Barack Obama and Joe Biden may have retired from their most famous positions. However, if Andrew Shaffer’s story is to be believed, this famous pair remain active in the Washington DC area, not as politicians, but as private investigators.

Biden’s favorite Amtrak Conductor has died in a tragic accident. The police are content with calling it an accident; Biden is less convinced.

Obama and Biden’s investigation will take them from Amtrak stations to Wilmington, DE, to the somewhat hidden hangout of the Marauders outlaw bike gang. With the assistance of a Secret Service Agent assigned to protect Obama and an undercover DEA Agent, the team follows the clues to discover the truth.

Shaffer’s story is as inviting as it is exciting. The story has the feel of historical fiction, yet is written in the contemporary era — well-done.

Shaffer’s Obama says he is done with serving as a PI, but this reader hopes that Shaffer and Obama will change their minds — allowing Biden and Obama to again team up and work together to solve a crime that the police have ignored or have chosen to pursue the wrong suspect; together, Biden and Obama will choose to make justice right again.

For the characters, the plot, and the setting, it is easy to make this a 5-star review.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

"It's a tiny bit ridiculous. But is it any more ridiculous than the real-life political events of the past year? Or the real-life newspaper headlines from the past week? Given a chance between the insane fantasies of Hope Never Dies or the insane realities of Washington DC in 2018, I know how I'm casting my ballot."

I feel like this bit from the introduction just describes this book perfectly. Is it ridiculous? Yes. Is it basically published Obama-Biden fanfiction that starts with Biden moping around his house basically yelling 'senpai won't notice me anymore'? Yes. Is it hilarious yet also weirdly inspiring despite [or possibly because of] all that? Definitely yes! And really I think we could all use a laugh at this point.

There are possibly times where you might stop and go, 'wait, Obama/Biden wouldn't really do that' but overall it's just a really fun read and I think it's pretty easy to just go with it for the most part. The ~hard-boiled detective~ genre isn't usually my cup of tea, but I still really enjoyed the unique spin this put on it and it was a lot of fun to read.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thank you so, so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC of this much-pined-for title. It didn't disappoint!
This is an entertaining cosy crime novel that would be perfect as a mood-boosting title for any depressed liberal, or just human being who misses a time when the American president could speak in full sentences. The witty banter and touching relationship between Obama and Biden is really special, both on the page in this story and in real life.
It gave me lots of feels. A lot of emotions, and a lot of laughter. And, especially toward the end, I couldn't put it down, the sign of a really good mystery. I can't wait for the next instalment (please let there be a next instalment!).
My only gripe would be that Biden should be driving the car as he's the main character, and a completely charming one at that!

For those of you going through the seven stages of grief with me since last January, I give you a book that may lighten your load and remind you of the days when we had a real administration, not the dumpster fire we’ve got now. I give you the first Obama/Biden mystery, Hope Never Dies, by Andrew Shaffer.

Joe Biden isn’t enjoying the post-White House life (but seriously, who is?). He’s puttering around the house, and getting mopier and upset because his buddy, Barack, is out there having fun, loving life, and taking a long-needed vacation. He’s on Branson’s yacht, he’s hanging with Bradley Cooper, but has Joe’s phone buzzed even once? What happened to their bromance?

Just when Joe is about to give in to ennui, a mystery lands in his lap. One of his favorite Amtrak conductors, Finn, has turned up dead in a highly suspect accident. “Amtrak Joe” launches his own investigation, trying to get to the bottom of the death and keep his friend’s name clean. Who ends up along for the ride? Why, who else? Number 44 himself, riding in Michelle’s Escalade, affectionately named “The Little Beast”. But this ain’t no love in, no sir: Joe’s conflicted as all hell, because Barack just has this way of showing up, like Joe was pining away for him (yes, he was, but still), and he’s supposed to just pick up where things left off? Joe knows Wilmington, Delaware, and Obama’s got access to the Beast and the extra muscle, so the two are off together to repair their friendship and solve a mystery. Happy Days are here again!

Hope Never Dies is – as I just learned from visiting Andrew Shaffer’s website – the first in a new Obama-Biden series of mysteries. I cannot explain the joy this news gave me, and I hope this joy spreads to you, dear readers. Is it presidential fan fiction? You freaking bet it is, and it is the grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup that my soul needed. Shaffer gives us a story that’s part cozy mystery, part noir thriller, with Biden as first-person narrator so that we can hear Uncle Joe talk to us, Sam Spade-like. We get a murder mystery with biker gangs, drugs, and a friendship gone wrong all in one compulsively readable book.

What didn’t I love? I would have liked Biden’s dumped teen angst to have been resolved a little sooner. I liked his introspection and awareness of his age – sometimes, your body just won’t do what you want it to do after a while, and it sucks. (11 pm bedtime, I’m’ looking at you.) I liked his being put out over Obama’s nonchalance, but would have liked more Riggs and Murtaugh; another reason I’m psyched for future installments is to recall the Obama-Biden bromance that sustained me for eight years. Inspired by Sherlock and Watson, Obama can come off a bit robotic at times, but I’m hoping he’ll warm up as the two take on their next adventure. There’s some Hillary humor, and a couple of shots at the new administration, that I would love to see more of, but most of all, I just want JoeBama to take on their next case.

So what’s the overall feeling on Hope Never Dies? Get off Twitter, stop watching the news, get this book in hand, and enjoy it. It’s exactly what you need these days.

This was actually a pretty good mystery, and I think I would have liked it even more if it hadn’t featured Joe Biden and Barack Obama in their fictional forms. This was fan fiction, pure and simple, and while it was funny for a few chapters, it quickly became boring. Still, a cute read, and it was nice to escape from our current political situation, even if just for 300 pages.

I felt like “Joe Biden” was pretty recognizable as, well, Joe Biden (Ray Bans, polo shirts, I don’t know if he actually likes muscle cars or if that’s something Shaffer made up??), but I felt like Barack Obama’s fictionalized version was just... off. Despite this being marketed as a bromance, “Biden” spends most of the book being angsty and missing his/Obama’s time in the White House, and there was very little actual bromance in this. Also, the story is told in first-person from “Biden’s” perspective, and while it was fun to watch him throw shade at the Trump administration and Fox News, I really could have done without the political commentary. A lot of “Biden’s” internal conflict stems from his thinking about whether he should run in 2020 and whether he made a mistake by not running in 2016. Since real-life Biden may or may not still re-enter politics, I found it kind of odd and off-putting that Shaffer was speculating about these things from “Biden’s” perspective.

The mystery was pretty great, and I didn’t see some of the plot twists coming. Shaffer is a talented writer, and the prose and dialogue nearly never came across as stilted or unnatural. But I started to like this book less and less as the story went on and we get more into “Biden’s” internal state, and I feel like this might have been a much better book if it were about entirely fictional people. I think the idea of an ex-VP becoming an amateur sleuth after leaving office is pretty cool, but doing this idea with Obama and Biden—who are real and alive people—comes with a ton of baggage that just weighed the story down and turned it into laughable fan fiction instead of a more engaging story.

I have always wanted to read a book in which Barack Obama and Joe Biden team up to solve a mystery. I just didn't know it until I saw this book.

It was exactly the bittersweet catharsis I'd hoped, although Obama's character wasn't as recognizable as I would have wished. I think he's warmer than the reserved version described here. Joe's pretty great, though, if a little bit overly emotional. The mystery itself is perfectly serviceable, too. I'll read the sequel if there is one.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t say I was much of a fan of the Obama Presidency on a whole, even knowing what the current situation has brought us. But I did think Obama was a good dude, and the whole “Uncle Joe Biden” persona that kind of got cultivated in popular culture certainly amused me. So when I saw that there was a murder mystery starring Joe Biden trying to solve the murder of his favorite train conductor, and post-presidency Barack featured heavily? Yeah, I’ll give it a look.

The good news is that it starts out as goofy as you’d imagine, and the charm that is laid on thick during the opening scenes of this book is crucial, as the book unfortunately devolves into a bit of a formulaic mystery noir without a ton of heart or character. The novelty quickly becomes secondary to a story that is only really interesting because of the novelty, and it leads to what is ultimately a bit of a disappointment.

My expectations were not especially high, and this was serviceable enough. It just should have been more.

Highly entertaining

3.5 stars

I started this book expecting tongue in cheek humor and that's exactly what I got. Not sure why anyone would have expected anything different. There were a couple errors and inconsistencies but I've kinda come to expect that with the way things are edited now.

Did you say Obama and Biden crime mystery? Sign me up! Hope Never Dies is pure fan fiction, following a retired Joe Biden as he comes to grips with life after vice presidency. It's been over six months since he left the White House and he's no longer in receipt of a Secret Service detail. It feels like every day the news is full of Obama and his shiny new celeb friends. Has Joe been forgotten?

An Amtrak conductor is killed on the tracks and in his belongings is a map with Joe's house marked on it. They knew each other from when he used to take the train into Washington DC. Obama gives his old partner a visit to advise him to hire some private security. They agree to tell the police that the Secret Service are looking into it to keep Joe's name out the papers. But Joe can't leave it be, he needs to uncover the truth.

Barack and Secret Service Steve, keep coming to Joe's rescue and eventually they team up, much to Steve's disapproval. They will just have to give him the slip. There's seedy motels, biker gangs, and one dodgy knee. It's silly and fun, even if the mystery element isn't anything amazing. I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

There's plenty of little jabs at the current administration too. I liked how it didn't gloss over Joe's age, he can't just charge around like a young man and he spends half the book with a knee injury after falling over. Some of the jokes were a bit cringey, but I also chuckled in places. I'd probably read another one if Andrew Shaffer were to write another.

If you’re dismayed by the current administration and thinking nostalgically about the previous one, this book will delight you. Our detectives are Joe Biden and Barak Obama, who have seen very little of one another since leaving the White House. Biden, a train buff, decides to investigate the recent death of a favorite conductor, and Obama joins him on the hunt. The Biden and Obama characters are grounded in the men’s public personae, but Shaffer gives them unexpected talents and foibles that add to the fun of the novel. I very much hope this title will be the first of a series.

A book I never knew I wanted! I can only hope it's the start of a series, or at least something similar themed with other real characters.

A fun and funny who done it told from the point of view of 44th Vice President of the United States, Uncle Joe Biden. Featuring President Obama was his sidekick, the dynamic duo are back! Ducking out on secret service agents, tussling with bikers, and solving a murder this team shows that out of sight doesn’t necessarily mean out of mind.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to have it! Thanks to NetGalley and to Quirk Books for granting my wish.

Andrew Shaffer takes the former leader of the free world, joins him back up with Joe Biden, and together they work on a mystery. Amtrak Joe lost a friend, an engineer on the train that he rode nearly every day before he before he became Vice President. (This story is told from Joe's point of view.) After discovering a few unsavory facts about his friend and discovering a few things about himself, he teams up with former best friend Barack Obama, and together they set about learning what happened. Will the two solve the mystery of the Amtrak engineer? Will they continue to be friends after this case is over? You'll have to read this to find out.

I'll admit here and now that I was and am a big fan of both of these men. It's because I miss them and because the cover made me laugh that I requested this book. HOPE NEVER DIES doesn't get into politics much and I appreciated that. (I did enough comparisons between these two and our current administration in my head, I didn't need anything more spelled out.) I have no way of knowing how close this book comes to the real personalities of these two, and you know what? I don't care! It was a fun and entertaining story and that's all that I was looking for.

That said, I had only one big issue and it's likely mine and mine alone. I know that Joe Biden loves cars, (well Corvettes at least for sure.) So do I, and I've worked with them in some capacity my entire adult life. With that in mind, I couldn't understand why a lot of the vehicles referenced in this novel are referred to incorrectly. Ford does not make Impalas. I'm pretty sure Plymouth didn't make Firebirds either. (They made Thunderbirds and Superbirds- Firebirds were all Pontiac.) I did receive an ARC of this book, so perhaps those things were tidied up before publication? Even if not, most people probably wouldn't even notice.

Other than that, HOPE NEVER DIES was a lot of fun. It's not going to break any literary records or anything, but as a humorous detective story featuring two of my favorite politicians, it certainly fit the bill! I recommend it to anyone who thinks this premise is fun!

*Thanks to Quirk Books and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for giving me a copy of Hope Never Dies to read and review honestly.

This book is a campy fanfiction turned full novel and I enjoyed it immensely. After their second term in office is over, Joe Biden and Barrack Obama go their own separate ways. While Barrack is windsurfing and skydiving around the world with famous celebrities, poor Uncle Joe is home feeling left out by his old buddy Barrack.

Fortunately, they reunite to solve the mysterious death of Joe's old friend. The antics the boys got into kept me laughing and turning page after page. The best thing about this story is that it is actually well written and decent. My only complaint is that a lot of things said and done by the main characters don't seem accurate to their real-life counterparts, but I was able to turn off the nagging voice in my head to keep reading.

I hope to read more in a Biden/Obama mystery series!!

Review: Hope Never Dies


This book is the Magnum, P.I. remake we all deserved. Andrew Shaffer has taken the Obama/Biden bromance meme and turned it into a fast-paced mystery with humor and heart in Hope Never Dies.

After the 2016 election, Joe Biden feels that the world has forgotten him and moved on. That includes his BFF Barack Obama, who has been whooping it up with celebrities around the globe and not even kicking an occasional text to his former VP. But when Obama slips back into his life bringing news of a friend’s death, and the puzzling document found near his body that includes Biden’s address, Delaware’s favorite son has to know if this truly was an accident, or if it was something far more sinister. It’s time for mirrored shades, muscle cars, and getting down and dirty with the law.

Joe Biden goes full-on Jim Rockford complete with bang-ups, bruises, tight scrapes and near-misses to find out what happened to his friend. Obama, along with Secret Service Steve, provides backup when Biden needs it most, but even in the midst of barfights, greasy spoon meals and a trip through the underbelly of the East Coast’s opioid drug trade, Smilin’ Joe can’t seem to crack a grin with his former Commander in Chief. Can this relationship be saved? You won’t know until the very end, and there’s plenty of twists and turns along the way. One thing is for sure: if you’re musclebound and into clean eating, don’t take an old man’s loaded hash browns. It doesn’t end well for you.

I’ve been a fan of Andrew Shaffer’s work for years, but this book is some of his best work yet in terms of voice and tone. The language in every chapter is a spot-on homage to old school pulp detective novels and TV shows, and Shaffer has captured the public image of Biden so well, my inner narrator read the whole thing in his voice.

If you’re looking for a fun, offbeat summer read, pick up Hope Never Dies. It’s a great escape revved up with weird like a Dodge Challenger. Hop in and go for a ride.

<em>Hope Never Dies</em> is a noir detective story that just happens to feature our favorite presidential bromantic couple as the lead action heroes. In this funny, warm-hearted satire, retired Joe Biden is still a good guy, but one with enough time on his hands to build up a great big load of resentment over former bestie Barack's never-ending parade of fun celebrity outings... while Joe just waits for a simple call or a text. But when the Amtrak conductor who'd been a part of Joe's commute for decades turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Joe and Barack are thrown together into a crime investigation that features drugs, bikers, shady cops, and plenty of stops for fast food.

This book is charming AF and oh-so-silly, and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy thinking about the good old days when these two were in the White House. Their fictional counterparts are adorable, and their ongoing friendship and devotion brought the teeniest little lump to my throat. The author has a knack for keeping the story moving while weaving in little snippets of dialogue and actions that bring our former POTUS and VPOTUS to life on the page.

<em>Hope Never Dies</em> is a surprisingly fun read, and the detective elements are actually pretty clever and engaging too. But really, read it for the Biden-isms and cool-as-hell Obama appearances. It's like a little ray of sunshine in book form.

It's always fun to see "famous" people (celebrities, political figures, etc.) involved in situations you're certain could never happen. We see them on television or in publis, but have no idea of the tense situations and dangers they face behind the scenes. Books such as this gives us a fictionalized idea of what we'd like to think happens, while at the same time we're certain it could never happen.

The former president is still a celebrity, hang-gliding, golfing with movie stars while his Vice President sits at home brooding, because his friend Barack never calls. When the conductor on the line Joe Biden rode to the Capitol every day is killed in a suspicious accident (read suicide), the Veep and the ex-POTUS spring in some well-needed action. Ditching the ex-Prez's Secret Service guard, they don disguises (Hawaiian shirts and ball caps) and head out to discover what the man knew that made someone kill him. It's an adventure that's at the same time dangerous (visualize the former VP wrestling with a gun-wielding assassin while on a moving train) while retaining a Keystone Kops-type air of slapstick.

It's fun, it's entertaining, and I hope there's more to some.

This novel was supplied by the publisher and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review.

Light-hearted, amusing mystery starring Joe Biden, with special appearances by his former boss. As long as Joe doesn't find another job in the next couple of years, perhaps there will be more appearances as an amateur sleuth.

Do you remember the Obama/Biden memes that were ever so popular and super funny? Well, if you liked those, you are probably going to like Hope Never Dies, because Andrew Shaffer has taken everything that tickled the funny bone in those memes and translated that into a fanfiction buddy tale that has Joe Biden solving the mystery of "who killed Amtrak Joe's favorite conductor".

The story starts with an adorably insecure former vice president Joe Biden missing his friend Barack Obama while being angry at him for seemingly deserting him now that they are both out of office. But when Barack drops by in the dead of night to tell him about the death of his favorite conductor, it's the the evidence that points to Joe Biden that has him determined to find his friend's killer.

Written entirely in Joe Biden's first person point of view, what follows is a romp around Delaware in which Joe solves the murder with the help of Barack Obama. There's all sorts of characters involved -- insurance investigators, motorcycle clubs and dirty cops. This story touches upon every tidbit of Joe's and Barack's public personas, and I found myself either chuckling or groaning over most of what Biden has to say in this fanfic. Some of the bits made me laugh out loud, and I believe there was a gigglesnort of two along the way. While the mystery keeps the story moving, it really is the one-liners that made this book an almost 5 star read for me.

If you are looking for some relief from the current political scene and just want a good head-shaking laugh, you will probably like Hope Never Dies. I'll admit to buying a copy of this just for the cover that makes me smile every time I look at it. I think Andrew Shaffer did an amazing job of capturing the personality of Joe Biden and Barack Obama, and I can only hope that their real relationship was akin to how they are portrayed in Hope Never Dies because it's pretty terrific.

An ARC was provided for review.

This is not the best book you'll read this year, but there's a really good chance it'll be the most fun. It's a complete delight and I'm pretty sure I had a goofy grin on my face the whole time I read it.

This book is incredibly campy (as naturally it would be) and I can almost guarantee you'll laugh out loud multiple times.

I hope this becomes a series. I would love to spend more time with Amtrak Joe. (NOTE: We spend a lot more time with him than we do with Barack Obama. He's definitely in there a not-small chunk of time, but Joe Biden is the narrator. So if you actively dislike Joe Biden---which I don't see how, but whatever---be aware that he is in 100% of this book.)

Recommended.