The Incumbent

Rating:
Summary: Here are some great quotes for The Incumbent:
Review: "A dynamite book that is also wise. A real, genuine, classic political thriller." Bob Woodward, author of All the President's Men, The Brethren, and The Agenda

"Brian McGrory writes prose with the economy and clarity that only the best writers can master. The Incumbent moves to its absorbing conclusion without a wasted gesture or a false note." Robert B. Parker, author of Hugger Mugger and Hush Money

"White House cover-ups, back-stabbing press corps, lying pols and cynical deadline reporting -- and I thought I had seen it all. The Incumbent is authentic, compulsive reading, a page-turner to the core." Mike McCurry, former press secretary to President Bill Clinton

"Brian McGrory has written a superb thriller, authentic in its Washington and White House ambience -- a gripping story. No one will be able to put it down." Helen Thomas, former White House correspondent for United Press International

"Rarely does a thriller offer both such palm-sweating excitement and a genuine sense of the intrigue that infuses Washington, D.C. A completely fresh and hugely enjoyable political page-turner." Jeffery Deaver, author of The Empty Chair, The Devil's Teardrop and The Bone Collector

"Our hero ends up scooping a story that's both deeper and murkier than Watergate. Bullet-fast and told tough, The Incumbent is Eddie Coyle meets The Usual Suspects." Chris Matthews, host of CNBC's Hardball

"The human relationships of the presidency are revealed with warmth and flavor in this sparkling, fast-paced thriller about a newsman in the halls of power. It's a great read." Marlin Fitzwater, press secretary to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush

"Brian McGrory has written a terrific story about murder, ambition without limits, and presidential assassination. The Incumbent is a combination of Jack Germond and John Grisham." Mark Shields, syndicated columnist and political analyst for PBS and CNN

Rating:
Summary: Cool, funny first-person narrator makes the book great
Review: A terrific read! Finally a first-person journalist as narrator who lets us get into his quirky and hilarious side. A thriller on one level and an inner look at a way cool narrator who certainly does not take himself too seriously. Example-Jack Flynn, a man who knows the President personally, describes entering a hick bar complete with ten motorcycles-hogs the owners probably called them. "White wine spritzer please."

[You idiot I thought as I'm reading. How dumb! Then, I continue reading..]

Just kidding. Mrs. Flynn didn't raise any fools. I ordered a Budweiser, specifically saying a "longneck"

For an edge of the seat thriller combined with a comedian's account of life as a journalist read The Incumbent.

Rating:
Summary: flawed but fun political thriller
Review: Boston reporter Brian McGrory's first novel has its problems, primarily that the plot is neither challenging nor plausible, but the author writes well, presents interesting characters and gives us some nice dialogue. What I especially enjoyed were the insights into the techniques and thinking of a White House reporter. If you want a book that will keep you on th edge of your seat and challenge you, this is an inadequate read; however, if you want an interesting thriller that revolves around politics, you should enjoy this debut outing from McGrory. I would read another book by this author.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME BOOK!
Review: Brian McGrory really shined with this book! It was about a newspaper reporter who was trying to earn respect in the newspaper business. It had a slow start but gave you a wonderful finish. For anyone who has followed the 'Deep Throat' story, this will be a deeply interesting read.

Rating:
Summary: Authentic and funny-a timely book for the season!
Review: Brian McGrory's fictional character of Jack Flynn is the penultimate DC reporter. Laced with humor, irony, and a tinge of sadness, he plunges ever on, relentlessly pursuing the story of the decade. The book has everything - twists and turns, tragedy, romance, and more than its share of comic moments - all combining for a genuine read in the height of the presidential political season. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for thrills, laughs, and a realistic look at political reporting in this day and age of politics and media.

Rating:
Summary: A timely thriller that robbed me of a good night's sleep!
Review: Brian McGrory, I'm very sleepy as I write this, as I was up till 3a.m. last night finishing your new book, THE INCUMBENT. A great thriller, it also gives an inside look at what a journalist's life can be like. I'm a big John Grisham reader, and I loved this book even more than Grisham's last few. I recommend it highly to anyone looking for a suspenseful, well-written read. So keep going, Brian McGrory!

Rating:
Summary: Realistic reporter, far-fetched premise
Review: Formerly the Boston Globe's White House correspondent and currently the paper's Metro columnist, Brian McGrory writes about what he knows in this first novel, a political thriller.

McGrory plunges us into the ambitious, deadline-driven, sometimes ruthless world of print journalism in a tale that begins with a presidential assassination attempt and concludes twelve days later with the presidential election. Narrator Jack Flynn, reporter at the Washington bureau of a large Boston newspaper, making queries about a presidential pardon of a Massachusetts armed robber, is invited to play golf with President Clayton Hutchins (who, like Gerald Ford, has become president without a vote cast).

Jack takes it in stride when Hutchins, confident of victory in the upcoming election, offers him the job of Press Secretary. But minutes later shots are fired and he and the president are both wounded, Jack more seriously than Hutchins. The shooter is killed on the spot.

But a bullet wound isn't likely to deflect Jack from a story as big as an assassination attempt, especially after an anonymous call warns him to believe nothing he's told. As both witness and reporter, Jack has personal access to the FBI investigation but further cryptic calls lead him to believe the official investigation is a cover-up. Off-the-record hints guide him to a militia stronghold in Idaho, the Boston underworld and several more brushes with death.

Murder, mayhem and conspiracy keep the plot moving between deadlines, journalistic ethics and moral expediency to a solution which - after a story focusing on the glare of media attention - seems downright unbelievable. Credibility aside, many readers will enjoy the authentic, insider's view of investigative journalism and Jack, though sometimes too full of himself (but I suppose a really ambitious reporter would have to be), is a driven protagonist with a sad past and romantic possibilities.

Rating:
Summary: Closer to 4 than 3
Review: Gee, this was a good book but not as terrific as other reviewers seem to think. He ties things up at the end and the pieces fit (which is more than what one could write about other mysteries and, apparently, contemporary politics) but the scenario is not plausible. Still an engaging read and far better than Baldacci.

Rating:
Summary: good read
Review: I enjoyed this book but I thought it took awhile to pick up. The ending was good although a little far fetched. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read the story. I would have liked to have seen more development in the love plot. Overall, I would recommend this book if you are interested in political thrillers.

Rating:
Summary: A Fabulous Read
Review: I first opened this book at 11 AM on a recent rainy Saturday morning and did not move until I finished at 4PM that same afternoon. The Incumbent is that good. This book will appeal to many, many readers. It combines likeable characters with great character development with a storyline and plot twist that captivates. The main character, Jack Flynn, a Washington correspondent for the Boston Record, is invited to play golf with the President of the U.S., just days before the Election. There is an assassination attempt on the golf course and it takes off from there. An armored car heist, a creepy militia camp in the Midwest, a bookie that rules an entire city are just several examples of what kept me reading for five hours straight. Known as an avid reader, I have not been this entertained in months.