Oppo

September 2, 2019
In this diverting if didactic political novel from Rosenstiel (The Good Lie), Democratic presidential candidate David Traynor, a tech billionaire and “bad boy reformer,” wants Wendy Upton, a Republican senator from Arizona, on his ticket as vice president; so does Republican Dick Bakke. But before Wendy can commit to either, she receives an anonymous threat: “If you accept the offer to run as vice president, there are people who know something about you.” Enter investigators Peter Rena and Randi Brooks, partners in a firm that does opposition research (the “oppo” of the title) to dig up dirt before the other side does. Trying to figure out what the threat refers to, as well as its source, forms the bulk of the plot, though Rosenstiel’s real mission seems to be presenting his take on the horrible state of contemporary politics. As the executive director of the American Press Institute, Rosenstiel has a real understanding of American political life, but the book reads more like a lengthy op-ed piece than a novel. Agent: David Black, Black Agency.

October 1, 2019
Political observation in a thriller's guise. Rosenstiel's (The Good Lie, 2019, etc.) new novel, like his last, twines around up-to-the-minute political concerns, in this case, the effects of big money on politics. Wendy Upton, senior senator from Arizona, may be the world's last centrist; at least it seems that way when she is asked, on consecutive days, to be the vice presidential candidate by the campaigns of front-running presidential contenders of opposing parties. Then this fulcrum candidate is threatened: She's told to drop out or her life will be ruined. The call goes out to Rena, Brooks & Associates, consultants, to try to discover and neutralize whatever dirt the threatener possesses. Peter Rena and Randi Brooks have a few new associates this time around, and as the team researches Upton's life, Brooks and Rena explain to their inexperienced new colleagues the changes wrought in electoral politics by the Citizens United decision and the inrush of nearly unlimited money. Their work results in an "opposition book," which is essentially an in-house compilation of all the background that an opposition campaign might uncover, thus avoiding nasty surprises and possibly averting or diluting any public relations issues. Sure enough, Sen. Upton has a few skeletons in her closet, which of course she attempts to conceal, but only a very few, barely enough to keep her human, and the team next concentrates on discovering who might want to threaten her. Big money plays a role as Rosenstiel clearly connects the dots linking wealth to the corrupt manipulation of public policy. Rena and Brooks are as amiable as ever, their expanded associates as clever and more diverse than ever, and the threats posed by unrestrained political money are clearly descried, but the ride could be more compelling. Admirable and sharp political analysis afloat in a lukewarm thriller.

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October 1, 2019
Peter Rena is a fixer. He earns his living making the problems of the powerful go away. In this third political thriller (after The Good Lie, 2019), he is caught up in the oppo problem that has plagued American politics since the early 1990s. Oppo is political slang for opposition research, which is basically sniffing around and digging up dirt?something, anything?in a candidate's past. Gotcha stuff. During a particularly ugly primary season, a female senator is astonished to be offered the vice-presidential slot by both parties' presidential nominees; then she gets an anonymous message saying that there are people out there who know something about her that could destroy her promising career if she accepts either bid. Rena digs through the senator's seemingly squeaky-clean past for a clue as to whom the blackmailer might be and what he or she knows about the senator. This smart and provocative novel evokes the work of political-thriller master Ross Thomas.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

November 15, 2019

The presidential primaries have begun and candidates are getting antsy. In an effort to improve his chances of securing the Democratic nomination, a senator goes behind the scenes and offers the vice-presidential nod to respected centrist, Republican senator Wendy Upton. The upside for Upton? If they win, a shot at breaking the political gridlock in Washington. The downside? If they lose, she's dead politically. Before she has time to consider, a leading Republican candidate offers her the seat, too. Then she receives an anonymous threat: stay out of the limelight or we'll expose you and ruin your career. She brings in an investigator to vet her past. It's called oppo research: if there are dark spots, she'll find them before her enemies do. She also asks him to look into who's attacking her, but as the PI digs deeper, he uncovers new and unsettling information about how politics is now being played in this fractious country.

VERDICT Rosenstiel (Shining City) crafts a book that offers the double pleasure of an exciting story and new knowledge--how vetting is carried on in today's supercharged political world. Will appeal to all lovers of quality political thrillers. [See Prepub Alert, 6/10/19.]--David Keymer, Cleveland

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019

Partisanship never looked this bad: at a time when political differences of opinion are inspiring violence, greatly admired centrist senator Wendy Upton is offered the VP slot by the presidential candidates of both leading parties. Then she starts getting scary threats that could end more than her career and hires Peter Rena to figure out what's buried in her past that could be inspiring them. Political fixers Rena and partner Randi Brooks return after The Good Lie and the LJ-starred The Shining Sea.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.