The Puppet Master
Brooks/Lotello Thriller Series
By: Ronald S. Barak
Narrated by: Edward Bauer
Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
What would you do if they took everything you had, your family, your home, your business, your dignity, even - perhaps - your sanity? Ronald S. Barak's latest, The Puppet Master, prequel to The Amendment Killer and the second in the Brooks/Lotello Thriller series, is a gripping story of a political system gone awry - and those who feel compelled to fix it.
"Have you ever killed anyone? I have. I'll do it again. If I need to."
Three prominent political leaders in Washington, DC, murdered in as many days.
Not a plausible story premise? What about the real-world villain who recently mailed a series of pipe bombs to a number of prominent political figures? Ripped from the headlines? Barak gives new meaning to the word "timely". The Puppet Master isn't ripped from the headlines; written first, it forecast the headlines that followed!
The Puppet Master begins with a bang. Literally. Three of them. Not a moment wasted. Capitol Hill panics. Who will be next? Others whisper that our political leaders are only getting what they deserve. Anxious to see who will be next. And why.
Crafty DC homicide Detective Frank Lotello is tasked to find the killer. Cliff Norman, a local businessman with ample motive, is arrested. Politicians breathe a sigh of relief. However, when Lotello discovers a disturbing White House connection, he suspects Norman may not be what he appears to be. Things may not be what they appear to be.
Norman's trial commences in the courtroom of savvy DC trial court judge Cyrus Brooks. An angry nation rallies behind Norman. The jury debates whether Norman's actions may be legally justified by a rampant abuse of political trust and threatens to unravel the very fabric of our dysfunctional government.
In an unprecedented and questionable manner that may destroy their respective careers, Lotello quietly approaches Brooks, and they form a secret alliance to uncover the truth in this classic whodunit mystery. Before it's too late.
Blurring fiction and reality, The Puppet Master will have you dangling from the first moment to the very last.
©2019 Ronald S. Barak (P)2019 Ronald S. Barak
Buy links: Audible | Amazon Audio
Cat gives this one 4 Meows...
I am going to give this book to ratings. A 4 for the actual book because it was so long and wordy, pus so many characters it got overwhelming and hopped around. Now having said that... I listened to the audio and the narrator was amazing. he voice acted the ook ( which I love and each character even the females had a clear, unique voice. You could even tell when there were thoughts being voiced as happens a lot in Lotellos and Brooks' parts. That is skilled. So I give a 5 adding in the narration.
This is book two and marked as a prequel. I have not read book one and do suggest this one first since we meet Brooks and Lotello'
First, we meet Lotello, a newly widowed police officer with two kids, contemplating if he should stay on the force and keep his career or find something else so he can spend more time with his family. Mr. Barak found an unusual way to endear us to Lotello by his speaking so much to his deceased wife. It really touched my heart and made me really like him.
There is a wide array of characters, too many to mention and all have a depth to them. The book kinda has two parts the police procedural than the political part. After the person is found and put on trial then we get in depth of the trial and that is where we meet Brooks, the judge, and the DA and prosecuting attorney as well.
The story is engaging, thrilling and page turning and I can't wait to see what the next book has in store. but I will choose the audio. If you like crime thrillers, police procedurals, political procedurals, and allover page-turning suspense this is for you. I highly recommend the audio.
Described by his readers as a cross between Agatha Christie, Lee Child, and John Lescroart, bestselling author Ron Barak keeps his readers flipping the pages into the wee hours of the night. While he mostly lets his characters tell his stories, he does manage to get his licks in too.
Barak derives great satisfaction in knowing that his books not only entertain but also stimulate others to think about how things might be, how people can actually resolve real-world problems. In particular, Barak tackles the country's dysfunctional government representatives--not just back-seat driving criticism for the sake of being a back-seat driver, but truly framing practical remedies to the political abuse and corruption adversely affecting too many people's lives today. Barak's extensive legal background and insight allow him to cleverly cross-pollinate his fiction and today's sad state of political reality.
In his latest novel, THE AMENDMENT KILLER, Barak calls upon his real world legal ingenuity and skill to craft a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution criminalizing political abuse and corruption that Constitutional scholars across the country are heralding as a highly plausible answer to the political chaos destroying the very moral fiber of the country today. It's difficult to read THE AMENDMENT KILLER and not imagine what could--and should--be expected and demanded of those political leaders who have forgotten they are there to serve and not be served.
Barak is also a committed and strident advocate of finding a cure for diabetes. One of the primary characters in THE AMENDMENT KILLER is the feisty and precocious 11-year-old diabetic granddaughter of the Supreme Court justice holding the swing vote in a case in which Congress is challenging the validity of Barak's hypothetical 28th Amendment. It is no small coincidence that Barak is himself a diabetic. Or that he has committed 50% of the net proceeds of THE AMENDMENT KILLER to diabetes research and education.
Barak is singularly qualified to have authored THE AMENDMENT KILLER, which will appeal to political and legal thriller aficionados alike. Barak is a law school honors graduate and a former Olympic athlete. While still in law school, he authored a bill introduced in Congress that overnight forced the settlement of a decades-long dispute between the NCAA and the AAU to control amateur athletics in the United States.
Present-day politicians would do well to read THE AMENDMENT KILLER and not underestimate the potential of Barak's 28th Amendment. You can read his 28th Amendment at ronaldsbarak.com/28th-amendment-page-2. You can also read his occasional political blogs at ronaldsbarak.com/blog.
Ron and his wife, Barbie, and the four-legged members of their family reside in Pacific Palisades, California
Sounds like quite a interesting audio listen.
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