Review of "Act of Darkness: A Gregor Demarkian Mystery" by Jane Haddam

In this 3rd book in the 'Gregor Demarkian' series, the former FBI agent investigates problems in a political campaign.



The novel is set in the time of Reagan and Nixon, but it could just as easily be happening today. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

Stephen Fox, Dan Chester, and Kevin DeBrett met in college 25 years ago and made a long-term plan to go into politics. Their roles are as follows:

Fox - good-looking, not too bright, attractive to women - is the candidate;



Chester - cunning, gnomelike, manipulative - is the campaign manager;



DeBrett - smart, self-centered, a physician - helps from the sidelines.



Two decades after college, Fox is a three-term-senator getting ready getting ready to announce his candidacy for President. Stephen is well-positioned for the run because he's relatively popular; his spouse Janet Harte Fox is a 'perfect political wife' who turns a blind eye to his philandering;



And his mother-in-law Victoria Harte is a glamorous celebrity with a Long Island mansion he can use for fund-raising events.



To gear up for Fox's 'big announcement', he's sponsoring a bill that will help children with mental disabilities.



As it happens, Stephen and Janet lost their only child, a baby with Down Syndrome, to crib death. Thus Fox is the perfect figure to push this legislation, which IN REALITY is designed to enrich doctors with clinics for mentally handicapped youngsters....like his friend Kevin DeBrett.

Fox plans a weekend 'seminar' about the legislation at Victoria's estate, and invites people interested in the bill.



Stephen and his colleagues are worried because the Senator has collapsed at three previous political events - and doctors can't pinpoint a cause. Fox's handlers suspect human interference, so Chester asks Gregor Demarkian - who established the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI - to check things out.

Demarkian arrives at Victoria's mansion with a beautiful heiress named Bennis Hannaford, who likes to follow his investigations (no hanky panky). Other people at the Long Island manse include Victoria Harte; Stephen Fox; Janet Harte Fox; Dan Chester, Kevin DeBrett; lobbyist Clare Markey; and Patchen Rawls, a beautiful political groupie who's been having an affair with Stephen. Patchen wants Stephen to divorce his wife and marry her.



Before long there's a mysterious death on the estate, and an FBI agent and the local police show up to investigate.



This incident is soon followed by ANOTHER mysterious death.



The cops can't seem to figure out what happened, so Gregor Demarkian steps up and makes like Hercule Poirot: he interviews suspects, snoops around, sifts clues, and figures out who did what.

This is a mundane mystery with too much boring conversation and too little investigating. That said, the book is worth reading for the entertaining characters, especially Victoria Harte - a former movie star with a discerning eye and sharp tongue; Patchen Rawls - a silly airhead who stalks Stephen and 'casts spells' to capture his heart; and politicians who'd do anything for their personal gain (just like politicians in real life).

This is an okay book to pass a few hours on a quiet afternoon.

Rating: 3 stars