Review: Dead Politician Society by Robin Spano

Publisher: ECW Press

Pages: 326
Source: Author for Blog Tour
Category: Mystery
Rating: 5/5


Synopsis:

Clare Vengel is a 22 year old, motorcycling, sassy police-woman. She's been on the force for three months and her skills are about to be tested. When the local mayor is poisoned in public and falls down dead during his speech, the local police begin to investigate. Clare Vengel is given her first arduous assignment. She must go undercover, enroll in university as a 'poli-sci' student, and penetrate the secret society claiming to be responsible for the death. She must keep her eyes and ears open at all times, and gain the trust of her supervisor who doesn't seem too impressed by her. Being a student is difficult, the students seem to speak a different language, and her professor seems to have it out for her. Life is demanding when your reality and your occupation become one. Clare brushes up on Political Science and begins to form relationships with her suspects, some she is suspicious of and others she believes to be honest. As her relationships grow, Clare becomes increasingly perplexed. The killer may be among her classmates, but the killer may also be one of her friends. Each event poses a great risk to the unsuspecting politicians. As the bodies begin to pile up, Clare is increasingly pressured to find out who's poisoning the politicians.



Overall Impression:

First, I would like to say I really enjoyed this mystery. Dead Politician Society is a fast-paced, enjoyable, intriguing debut novel. Robin Spano introduces her readers to multiple characters, and writes from each perspective. The short, quick chapters leave the reader wanting more. The reader begins to build trust in each character as the tone continually changes. Clare is twenty-two, she wants to date, she wants to party, and she wants to be herself. As I began to read the novel, I wanted to read the book in one sitting. It took me a few chapters to understand who each character was, but once I acquired the flow of the novel I was hooked. I trusted everyone! I thought 'No, it couldn't possibly be this person, or that person.' I was in the dark until the end. Robin Spano created an amazing cast of characters: some witty, some angry, and some just trying to get through their day to day activities. My favorite character is Clare but I really enjoyed Annabel as well. I loved how she was trying to get the scoop and undermine her editor at the same time. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but I quickly realized that I will be looking out for the next instalments. Clare Simpson, or shall I say 'Vengel' is a new character that I will want to keep track of. She has some exciting adventures in store for herself I'm sure. Robin Spano I'm officially a fan!



The next novel in the series is called: Death Plays Poker. Coming October 2011