Ann McMan

When it comes to finding dirt, Evan Reed is the best in the business. She’s a “dust-buster”—a paid operative hired by political campaigns to vet candidates for national office. She’s also a foul-mouthed and cranky ex-Catholic—attempting to raise a 14-year-old daughter on her own. When she is hired to investigate the background of a squeaky-clean and charismatic junior senator who might just be the next president—the last thing she expects to uncover is a murder. Evan’s life is further complicated when she meets the senator’s reclusive wife—who seems to be hiding a few secrets of her own. Bywater Books First Edition: May 2018 Dust was originally published in 2011 by Nuance Books, a division of Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company, Fairfield, California

Dust

Tess

I struggled with this book but it wasn't a bad book. I can't give it a negative review just because it wasn't my cup of tea, and obviously many others liked it, so i'll just give it an OK.

Basically, this was a political mystery thriller, delving into the life of those engrossed in dirty politics. It was very detailed and i'm sure, interesting, if you are into that sort of theme. It was obvious the author did a lot of research for this book. And she is clearly a skilled writer. Since i didn't find the political plot interesting, it was a slow read for me trying to study all the details in case i needed them later in the book.

The romance angle definitely took a far back seat. which is fine, if you are expecting it. So expect minimal romance and zero passion. another reviewer mentioned the 'fade to black' scenes. which is exactly how i'd put it. "...then she leaned in for a kiss." then immediate chapter break showing them next waking up. there is no lingering over any details or descriptions, and minus the violence and language, is probably safe for children of all ages. No, not all lesfic books have to be sexually graphic, but this lacked any passion at all in my opinion. i could almost picture them puckering up and kissing prudishly with fish-lips.

I was a bit surprised that this is from the same author that wrote Jerico, which i LOVED. (which is actually a compliment that the author is so versatile.) Jerico had a lot more character build up and passion and romance. so if that's your cup of tea, definitely read that one. I did like the characters in this book, none-the-less, i just felt like were weren't getting to see all their angles, and their emotions were white-washed a bit.

Carol Bailey

This was an excellent second novel from Ann McMan full of political intrigue and a variety of plot twists that keeps the reader guessing. Each of the characters have their own complexities with varying degrees of “badness” making it difficult to figure out who the good guys are in the story. There were several times when I thought I had a handle on who the “bad guy” was and then there would be a new twist that would point me in another direction. 

There were also several characters I would like to see again, obviously I’d like to know what happens with Evan Reed and Julia Donne, but I’d also like to see Maya/Margo to learn more about her and what exactly is she involved in.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any other novels by Ann McMan.

Jude Silberfeld

With Galileo being released in a few days, I had to start at the beginning.

Evan Reed is a “dust-buster”, she helps political parties vet their potential candidates, i.e. find out all there is to know about them. She’s very good at her job and doesn’t care who she pisses off in the process. In truth, Evan doesn’t give a rat’s ass about much but her daughter, until she meets Julia. Julia Donne is married to Andy Townsend, the politician Evan is investigating. It doesn’t take long for her to find out that the marriage exists mostly on paper. Julia captivates Evan immediately, which I totally get. I fell in love with her at first sight too (I know, it’s a book, I didn’t see her, but you know what I mean).

There’s a lot more to this book than romance, nevertheless, even if the romance is excellent. My only regret on that front is that the love scenes are fade to black, which feels like a lost opportunity when there’s so much chemistry between the characters.

I really enjoyed Evan’s investigation into Andy and the mysterious Mata Hari-type Maya Jindal. The mystery / political thriller is intricate and so layered I kinda got lost at some point but I didn’t mind. I love that feeling of being carried away by the story. When it all seems unstoppable, both the story and the reading.

I didn’t care much for the ending however, and the epilogue is a bit WTF, yet as much as I wish it had been better, it didn’t ruin anything for me. I’ll probably forget all about it and only remember the characters anyway because that’s how my mind works.

So, the characters. Evan is an incredibly complex and endearing character. She’s foul-mouthed, smart and sweet. She’s a former Catholic, with a very ambivalent relationship with religion and a priest for a best friend. She has always known she was gay yet had a drunken experimenting one-night stand with a man, resulting in the birth of her daughter. When the story begins, Evan is trying to come to terms with the idea of fourteen-year old Stevie being away at prep school. Stevie’s father, Dan, is the one who gets Evan involved with Andy Townsend. I’m looking forward to seeing how that relationship – Evan / Stevie / Dan – evolves. Then there’s Julia, who has lived her life following the path her very wealthy and not-so-nurturing parents decided on, both in her professional life (she inherited the publishing business her family gets its wealth from) and in her personal life. When she meets Evan, she’s at the right time in her life to finally take control of her own life. She’s a lot more certain of what she wants than Evan seems to believe. And as I wrote above, the chemistry between the two women is fantastic.

I’m not sure what to think about the villains, Marcus Goldman (Dan’s boss) and Maya Jindal. He’s awfully slimy but she’s more complex. So much so that I can’t get a handle on her. Reading Galileo next might help with that…

Last but not least, the writing is excellent. Hey, it’s Ann McMan, so no surprise there.

Dust

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