The Second Perimeter

Very enjoyable read:
A very enjoyable second novel by an old friend at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Full of intriging twists and turns centered around the Naval Shipyard at Bremerton in Washington State. This book should be especially entertaining for persons, past or present, who have worked at the Shipyard. Keep up the good work Mike. I can't wait for your next book.

The Second Novel is First Rate!!!:
I read the third novel in this series (House Rules) before I read the first two and my enjoyment of it, made me determined to find and read the earlier ones, which I have now done. Mike Lawson has the combination of story telling, character development and attention to detail which should keep him writing Joe Demarco novels as long as he wants to. Demarco is no Mitch Rapp. He is the son of a Mafia hit man who chose not to follow in his father's footsteps, however the connection made him difficult to employ as a lawyer after he graduated from law school. Luckily, his Aunt Connie had a fling with the man who occupies the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives and Speaker Mahoney has a continuing soft spot for some of his old lady friends and agrees to hire Joe to work slightly off the books from an office in the basement of the Capitol as a trouble shooter for the speaker. In that role, Mahoney is asked to check out a complaint concerning some people who have gotten a government contract to work at a submarine repair base in Bremerton, Washington which brings Mahoney into contact with a spy ring with many interesting and scary results. A lot of that is detailed here by others, so suffice it to say that if you are looking for a book to take up a couple days of your time in a very entertaining way, you need to get acquainted with this author and these books. They are best read in the sequence they were written, although it is not critical.

Sophomore Slump? Nope:
Mike Lawson's debut novel was a terrific political thriller, and it was with eager anticipation that I started this second entry in the series. I'm glad to say that the story was engrossing, characters entertaining, and humor intact. However, the plot did meander awhile, and the whole book could have used one more go-round from the editor's hacksaw. The lead character, Joe DeMarco, is an entertaining centerpiece, but spent far too much of this story on the sidelines. Hopefully, Lawson's next book will be slightly tighter! I recommend this book, but not quite as much as the debut.

Lawson keeps his promise of lots of action:
The Second Perimeter starts with the protagonist, Joe DeMarco, being sent to a naval base near Seattle to investigate concerns of fraud raised by the nephew of his boss' golf partner. It very quickly becomes evident that there is indeed something going on. Joe and his friend Emma have stumbled on a spy operation. Now someone from Emma's classified past is out for revenge, and Joe, used to dealing with political squabbles on behalf of his boss, the Senate's Speaker of the House, is feeling out of his depth. In the end he will need to put everything he has built for himself on the line. From the beginning of the book Mike Lawson pulls you into his characters' lives. He paints their lives with deft humor and empathy. All the characters are fully rounded. I was delighted to discover that even people I thought were caricatures developed new depths. The villains of the story have believable reasons for their actions, and the heroes struggle with the cost of their actions. The Second Perimeter delivers the action it promises. The plot moves from Seattle to Vancouver to Washington. It is a wild ride. The reader cheers for Joe even as we realize that he is way out of his depth in this world of spy and counter-spy. I found the ending truly satisfying. Mike Lawson has delivered a rousing tale that left me wanting to read more about the fascinating characters he has created. Armchair Interviews says: Wonderful characters in a very good read.

Good Plot and Interesting Characters:
Second Perimeter is a great read with good plot and interesting characters. Joe DeMarco is evolving into a solid protagonist. One thing Mike Lawson does that is often missing from this genre is write with a sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book.