The murder of a young investigator from the Justice Department triggers an investigation that is a bit of a clash of wills. Because the two corrupt FBI agents who killed the young woman are all in all idiots, but operated by a mysterious person with a highly developed intelligence. Figuring out who this person is and putting him or her in a corner is the task of Joe De Marco, the factotum of a less than squeaky-clean senator, and Emma, a now-retired but resourceful agent.
Comical at some points (the two corrupt agents are really idiots), it is nevertheless an interesting and very adrenalin-pumping novel. An excellent entertaining read.

Book sixteen in the DeMarco series is set in Miami, the Keys, and the Capital Beltway area. Joe DeMarco works as an investigator for the Speaker of the House. When a twenty-three-year old working in the DOJ Inspector's Office is murdered in the Keys, DeMarco is paired with Emma, a former spy, to find the killer. Also working from the Miami office are two FBI agents who are near mandatory retirement and have of dream of buying a large fishing boat and spending their retirement on the warm FL waters. Mike Lawson writes a page-turning, follow-the-money novel that will keep readers wondering how many dirty agents and lawyers work for the federal government. The book touches on many geographic South Florida locations but not quite that toes in the sand feeling--nonetheless a good beach read. It can be read as a stand-alone novel.

This was a great crime investigation novel. It opens with the actual crime. The rest of the book focuses on why they did it, who else was involved, and the investigation. It was exciting and engrossing with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing. The characters were well developed and the dialogue was believable. The ending was also a surprise.
I would read this author again and would like to start this series from the beginning.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve never read a Joe DeMarco thriller before, it’s time to start! This was my first in the long-running series (Alligator Alley is number 16) and I loved it. It’s both exciting and funny. Joe DeMarco didn’t really seem to be the main character in this one - more of the action was led by a woman named Emma who has a mysterious and obviously influential past - so I’m intrigued to go back and start at the beginning of the series to get a better picture of what DeMarco normally does. He’s described as a fixer for the Speaker of the House, so I expect some political machinations along with some solid investigative work.

This particular book takes place far from Washington, DC, in the Florida Everglades. In particular, crucial scenes take place along I-75, known locally as Alligator Alley (hence the book’s title). There are great descriptions of Florida locales and people. As a resident of Naples for the last several years and having driven along that stretch of road many times, I particularly enjoyed the local details and scenes referencing Naples and Collier County, even including some scenes involving the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Emma and DeMarco are trying to figure out who killed a young DOJ staffer and why. Their main suspects are a pair of crooked (and incompetent) FBI agents, who are nearing retirement. Given that they are FBI agents, who should Emma and Joe trust?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. Being a bit late to it, I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library, which was narrated beautifully by Joe Barrett. All opinions are my own.

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press on February 7, 2023

Joe DeMarco is not the leading character in this Joe DeMarco novel. DeMarco is the “fixer” for John Maroney, a corrupt congressman, but only a small part of the story follows DeMarco as he does his job. With relative ease, DeMarco sniffs out the reason why a defecting Democrat voted against an environmental bill that Maroney supported.

Maroney and everyone in Washington respects Henry Cantor, an employee of the Inspector General’s Office who is in charge of Department of Justice oversight. Cantor sent one of his bright new underlings to look into the abysmal job performance of two FBI agents in Florida. The employee, Andie Moore, is murdered in a swamp. Cantor suspects she was murdered by the two agents.

Cantor knows that DeMarco and a woman named Emma solved the murder of a congressman, a story that was told in House Arrest. Emma, retired from the Defense Intelligence Agency, did most of the work after DeMarco was arrested and accused of the murder. Cantor would like Maroney to ask Emma to team up with DeMarco to solve Andie’s murder. Maroney agrees despite the mutual animosity between Maroney and Emma.

Alligator Alley isn’t a whodunit as the reader knows from the beginning that the FBI agents did, in fact, kill Andi just after they murdered a crooked doctor they were extorting. Another party was involved in the extortion, one who was much brighter than the FBI agents. Emma spends much of the novel figuring out how to prove that the agents are guilty and identifying their accomplice. DeMarco tags along but, as in House Arrest, leaves the thinking to Emma. DeMarco would rather be playing golf anyway.

Alligator Alley is another of Mike Lawson’s fun, easy reads. Lawson sets up a surprise ending but telegraphs the outcome. Other novels and at least one movie have ended in the same way, making the outcome easy to guess. The resolution is fitting even if it isn’t surprising. Recent DeMarco novels have all been entertaining beach reads. This one is no exception.

RECOMMENDED

First time I've read this author. Would definitely recommend reading the whole series. Loved the way the characters interacted with each other.
Thanks to NetGalley for advance copy

This is my first Joe DeMarco book, but it will not be my last! I loved this book. It was fast-paced, suspenseful and (more importantly) believable. I could not read it fast enough. DeMarco and Emma make a great sleuthing pair. As the story unfolded, I was dragged further into it and couldn't have been happier. Looking forward to the next one!

Henry Canton received the Congressional Medal of Honor after saving his platoon in Vietnam. He is a quiet man, not flaunting his connections. He works at the Department of Justice. He calls on John Mahoney, the Speaker of the House, to ask for his help to avenge the murder of a young woman, who was investigating fraud at the FBI. He asks for Joe DeMarco and Emma, a retired DIA operative, to investigate. Joe and Emma fly to Miami and drive into the Everglades. They manage to locate the young woman's phone which shows photographs of two FBI agents murdering a couple who had embezzled $15 million from Medicare. McGruder and McIntyre, the FBI agents, along with a long-time friend, Patty McHugh, have figured out how to embezzle the already embezzled money. Joe and Emma, who has deep connections in the world of spies, quickly figure out that McGruder and McIntyre were not working alone, especially after they turn up dead, shot in the head by someone sitting in the backseat of their car. Now, the rush is on to prove Patty McHugh is not who she says she is. Another entertaining read in this long-running series. If you are a fan of Harlan Coben, Nick Petrie and Robert Crais, you need to be reading this series.

I enjoyed the premise of the book and found many elements interesting.

However, it bogged down in over explanation. Also a lengthy explanation about the background behind Mahoney's TV appearance mentioned by Emma. If the potential scandal isn't reflected later on then those pages are wasted.

In addition, there was some head bopping - when the FBI agents are waiting for someone to discover Andie's body. The POV shifts from them to the elderly woman.

This book needed a better editor...and should that happen with a next book, it will be very good.one.

Mike Lawson is such a good writer. This is #16 in his Joe DeMarco series, and there is not a dud among them. "Alligator Alley" is a little different from many of the other books, but that was part of what made it so interesting. Every so often an author has to shake things up a little to keep a long-running series fresh.

I detest spoilers so I am going to be very careful about what I say here. In this book Joe shares protagonist duties with Emma. Want to know more? Read this excellent book. Lawson handles a number of complexities very skillfully, and as usual, doesn't let his readers down. Highly recommended.

MacIntyre and MacGruder, two crooked and greedy FBI agents, were supposed to investigate a fifteen-million dollar Medicare fraud case perpetrated by Lenny and Estelle Berman, a husband and wife team managing a retirement home. Instead, they purposefully tanked the case, making every mistake possible to ensure the Bermans would go free. A young Department of Justice employee named Andie Moore is found deceased in her car after being shot at a rest stop on Aligator Alley in the Florida Everglades. Despite having been called home by her boss, Henry Cantor, the twenty-three year old investigator stayed to follow MacIntyre and MacGruder to see if she could discover the reason for the mistakes. Caught without backup, she was killed. Henry Cantor, devastated from having lost Andie (who reminded him of his deceased granddaughter), approached the crooked, connected Speaker of the House John Mahoney to ask for help from his “troubleshooter,” Joe DeMarco. Henry also called in former DIA agent Emma, a brilliant, cunning, and well-affiliated woman who, with DeMarco, heads to Florida to investigate. Emma has no qualms about doing whatever she has to do, including breaking and entering, withholding evidence, and calling in her arsenal of contacts in order to bring a case to conclusion.

This is the first book I’ve read from author Mike Lawson, and I must say I enjoyed every page. The story is engaging, well-written, intelligent, and believable. The vile characters are motivated by greed, which tracks in human nature, and the “good” characters are willing to do whatever it takes, including cross the line when necessary, for the good of solving the case and bringing the vile characters to justice. Although I understand this is the sixteenth (!) book of the series, it read exceptionally well as a stand-alone. Although I haven’t read previous works, I was able to follow everything immediately. The novel was sprinkled with humor, and the more I read about Emma, the more I loved the character and her gumption. There was plenty of action, tension, and realism making this a true page-turner. I highly recommend “Alligator Alley” to all who love political/government thrillers laced with humor, questionable characters, and plenty of adventure.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Mike Lawson, and Atlantic Monthly Press New York/Grove Atlantic for the ability to read and review this ARC.

The Joe DeMarco series by Mike Lawson has long been a favorite of mine. Although Joe looks like a hoodlum, he is actually a laid-back fellow who enjoys relaxing with a beer, hanging out with attractive women, and playing endless rounds of golf. He makes a living as a fixer for John Mahoney, the corrupt but influential Speaker of the House. In "Alligator Alley," a pair of greedy and amoral FBI agents, McIntyre and McGruder, are nearing retirement. They were supposed to gather evidence against Lenny and Estelle Berman, a husband-and-wife team who committed Medicare fraud to the tune of fifteen million dollars. Instead, McIntyre and McGruder botch the case, and a twenty-three-year-old Department of Justice investigator named Andi Moore tails the two men—against the orders of her supervisor—and pays the ultimate price for going after these suspected felons without backup.

Henry Cantor, a decorated war hero and Andi's boss, enlists the help of Joe and Emma, a former DIA agent, to find out who killed Andi and why. Emma is brilliant, courageous, cunning, and well-connected in the military and intelligence communities. In addition, she has a stable of operatives she can call upon day or night to do her bidding. Emma and Joe agree to help Henry, whom they like and admire. Emma has no compunction about breaking and entering, withholding evidence, and hacking into people's private records, if doing so will bring the case to a satisfactory conclusion.

"Alligator Alley" is among Lawson's most entertaining books to date. The plot is engrossing; the author enlivens the proceedings with brisk dialogue and sardonic humor; and the villains are rotten but all too human in their desire to steal enough cash for luxurious retirements. This novel is devoid of gimmickry—no flashbacks, no silly twists and turns, and no chapters with alternating viewpoints. Instead, Lawson presents a compelling battle of wits between Emma and Joe and their ruthless adversaries. The indomitable Emma—with Joe as her occasionally nervous sidekick—has plenty of tricks up her sleeve to ensure that justice is done.

When I requested this book I didn't realise it was number 16 in a series., however there is enough info form the author that it works just perfectly as a stand alone novel as well.
As it turned out this book was fantastic. Joe is a fixer and a delight to read. It is a triller in ever sense of the world and the characters are so well written you can imagine knowing them.
Many thanks to Netgalley the author and the publisher for a chance to read this novel.

A Riveting and Rousing Page Turner

SUMMARY
Angie Moore is a twentysomething and newly working for DOJ Inspector General’s office conducting an investigation in Miami. She is found murdered in the Florida Everglades. Joe DeMarco, who works for the Speaker of the House, and Emma, a retired ex-spy, are called in to investigate the murder. The two waste no time identifying the suspects--a pair of almost retired FBI agents named McIntyre and McGruder. As Joe and Emma investigate further and find crucial evidence, they realize these two were not working alone, and the case is much bigger than the murder of Angie Moore. Finding the other person involved is a race against time.

REVIEW

ALLIGATOR ALLEY is a riveting and rousing page-turner. Mike Lawson has once again written a seamless and smartly structured story that is highly enjoyable. I have read every Joe DeMarco book and love the series. They just keep getting better and better.

Joe DeMarco is a colorful character, and Emma is simply perfect. She keeps Joe in his place and is clearly a woman in charge. When Emma walks into a room, she is in command. Both of them move the story along famously.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Grove Atlantic
Published February 7, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I came to this great series late and I'm still catching up. Alligator Alley works fine as either a stand alone or just out of order. It's an enjoyable read however you approach it. If you like thrillers with well developed main characters, an edge of your seat page turner and some humor, give this series a try.
The main characters are DeMarco, Emma and Mahoney. Demarco and Emma make one heck of an investigative team. They work for DOJ and have been sent to the famed area of Florida known as Alligator Alley to track the people responsible for the death of Andie Moore, a young lawyer who was on her own, following a lead involving a couple of crooked FBI agents. From start to finish I was sucked into the case and kept saying "just one more chapter" until I was out of chapters. Yes, Mike Lawson is that good a writer. I'll say no more for fear of committing spoilers.
My thanks to the publisher Atlantic Monthly Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A hard-to-put-down mix of thriller and police procedural…

Alligator Alley starts with a wrenching scene, as we watch a young DOJ agent, Andie Moore, first tailing, and then being caught and killed by two men, in the Everglades. And, as we learn shortly afterwards, the two are DOJ employees themselves – they are FBI agents, and thus not too concerned about being suspected or caught. However perhaps they should worry. It turns out that Andie’s boss in DC is the highly respected head of DOJ’s Oversight and Review Division, Henry Cantor, who pulls some strings to get both Joe DeMarco (the fixer for the Speaker of the House) and Emma (a now retired DIA spy) sent to Florida to investigate the case.

“What case?” you might say, since we, as readers, already know who did it. Well, we do and we don’t. It seems even their colleagues regard the two FBI guys as being too dumb to actually plan and pull off their crimes, so there must be someone else in the background helping them out. And for the rest of the book, author Mike Lawson does a really nice job of weaving together a thriller and a police procedural while Joe and Emma figure out who that person is - and then how to prove it and hold them accountable.

I’ve had my eye on this series for a while, but Alligator Alley was the first book I actually read. And although it’s usually not a good idea to start with the 16th of 16 titles in a series, I still really enjoyed it. The interplay between “non-stop-bulldozer” Emma, and “all-I-want-is-a-round-of-golf” Joe is a ton of fun, and I always enjoy protagonists with investigative chops. (You’ll both love and hate how Emma unlocks Andie’s iPhone…) And the ending, although almost as wrenching as the beginning, pulls all the threads together in a satisfying way.

Since I was reading the last book first, I did occasionally feel as if I were missing out on some bit of characterization or background. For example, I’m not quite sure why we never learn Emma’s last name. But all-in-all, Alligator Alley works just fine as a stand-alone, although I’ve now added the earlier books in the series to my too-long reading list. Sigh! And finally, my thanks to the publishers, Grove Atlantic, for the advance review copy!

This book is an excellent conspiracy thriller that had me laughing at the most inopportune times. It is indeed serious but the interactions of some of the main characters are laugh-out-loud funny.

When 23 year old Andie Moore gets killed while working for the DOJ, Henry gets involved. He is one of the directors of the DOJ and Andie reminds him of his granddaughter. He enlists John Mahoney, Speaker of the House to assist in finding Andie's murderer. John is a crooked politician but he respects Henry, a model citizen, who won the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam war. Very quickly, John gets a hold of Joe DeMarco, a private eye, and Emma, a retired spy who has more people beholden to her than I could ever imagine.

It becomes clear that there is something crooked going on with two of the FBI agents assigned to the case. McIntyre and McGruder are loose cannons and are marking time till they can retire and go fishing all the time. McIntyre and McGruder are somehow involved. Are they in this alone or are they relying on someone smarter than them for legal advice.

Emma and DeMarco head down to the Everglades where Andie was killed and Emma has a tight rein on DeMarco who'd like some time off the case to golf and pick-up women. Emma is a workaholic and a perfectionist so DeMarco gets no spare time off.

The books chugs right along with one conspiracy after another. It is a true page-turner and a great thriller. My only beef is that I never found out what Emma's hold was on others. I was glad to see, however, that she is not robotic; she can indeed cry.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Edition of this book.

I have been a big fan of Mike Lawson's Joe DeMarco series since the beginning but I found this one to be just okay. I think if I hadn't been reading this series for so long I might have enjoyed it a little more. Joe DeMarco plays second fiddle to a DOJ agent named Emma and throughout the whole book comes off as more lazy and whiny than I remember him from the past novels. That said, this one moves at a great pace. it's not so much a whodunit as a how do we catch them. There are interesting twists and turns but they are mostly predictable and I never found myself on the edge of my seat. I plan to continue reading the series. Recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an advanced reader copy.

Alligator Alley is a fast-paced and thrilling mystery novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows the investigation of a young woman's murder in the Everglades by DOJ investigator DeMarco and his enigmatic partner, Emma.

The plot is well-crafted that will keep readers guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed, particularly DeMarco and Emma, who make for a dynamic duo. The setting of the Everglades adds an eerie and atmospheric element to the story.

Overall, Alligator Alley is a gripping and engaging read that will appeal to fans of mystery novels. Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press for this advanced copy

Speaker of the House John Mahoney has sent Joe deMarco to Alligator Alley, deep in the Everglades to investigate the murder of Andie Moore. Andie, an attorney with the office of the DOJ Inspector General, had been looking into two FBI agents who might be connected to a big Medicare fraud case. And murder. Oh and he's sent Emma, who has a fuzzy background and lots of connections in the intel and security community, as well. These two find themselves chasing threads that lead to a larger conspiracy which reaches back into DC. The interaction between Emma and Joe makes this latest addition to the long running series (which is also fine as a standalone). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A very good read. No spoilers from me.