Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

#' House Privilege' by author # Mike Lawson is #14 in his DeMarco series. Joe DeMarco is a fixer. And the storyline is fast-paced. If you enjoy suspense and political fiction this is a series to start.🌟🐾🐾

Another fun entry in the "House …" series where political fixer DeMarco has to investigate and clean up a mess for his boss John Mahoney, now back in line to become Speaker again after a period in opposition. This time around a hedge-fund billionaire and his wife die in a plane crash, leaving Mahoney as the legal guardian of their teenage daughter, and DeMarco dispatched to make sure that the girl is being looked after until Mahoney's wife is able to take over. Of course things aren't really so simple, and after a variety of twists and turns we end up with DeMarco in Montenegro hiring a struck off doctor whilst trying to avoid the two IRA thugs a Boston mob boss has hired to tail him. This never quite reaches the full-blown caper antics of, say, a Donald Westlake novel, but certainly skirts around the edges of the style, with lots of fast-paced high-jinks.

This is let-down somewhat by some shoddy research around the Montenegrin setting (with a semi-related side-dose of confusing Moldova and Moldavia). Most of the action takes place in the capital, Podgorica, which, like all the other exYu capitals is substantially inland, and where having a balcony overlooking the Adriatic is about as likely as someone in D.C. having a view of the Pacific. But alternative-geography aside, it's a solid entry in the series (and presumably capable of being read as a standalone if you haven't read any of the others, though with a few references that could act as spoilers for the prior entry.)

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press on July 7, 2020

Mike Lawson’s Joe DeMarco novels amuse the hell out of me. DeMarco is a fixer for the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, who as a result of the last election is about to resume his role as speaker. DeMarco doesn’t care about politics or much of anything other than golf. He’s a nonpracticing lawyer who hopes he can hang onto his fixer gig long enough to retire with a government pension, allowing him to spend all his time golfing rather than most of it. Violent circumstances keep interfering with the easy life he wants to lead. Those circumstances combine with DeMarco’s long-suffering attitude to fuel entertaining novels that are surprisingly light, given the number of mobsters, sleezy politicians, crooked lawyers, and sociopaths who populate the pages.

Congressman John Mahoney has a teenage goddaughter named Cassie. Mahoney’s wife adores Cassie but Mahoney pretty much ignores her, as he does anyone who can’t help him gain more power. Cassie’s parents die in a plane crash that almost kills Cassie, leaving Cassie with a trust fund that has been managed by a lawyer who inherited the job from her father, another lawyer who was a friend of Cassie’s father.

Until Mahoney’s wife can get back from a friend’s funeral, Mahoney wants DeMarco to figure out what Cassie might need. DeMarco doesn’t develop much of a rapport with the teenage girl or the nanny who is taking care of her or the lawyer who is managing her trust. None of them are as interesting to DeMarco as the Boston bartender he starts dating while he’s checking up on Cassie. DeMarco becomes suspicious, however, when an accountant who was auditing the trust is killed in a convenience store robbery. The series of suspicious deaths leads DeMarco to one of Boston’s most powerful mobsters.

House Privilege tells a good story at a steady pace. Eventually DeMarco chases a criminal around Montenegro, a country that has no extradition treaty with the U.S., in a series of chapters that accelerate the story’s action. Many of the laughs in House Privilege are unexpected, as when a character lies down in a jail cell and wonders why there is blood on the ceiling.

The DeMarco novels remind me of John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers novels. The books are good beach reads, mixing a fun plot with a likable protagonist who is always a bit disappointed in the world he navigates. Not all of the DeMarco novels have been as good as the last two, but at the age of 76, Lawson seems to be hitting his stride.

RECOMMENDED

House Privilege is the 14th book in the Joe DeMarco thriller series by Mike Lawson. Released 7th July 2020 by Grove Atlantic on their Atlantic Monthly Press imprint, it's 320 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a really well written engaging and fast paced mystery full of skullduggery, crime mobs, high stakes murder, and at the center of it all, the fixer with a heart of gold, rescuing damsels, protecting orphans, righting wrongs, and exposing the bad guys. In a lot of very good ways, this book reminded me of John D. MacDonald's superlative Travis McGee books, with a dash of Robert B. Parker thrown in for good measure. That isn't to say that this book was derivative, it's not, the author has a masterful grasp of plotting and narrative arc and the nuts and bolts of the story work very well.

There's a fair amount of graphic violence and strong language - murder, mob bosses, embezzlement and the like, and readers who find the "f-bomb" problematic might want to give this one a miss. There's also a short but somewhat graphic description of a small-craft airplane crash with attendant death (it's very short and central to the plot).

Despite being the 14th book in the series, this one works perfectly well as a standalone. I hadn't read any of the other books for at least a couple years (my notes before 2018 were sketchy at best) and I had no trouble following any of the action.

Four stars. Well worth a look.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This one was an impulse download from netgalley, but it had me from start to finish. Really enjoyed the fast pacing and the characters. Glad I stepped outside my norms. All opinions are my own, book provided by Netgalley and publisher for those opinions. #netgalley

I'm a huge fan of Mike Lawson's Joe DeMarco series and this latest entry is one of the best. Fast paced, well developed characters and a few unexpected twists make this a must read for thriller lovers. Highly Recommended.

I've read all of the books in this series and enjoyed them immensely. This one did not disappoint. I found that it moved and left me ready for the next installment.

This is the sort of book that I have to pace myself reading or I will not get any sleep, wanting to read straight through the night to finish it. I came to Mike Lawson's writing very late and I am enjoying playing catch up. Joe DeMarco is a great, very well developed character and he works as a fixer for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This new assignment from his boss, John Mahoney may cost DeMarco his life and that of the young woman he is protecting. When her parents died in a plane crash, she inherited billions of dollars and there are people who not only want to get their hands on it but to keep Demarco from acting on information he has uncovered. He has crossed paths with the Boston Mafia and is in for one heck of a battle.
I don't want to say any more, not wanting to risk any spoilers. If you like edge of your seat, nail bitter page turners, set aside a chunk of time, settle down in a comfy chair and get ready for a great read.
My thanks to the publisher Atlantic Monthly Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Joe DeMarco is an “off -the-books” troubleshooter who takes on a whole lot more than he should. Problem is he has a moral compass, another problem is that it doesn’t always point true north, that needles tend to fluctuate with the circumstance and situation. Another problem is that he is the fixer for a heavyweight politico who has few morals, a “fickle relationship with the truth”, and loyalty which is a “narrow one-way street.” Not very likable characters and they don’t improve with the story. Not much to love there. I kept wondering what Joe DeMarco was doing with this guy and why. Then there is the stereotypical Boston Irish Mobster who is truly a monster of the first degree. And also, a rotten, diabolical, corrupt lawyer who is related to the monster mobster. Evil people abound.

While the story is fast paced, clever and interesting I just never felt completely engrossed. I had no problem putting the book down and attribute that to so many dislikable people between the pages. I really need a half star to add to the other three.

Thank you NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy.

Joe deMarco, the fixer for Congressman John Mahoney (the once and future Speaker of the House of Representatives) opens a can of worms when he starts to look into the management of funds meant for Mahoney's orphaned niece Cassie. Cassie's parents died in a plane crash and Mahoney wants DeMarco to keep an eye on her. It's when he turns that eye to the actions of Erin Kelly, the money manager, that things get sticky. Turns out Kelly has connections- a lot of connections- to the mob. How rotten is she? Well, pretty rotten. This latest installment in the series is fine as a standalone. Long time readers should know the plot line takes out out of the usual Washington conspiracy genre but that's fine and refreshing for Lawson, I'll bet. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. DeMarco's a great character, there's some really funny lines, and the twists are good.

This is the 14th Joe DeMarco novel and it isn't the best. My problem is with Erin, the bad guy in the story. She is too shallowly written and too demented. While you and I might say we'd kill for a bigger bank account, Erin goes ahead and does it – several times. She is just too greedy to be real.

Mike Lawson delivered the latest edition of the Joe DeMarco and John Mahoney bromance with his 14th novel, House Privilege. This fast-paced murder mystery picks up where Lawson’s House Arrest left off with Mahoney poised to reclaim his rightful position as Speaker of the House and DeMarco ready to take on his newest assignment – which seemingly appears to be “babysitting a teenager”. As usual, DeMarco’s keen sense of awareness teases out the trusted accountant’s embezzling scheme which leads to murders, near-misses, coverups, and organized crime mischief. While I enjoyed the character development of DeMarco’s co-conspirators (Tommy and Dana - bring these 2 back again please), I missed Emma.

I want to thank Net Galley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a pre-publication digital copy of the book in exchange for my review. I’m looking forward to the next edition of the “House Bromance”.

Fast paced, well written, tight plot and relatable characters make this installment pure joy to read.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Mike Lawson, and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

A great fan of Mike Lawson’s work, I could not wait to get into this book, which features the great protagonist, Joe DeMarco. After slipping out of some troubling legal issues, Joe DeMarco is ready to work again. That being said, he’s not sure if he still has a job, as Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Mahoney, has asked that he keep his distance during the congressional elections. After Mahoney wins his Boston seat again, DeMarco is brought back into the fold, the fact that he was revealed as a ‘bagman’ of no interest to Mahoney. DeMarco is given a very delicate task by his boss, serve as a proxy guardian to Cassie Russell, the goddaughter to Mahoney, at least until Mrs. Mahoney can return from a trip. Cassie’s parents were killed in a plane crash and the teenage girl is now the recipient to a sizeable, multi-billion dollar trust. Mahoney wants DeMarco to keep an eye on her and ensure everything is running smoothly with the trust for a couple of days. DeMarco begins his inquiries, only to get an odd feeling about the Russell lawyer and trust overseer, Erin Kelly. It would seem that Kelly feels she has control of it all and needs no assistance from DeMarco. After speaking to Cassie and the hired help, DeMarco is pushed in the direction that Kelly may not be all that she seems, which is only further solidified when an accountant who was performing an audit turns up dead in a convenience store shooting. Kelly is the niece of Boston mob boss, Mike Kelly, a man with few scruples when it comes to how he runs his business. When DeMarco feels that Erin may have been responsible for the plane crash, he takes his investigation into high gear and pushes some buttons to get a reaction. Meanwhile, Erin Kelly has turned to her uncle to kill Cassie and DeMarco, as they seem to be onto something they should not know. What follows is a game of cat and mouse that will see DeMarco up against ruthless killers and a woman whose greed for money trumps any sensible bone in her body. Lawson does well painting a vivid picture with this novel, sure to impress series fans. Recommended to those who love a good crime thriller, as well as the reader who has followed the progress of Joe DeMarco and Mike Lawson from the early days.

There’s nothing like a little Boston politicking mixed with the flavour of some mob justice to turn a book into something the reader is not able to put down. Lawson has done well with this, his fourteenth novel in the series. Joe DeMarco is still the gritty character he’s always been, with some wonderful pizzazz and a down to earth nature. He cannot hide from the past his father brought to Boston, but DeMarco is not one to sit idly by and let that shape him. Working with John Mahoney is never dull and this case is another example of that. The reader is able to see a softer and more parental side to Joe DeMarco, though no one can expect things to fall into place immediately. Others within the book find a way to make a mark and resonate throughout the narrative. This may not have all the grit one expects in a Lawson thriller, but there are certainly some brilliant parts and the characters surely shape that throughout. The story was strong and worked well throughout the different settings and situations that occur. The story never loses the momentum it has, while the criminal element keeps the reader guessing what will come next. Likely one of the best DeMarco thrillers I have read to date, the novel kept me intrigued until the final page turn.

Kudos, Mr. Lawson, for a great addition to the series I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for DeMarco.

This book has a great, original plot, and the story is told as I like it; fast and with no unnecessary dialogue. The characters are believable, the language is good, and there are a few funny points as well.

Fast-paced, totally enjoyable thriller

Maybe unbelievably this is the fourteenth in the Joe DeMarco series. On this occasion DeMarco is sent by his boss, soon to be speaker of the House John Mahoney, to Boston to look after Cassie, the teenage daughter of multi billionaire Connor Russell, and sole survivor of a plane crash which killed her parents and left her the heir to the family fortune. Mahoney is the girl’s godfather and guardian.

When DeMarco reaches Boston, his suspicions are immediately aroused by a particular sequence of events which includes the death of an accountant investigating the Russell Trust. The plot starts slowly but the pace increases rapidly and ends in.........well that would be giving the game away. Read the novel to find out.

Some authors seem to have the ability to introduce characters into the storyline without making the whole plot too difficult to follow. Other authors seem to have difficulty with just half a dozen characters. Fortunately, Mike Lawson belongs to the former group. All the characters were well defined and had individual personalities. I have not read any of the previous thirteen DeMarco novels but didn’t feel at a disadvantage or at all disenfranchised.

It has to be admitted that after a few pages I knew I was going to hate this thriller as I disliked the short, staccato sentences. I persevered and after couple more chapters was so engrossed, I couldn’t put down the kindle. This might have been the fourteenth in the series but it felt fresh and alive. How Lawson has kept up this quality of writing is something to be respected and I shall be spending my pennies on some of his previous tomes. Brilliant.

mr zorg

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review

Joe DeMarco has spent the last four months playing golf and lying low after being framed for the murder of a congressman. But his boss, John Mahoney, has resumed his seat as Speaker of the House after the 2018 election returned a Democratic majority to the House. Mahoney sends Joe to Boston to look after his goddaughter, whose parents have been killed in a plane crash deep in the Adirondack Mountains. Then, the accountant who was hired to audit her trust fund is murdered in a bodega robbery gone wrong. But as Joe investigates, it become clear someone is manipulating the trust fund and has staged the murders and now Mahoney's goddaughter is in the murderer's sights. Joe being Joe, there is a lovely bartender involved, but mostly Joe stumbles around, uncovering the plot. I really enjoy this series; Joe is a great protagonist and his adventures are always good reading.

Fifteen-year-old Cassie Russell, the only daughter of a mega-rich Boston couple, is the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed her parents. She’s also the goddaughter of the newly elected Speaker of the House, John Mahoney, and after the crash Mahoney becomes her legal guardian. Normally, Mahoney would send his kind-hearted wife to deal with his new ward, but she’s unavailable so he dispatches his fixer, Joe DeMarco, to make sure the girl’s okay. DeMarco’s job is only to put things into a holding pattern until Mrs. Mahoney is able to step in and take charge—but DeMarco unintentionally flips over a rock and out from under it crawls a lawyer, the one managing Cassie’s vast estate. DeMarco learns the lawyer has been embezzling from the estate and may have killed Cassie’s parents.

I’ve been reading this series since someone told me to check it out. I liked it so much that I wenr back and read the first three. It’s not often that I have done that but it was worth the time as it’s a great series. I would have to say that this is one of my all time favotite series as I have read every one of his books cover-to-cover. The characters especially DeMarco and Mahoney are just right. I’d recommend all of his books in this series but this is certainly one of his best. Lawson is a world class writer !!!!

Some books which are described as “unputdownable,” are in fact nothing of the kind. “House Privilege,” however, Mike Lawson’s latest Joe DeMarco thriller, is not one of those books. I raced through it, eager to see what was going to happen next. It is one thing after another, the action never lets up. I stayed up much too late reading it.

Joe DeMarco is the “fixer” for the former and now incoming Speaker of the House of Representatives. In his role working for Speaker Mahoney Joe is used to doing all sorts of odd, and sometimes barely legal things. I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to say anything about the plot save that it is excellent and most interesting. We see the POV of several characters, not just DeMarco, which moves the action along.

I have loved every DeMarco book I have read, and “House Privilege” is no different. It is such a good book. If you like thrillers, Mike Lawson should be at the top of your reading list. You cannot do better.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.