Joe DeMarco.a political gunslinger and troubleshooter for John Mahoney,the conniving Speaker of the House,is asked to investigate what appears to be a minor case of fraud at a U.S.naval base.DeMarco discovers instead that an Asian espionage ring is stealing top secret data on nuclear submarines and that their leader,a deadly female spy,has a personal vendetta against DeMarco's friend and advisor,Emma,a retired DIA agent.DeMarco is in over his head,outwitted at every turn by people more lethal than any he's ever encountered,and he doubts that he'll be able to protect America's secrets or keep himself and his friend alive.

The second outing for political troubleshooter Joe DeMarco,who's employed by House Speaker John Mahoney,proves that Lawson's fine debut,The Inside Ring (2005),was no fluke.Soon after DeMarco's arrival at the U.S.naval base in Bremerton,Wash.,which an espionage ring has infiltrated,dead spies start turning up.Their control,a beautiful Chinese national,Li Mei,appears to be killing her underlings once they complete their jobs.After Li Mei gets her hands on top secret information about nuclear submarine technology,she boldly takes the next step—kidnapping one of DeMarco's operatives,who,theoretically,could be tortured into revealing more secrets about nuclear subs.While the author's prose is highly readable and his plot fast-paced,it's the character of DeMarco,a man of insecurities,weaknesses and outright defects,that separates this new series from the herd.DeMarco also has a dry,self-deprecating sense of humor that contrasts nicely to the solemn gravity of his professional circumstances.