From Publishers Weekly

The second outing for political troubleshooter Joe DeMarco, who's employed by House Speaker John Mahoney, proves that Lawson's fine debut, The Inside Ring (2005), was no fluke. Soon after DeMarco's arrival at the U.S. naval base in Bremerton, Wash., which an espionage ring has infiltrated, dead spies start turning up. Their control, a beautiful Chinese national, Li Mei, appears to be killing her underlings once they complete their jobs. After Li Mei gets her hands on top secret information about nuclear submarine technology, she boldly takes the next step—kidnapping one of DeMarco's operatives, who, theoretically, could be tortured into revealing more secrets about nuclear subs. While the author's prose is highly readable and his plot fast-paced, it's the character of DeMarco, a man of insecurities, weaknesses and outright defects, that separates this new series from the herd. DeMarco also has a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor that contrasts nicely to the solemn gravity of his professional circumstances. (July)
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From Booklist

Government fix-it man Joe DeMarco returns for a second adventure. After foiling a plot to assassinate the president in The Inside Ring (2005), he now has a job that may be even tougher: to nail a spy ring that's operating out of a naval base. The novel is more accomplished stylistically than its predecessor, and the author (a former civilian contractor for the U.S. Navy) works in plenty of the kinds of details only an insider could know. At once a solid thriller and a revealing look behind the scenes of American politics, the tale will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers. David Pitt
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