenser, book 10
First published 1992
Meade Alexander's political ambitions rest on his picture-perfect marriage to a blonde beauty who charms voters with her sweet demeanor and girlish handwriting. Behind the campaign facade, his wife harbors dangerous appetites for narcotics and illicit encounters. Someone has captured her indulgences on camera, creating explosive footage that could destroy her husband's Senate bid. The videotape transforms from private shame into a weapon of political destruction. Alexander must navigate the treacherous waters between protecting his wife and salvaging his career. The scandal threatens to consume everything they have built together. At stake is not just a political future, but a marriage caught between public image and private demons. The couple faces an impossible choice between exposure and capitulation to their tormentor's demands.
Genres: suspense, crime, contemporary, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
192 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Dell
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, sexual-content