House Standoff

Book excerpt: A D.C. fixer heads to Wyoming on a personal mission in the new novel from the Edgar Award–finalist and “reliably excellent writer” (Seattle Times). When someone close to him is shot dead in a roadside motel in a small Wyoming town, Joe DeMarco shirks his responsibilities as the Speaker of the House’s fixer to make sure the authorities are doing everything they can to catch the killer. He soon realizes that the rural area is dominated by Hiram Bunt, a wealthy rancher with an obstructionist streak who’s willing to take on the federal government at gunpoint and seems to have a number of politicians under his thumb. But Bunt isn’t the only one in the way. DeMarco also learns that his friend―a woman he was once in love with―had unearthed explosive secrets during her time in the backwoods, and that the deputy in charge of the investigation may be ignoring leads to preserve a secret of his own. Surrounded by people willing to kill to maintain the status quo, DeMarco launches his own investigation into a growing list of intertwining suspects. And being DeMarco, he concludes that breaking the law to uncover the truth is the best way to ensure that justice is done . . . “[A] consistently entertaining, well-crafted series.” —Booklist “A charmingly likable character.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles novels “A writer who gets everything right.” —The Plain Dealer