The new novel in Mike Lawson's series takes political fixer Joe DeMarco to New York for behind-the-scenes work on a high-stakes murder case, as the five witnesses, one by one, start to withdraw.
Each of Lawson’s DeMarco novels have been first-rate, but House Witness may be the best yet. DeMarco’s investigation and the machinations of the witness tamperers are skillfully detailed and thoroughly involving, but the love affair between two of the criminals is an unexpected bonus. Readers will once again find themselves comparing Lawson to the late, great Ross Thomas.
There’s not a ton of backstory in House Witness... so newcomers to the franchise may struggle to pick up what, exactly, DeMarco does and why he does it. Once they figure it out, though, it’s a fun ride full of action and suspense. There’s also a pretty solid twist towards the end that most won’t see coming, and readers will likely enjoy watching the case play out alongside the chess match between Joe and Fields, who is one of Lawson’s better antagonists to date.
... Mike Lawson [is] an excellent writer who knows his political chops ... Mr. Lawson vividly characterizes the pair of profiteers, and does an especially excellent job with Ella ... it is fascinating to read how the shrewd DeMarco tracks down his prey while they scramble to keep their anonymity.
