Mike Lawson

Convicted of insider trading, Jamison Maddox reluctantly accepts a mysterious job that soon takes an ominous twist, sending him on the run from powerful and deadly forces in the latest thriller from Barry Award and Edgar Award finalist Mike Lawson. With his reputation permanently marred by an insider trading conviction, Jamison Maddox, a young Wall Street broker, reluctantly takes a job doing research for a small company in the sleepy town of Redemption, Illinois. He's never heard of the company, or of the town, but he's out of money and options. Though Jamison notices right away that everyone in Redemption is in some way related to one another, the big city boy chalks it up to small town ways. And as for the company's seemingly extreme security practices, Jamison was planning on minding his own business anyway. But when he falls in love with a beautiful and enigmatic colleague, Gillian, Jamison begins to realize that he may be doing illegal work for the company. So when she asks him to run away with her, he agrees wholeheartedly. The two set off across the country, hoping to secure some money and go into hiding. The company is soon on their tails, pursuing them with the single-minded goal of silencing them forever. If Jamison hadn't realized how dangerous these people really are, he now realizes they will stop at nothing to protect the company. And he has no idea that his lover, a stunning woman shrouded in mystery, is as dangerous as the people he's running from.

Redemption

Panic grips Washington, DC, in this thriller featuring “a lightning-paced plot [and] a charmingly likeable character” (Tess Gerritsen). Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel Two foiled terrorist attacks and a law targeting Muslim Americans are about to send Joe DeMarco on a dangerous mission among mobsters, meth dealers, and the political elite. First there was the bomb meant for the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Then a private plane headed straight for the White House is shot down. An atmosphere of fear and panic overruns the country, and when a senator proposes to run extensive background checks on all Muslims and deport any who aren’t citizens, his bill gains surprising traction. John Mahoney, the larger-than-life Speaker of the House, is not pleased. But Mahoney has a connection to one of the attackers, one he wants kept secret. So he calls on Joe DeMarco . . . “Full of insider information, this novel reinforces Lawson’s place in the upper rank of Washington thriller specialists.” —Publishers Weekly

House Rules

A Joe Demarco Thriller

Alligator Alley

The latest pulse-pounding thriller from Edgar and Barry Award finalist Mike Lawson starring his beloved Washington DC "troubleshooter" Joe DeMarco. Carson Newman doesn't wear tracksuits. He doesn't have a consigliere or operate out of the back room of a restaurant. And as evidenced by his ever-growing Boston empire, he doesn't get his hands dirty. Usually. Joe DeMarco, on the other hand, is paid to get his hands dirty. So, when John Mahoney, the former Speaker of the House, calls, DeMarco knows it's time to get to work. Brian Lewis, an intern for Mahoney, has been found dead, seemingly from a drug overdose. But Brian didn't seem like a drug user, and even more concerning, he seemed to be on the cusp of releasing a report that identified a group of politicians who had taken bribes in helping dismantle a recent bill. Brian's mom is convinced that Brian was murdered because of what he'd learned, and it doesn't take long for DeMarco to come to a similar conclusion. In a city full of shadowy agreements and duplicitous deals, DeMarco will soon learn that to get to the bottom of Brian's death, he'll have to look at people perched the very top of the world.

Kingpin

After Joe DeMarco is asked by the speaker of the House to probe the apparent accidental death of a reporter who was trailing presidential hopeful Senator Paul Morelli, his investigation spirals out of control. Reprint.

House Secrets

"DeMarco always knew that his father Gino had a shady job for a local mafioso, but he didn't understand that Gino had been a hit man until he was murdered. Now, nearly twenty years later, one of Gino's former mob associates is dying of lung cancer, and he wants to get something off his chest before retiring to his grave: the truth about Gino's killer"--Amazon.com.

House Reckoning

In House Rivals, the tenth book in Mike Lawson's award-winning series, DeMarco is taken further out of his element than ever before, sent to North Dakota to protect a passionate but naïve twenty-two-year-old blogger who has put herself in harm's way.

House Rivals

Washington, D.C., fixer Joe DeMarco has been asked to handle a lot of difficult situations over the years for his boss, congressman John Mahoney. But nothing has ever been quite so politically sensitive, or has hit so close to home, as the task Mahoney hands DeMarco in House Odds. Mahoney's daughter has been arrested and charged with insider trading. An engineer with a high-flying technology firm, she allegedly placed a half-million dollar bet on one of the firm's clients. DeMarco's job is to clear her name and keep his boss clean. But how did she get her hands on so much money to invest in the first place? Before long, DeMarco uncovers far more about the case than meets the eye, and the risk to Mahoney is more than just a little political embarrassment.

House Odds

Washington fixer Joe DeMarco returns in a “highly readable” and “fast-paced” thriller that takes readers into the lethal world of international espionage (Publishers Weekly). Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel When it comes to dealing with possible scandals, Joe DeMarco made his bones working for the wily Speaker of the House John Mahoney. But now Joe’s unique skills are needed outside the nation’s capital. The secretary of the Navy has received a tip that fraud is being committed on a US Naval base. Unwilling to launch a formal investigation, the secretary has asked Mahoney to send DeMarco to investigate before things get out of control. It doesn’t take DeMarco long to uncover not fraud, but outright treason and foreign infiltration on the base—which puts him right in the crosshairs of a ruthless foreign operative who proves to be deadlier than any foe he’s ever faced before. Full of the intrigue, action, and stunning plot twists readers have come to expect, in The Second Perimeter “Lawson again ratchets up the suspense and takes DeMarco on a wild ride” (The Oregonian).

The Second Perimeter

This tale of political suspense was one of the Seattle Times’s Top Ten Thrillers of the Year: “I couldn’t put it down” (Vince Flynn). Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel There has been an assassination attempt on the president. He is only wounded—but his best friend and a Secret Service Agent have been killed. As it turns out, the attack wasn’t without warning. Gen. Andrew Banks, Secretary of Homeland Security, received a note that the president was in danger, and even more alarming, that Secret Service agents guarding the president had been compromised. General Banks is reluctant to tell the FBI about the note, partly for self-serving political reasons, and partly because he doesn’t want to damage the Secret Service’s reputation based on something that might very well be a hoax. So he requests help from his friend, Speaker Mahoney, and Mahoney assigns his man Joe DeMarco, who must untangle the truth behind the tragedy—and assess the danger . . . “[A] wonderfully complex plot, sardonic humor, and memorable characters.” —The Baltimore Sun “Lawson’s debut [is] in a league by itself . . . This is high-level entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly

The Inside Ring

Janice Orrell

Helen Askell-Williams

This text explores the importance that problem solving has in learning in everyday personal and social contexts. It also suggests how effective problem solving activities can be incorporated more explicitly in learning and teaching and examines the benefits of this approach.

A Festschrift for Emeritus Professor Mike Lawson

Problem Solving for Teaching and Learning

The mysterious death of a journalist pulls Washington fixer Joe DeMarco into a conspiracy of power and politics in “one of the best thrillers of the year” (Booklist). Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel Days after claiming he had a lead on a story that would make Watergate look like a misdemeanor, a mediocre writer from the Washington Post is found accidentally drowned. But Joe DeMarco’s boss—the Speaker of the House—thinks there’s nothing accidental about it. Mostly because the reporter was on the trail of Senator Paul Morelli. Morelli is all but a shoe-in for the Democratic presidential nomination. But his golden boy public persona hides a monstrous character. Somehow, all of his sinister scandals seem to be cleaned up by a mysterious benefactor who stays just out of sight. Setting up a sting to catch the predatory Morelli, DeMarco thinks his job is done—until those who helped him with the sting start turning up dead. And unless he can uncover the powerful people who are protecting Morelli, DeMarco knows he’s next . . . In this chilling novel of unfettered power and final justice, Mike Lawson proves once again that he “has a true insider’s insight about real-world spinelessness, venality, and corruption that have taken the place of moral courage and true leadership on Capitol Hill” (The Washington Times).

“First-rate . . . Lawson’s series is the closest thing on the market today to the witty political thrillers of the late, great Ross Thomas.” —Booklist Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel As the fixer for Congressman John Mahoney in Washington, DC, Joe DeMarco has had to bend and break the law more than a few times. But when Representative Lyle Canton, House Majority Whip, is found shot dead in his office in the US Capitol and DeMarco is arrested for the murder, DeMarco knows he’s been framed. Locked up in Alexandria awaiting trial, he calls on his enigmatic friend Emma, an ex-DIA agent, to search for the true killer. Emma’s investigation leads her to a ruthless and competitive CEO who had a motive for killing Canton, related to a personal connection from long ago. But the case the F.B.I. has built against DeMarco is airtight, and not a single piece of evidence points to the CEO. Using her cunning and her DC connections, Emma sets out to prove that the powerful businessman has been using some fixers of his own. Featuring crimes of passion, corporate corruption, and partisan feuds, House Arrest is the latest fast-paced read from “a reliably excellent writer” (The Seattle Times). “A great author.” —Lisa Gardner

House Arrest

The fifteenth novel in Mike Lawson's acclaimed series follows Joe DeMarco to Wyoming, scene of a storied armed standoff between a defiant cattle rancher and federal agents. But DeMarco doesn't care about the standoff; this mission is personal for him.

House Standoff

Fredau Hoekstra

Washington political fixer Joe DeMarco is caught in the middle of a silent war—in a thriller that “will make your heart race and your mind ponder” (Lisa Gardner, New York Times–bestselling author). Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel When the NSA was caught illegally wiretapping US citizens, the program was brought to a screeching halt. But the man behind the operation simply moved it into the shadows. And that’s where they’ve recorded a rogue military group murdering two American civilians—one of whom is related to Joe DeMarco. As he handles the burial of his cousin, DeMarco is unwittingly drawn into a battle for influence, power, and survival between the NSA and a ruthless four-star army general. But neither side realizes that DeMarco is no one’s pawn. And if they think they have trouble dealing with each other, they have no idea how much trouble DeMarco is about to bring to their doorsteps . . . Once again spinning a “crisply plotted” (Entertainment Weekly) tale that delves into the darkest recesses of the US government, Mike Lawson has delivered “the political thriller of the year” (John Lutz, New York Times–bestselling author).

House Divided

Michael Lawson

The Snatcher saga continues as the New Republic of Tranquility Key faces its toughest challenge to date. Several years after the events of And They Rose Up and And They Rose Up: Days of Retribution, the Republic comes under fire as its only doctor is found murdered. Chief of State, Mark Armstrong, and company set out on a dangerous mission to track down the killer and bring him to justice. But everything is not as it seems. New and old enemies rise up against the struggling band. Their journey takes them across the country and even across time itself in a battle with the forces of evil slowly closing in on them. Terrors from the past come back to haunt them. And, worst of all, they come face to face with an evil they never expected to find-- one of their own.

Dark Reflections

And They Rose Up

“The plot and pace are relentless” as Joe DeMarco investigates a pharmaceutical corporation that has gone beyond the bounds of science and into murder (Booklist, starred review). Author of House Witness, 2019 Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel Things have been better for Washington, DC, insider Joe DeMarco. His boss is no longer Speaker of the House and his girlfriend has left him. So, when he’s asked to look into the murder conviction of a lobbyist, he’s less than enthusiastic. But he soon uncovers a conspiracy that ignites his sense of righteous rage. Two years ago, Orson Mulray, CEO of Mulray Pharma, discovered a miracle drug worth billions. But the drug needed to be tested on humans. And Mulray needed more than blood samples—he needed autopsy results. So he sent the drug into a devastated warzone as part of a “relief effort.” But when his twisted scheme was discovered, someone had to die—and a certain lobbyist had to take the fall for murder. To clear his name, DeMarco must go up against a remorseless corporate juggernaut with almost unlimited resources, and take on a pair of callous killers unlike anything he’s ever encountered . . . With House Blood, Mike Lawson delivers “another page-turner brimming with authentic Washington, DC, detail and distinctive, engaging characters” (Library Journal).

House Blood

A D.C. fixer heads to Wyoming on a personal mission in the new novel from the Edgar Award–finalist and “reliably excellent writer” (Seattle Times). When someone close to him is shot dead in a roadside motel in a small Wyoming town, Joe DeMarco shirks his responsibilities as the Speaker of the House’s fixer to make sure the authorities are doing everything they can to catch the killer. He soon realizes that the rural area is dominated by Hiram Bunt, a wealthy rancher with an obstructionist streak who’s willing to take on the federal government at gunpoint and seems to have a number of politicians under his thumb. But Bunt isn’t the only one in the way. DeMarco also learns that his friend―a woman he was once in love with―had unearthed explosive secrets during her time in the backwoods, and that the deputy in charge of the investigation may be ignoring leads to preserve a secret of his own. Surrounded by people willing to kill to maintain the status quo, DeMarco launches his own investigation into a growing list of intertwining suspects. And being DeMarco, he concludes that breaking the law to uncover the truth is the best way to ensure that justice is done . . . “[A] consistently entertaining, well-crafted series.” —Booklist “A charmingly likable character.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles novels “A writer who gets everything right.” —The Plain Dealer

Orson Mulray, CEO of Mulray Pharma, has discovered a drug that could prevent a previously incurable disease and make him billions of dollars. But the drug needs to be tested on humans to prove its efficacy, and Mulray needs more than blood samples - he needs autopsy results. In naïve Lizzie Warwick, Mulray finds a solution. Warwick provides relief to victims of wars and natural disasters: in other words, people who'd make perfect test subjects. But Warwick's D.C. lobbyist discovers what Mulray is doing. Mulray has the lobbyist killed and frames his partner, Brian Kincaid, for murder. Two years later, Joe DeMarco is asked to look into the seemingly hopeless case. He has other worries on his mind: his girlfriend has left him, and his friend Emma may be dying. DeMarco doesn't expect to free Kincaid - or become the target of two of the most callous killers he and Emma have ever encountered...

Mike Lawson

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