No Way to Treat a First Lady
2 journalers for this copy...
From Publishers Weekly
The lurid sexual excesses that dominated presidential politics in the late '90s provide plenty of comic fodder for Buckley's latest satire, which doubles as a legal thriller that begins when President Ken MacMann is found dead in bed next to his wife after a vigorous night in a White House guest room with his latest mistress, film star Babette Van Anka. First lady Elizabeth MacMann whose tabloid nickname is Lady Bethmac is first on the suspect list, largely because she bopped Ken with an antique spittoon after his latest infidelity, leaving a bruise that spelled out Paul Revere's name on the late presidential forehead. Beth quickly hires an expensive, successful legal gun named Boyce "Shameless" Baylor, who also happens to be an old flame, and Baylor wades into the sordid mess, using the well-established tactics of tabloid trials to steer his client toward reasonable doubt. But Beth gets cocky after his initial success and insists on taking the stand to clear her reputation, a tactic that backfires so badly that Baylor is forced to resort to jury tampering to try to force a mistrial. Buckley has to use some obvious narrative cliches to get Baylor and MacMann out of the mess after they rekindle their romance, but the good news is that this book is more plot driven than Buckley's earlier satires, making it more coherent and effective over the long haul. The political humor is first-rate as usual, as Buckley has plenty of fun with the slimy, silly mess that is Beltway politics. This is one of his better efforts, which should keep Buckley on the "A" list of American satirists.
The lurid sexual excesses that dominated presidential politics in the late '90s provide plenty of comic fodder for Buckley's latest satire, which doubles as a legal thriller that begins when President Ken MacMann is found dead in bed next to his wife after a vigorous night in a White House guest room with his latest mistress, film star Babette Van Anka. First lady Elizabeth MacMann whose tabloid nickname is Lady Bethmac is first on the suspect list, largely because she bopped Ken with an antique spittoon after his latest infidelity, leaving a bruise that spelled out Paul Revere's name on the late presidential forehead. Beth quickly hires an expensive, successful legal gun named Boyce "Shameless" Baylor, who also happens to be an old flame, and Baylor wades into the sordid mess, using the well-established tactics of tabloid trials to steer his client toward reasonable doubt. But Beth gets cocky after his initial success and insists on taking the stand to clear her reputation, a tactic that backfires so badly that Baylor is forced to resort to jury tampering to try to force a mistrial. Buckley has to use some obvious narrative cliches to get Baylor and MacMann out of the mess after they rekindle their romance, but the good news is that this book is more plot driven than Buckley's earlier satires, making it more coherent and effective over the long haul. The political humor is first-rate as usual, as Buckley has plenty of fun with the slimy, silly mess that is Beltway politics. This is one of his better efforts, which should keep Buckley on the "A" list of American satirists.
This was a fun book to read with a lot of lol moments. It was basically a satire on life in Washington DC pulling no punches at the politics, sex, government agencies, the media, and especially the legal community and its attorneys. The book was written in 2002 and is obviously a takeoff on the Clinton white house. The president in this case is a former war hero who has untold dalliances with a myriad of women. One night after such an affair in the Lincoln bedroom, he returns to bed with the first lady and is found dead in the morning. But how did he die? Well, the first lady, Beth, is charged with his murder by throwing an antique silver spittoon at the president causing a brain hemorrhage. This leads to the "trial of the millennium" presided over by the only judge that was not recluded from the trial. Beth's attorney is an old lover who she was formerly engaged to named Boyce "Shameless" Baylor, who will go to any extent to win a case, legal or otherwise.
This one was really over the top and is filled with political humor and situations that could well apply to the current Trump administration. I would mildly recommend this but for me it was maybe a little too much over the top.
Read as part of the Oldest TBR Read and Release Challenge 2018.
9/12/18: Including in the Surprise Paperback Bookbox Round 7. Enjoy!
This one was really over the top and is filled with political humor and situations that could well apply to the current Trump administration. I would mildly recommend this but for me it was maybe a little too much over the top.
Read as part of the Oldest TBR Read and Release Challenge 2018.
9/12/18: Including in the Surprise Paperback Bookbox Round 7. Enjoy!
looks interesting-taking out of the surprise paperback bookring
