A Crack in Everything

July 1, 2011

For being a young crackerjack professional, Susan Callisto is naive about the lengths folks will go to win their political races. She has left her attorney job in Boston for the uncertain world of political consulting. Already helping Roddie Baird with his campaign, she has misgivings about taking on smooth-talking Charles Renfrow as an additional client, but she needs the money. When Renfrow's sexy assistant turns up dead and more weird attacks take place, Susan sees her economic livelihood, not to mention her life, spinning out of control. The convergence of political machinations, real-estate ventures, and power makes for a volatile mix. VERDICT A spirited and feisty heroine with an unusual profession holds the reader's interest here; this title is sure to be popular with Hank Phillippi Ryan and Julie Kramer fans. Gerst does a fine job with plot maneuvers, bringing in an exciting twist at the end. A promising new series.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2011

A Boston lawyer and political consultant finds her latest client more than a handful in attorney-turned-reporter Gerst's debut novel.

Chaz Renfrow wants Susan Callisto to help him run for mayor of Telford, Mass., because she has an unblemished, though short, record of political wins. Why the CEO of a biotech company wants to be mayor of Telford is another story. Smooth-talking Chaz insists it's because that's the only way to get the zoning he needs to expand NovoGen Tech. Her trusted friend Beauford Smith warns Susan that Chaz is poison. But skeptical Susan lets Chaz charm her into accepting a $20,000 retainer anyway, squandering some of the time she should be working on Roddie Baird's congressional campaign visiting Renfrow's Telford site. She keeps better tabs on elderly restaurant owner Nino Biondi, a client from her old real estate days, in his battle with landlord Peter Lombard. When Nino is beaten unconscious, presumably by Lombard's thugs, Susan uses the power of attorney Nino assigned her to cut a deal with Lombard that gives Nino a new site in Cambridge plus an apartment. Meanwhile, trouble erupts at NovoGen Tech: Chaz's assistant Torie Moran is found dead in the trunk of her car. Telford police call in the Staties, forcing Lt. Michael Benedict back into Susan's life. Between her old boyfriend and her new client, the lawyer doesn't know where to turn—until a spate of new attacks threatens both her livelihood and her life.

Gerst gets good mileage out of her political roots, but it's her finely honed plot that seals the deal. Here's hoping she runs for another term.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 13, 2011
Susan Callisto, a Waltham, Mass., lawyer turned political consultant, finds that choosing clients can be deadly serious in Gerst's tightly constructed debut. Callisto is overwhelmed by fast-talking Charles Renfro when he dangles a check for $20,000 in a bid for her services in his hastily planned run for mayor of Telford. Callisto has other campaigns on her plate, including that of Roddie Baird, which demands a lot of babysitting. She's also representing restaurant owner and "half-stand-in" grandfather Nino Biondi in a dispute with his landlord, Peter Lombard. All three clients cause headaches, but the murder of Renfro's assistant, an attack on Biondi, and another on Callisto keep the plot roiling. Lt. Michael Benedict of the state police provides romantic interest and more complications. The plot unfolds like a set of Russian nesting dolls with each solution hiding yet another surprising development and each testing Callisto's resolve and resilience.