House Standoff

A Joe DeMarco Thriller, Book 15

By: Mike Lawson

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

When someone close to him is shot dead in a roadside motel in a small town in Wyoming, DeMarco shirks his responsibilities as the speaker of the house’s fixer to make sure the authorities are doing everything that can be done to catch the killer. He soon realizes that the rural area is dominated by Hiram Bunt, a wealthy rancher with an obstructionist streak who is willing to take on the federal government at gunpoint and seems to have a number of politicians under his thumb.

But Bunt is not the only one in the way. DeMarco also learns that his friend - a woman he was once in love with - had unearthed a number of explosive secrets during her time in the backwoods and that the deputy in charge of the investigation may be ignoring several 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.

This thriller is gripping and genuinely unpredictable to the very end.

©2021 Mike Lawson (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Technical errors and irrational decision-making

Minor spoilers here: But only to illustrate situational blunders by the author that typify the entire series. Not revealing the story.

Joe DeMarco, having a self-admitted aversion to doing his job--preferring golf instead--exhibits the prototypical lack of self-preservation of any clueless victim in a horror movie. (The audience screams, "Don't go down that dark alley!!!") He blithely turns down offers of backup in situations where backup is clearly indicated. His situational awareness approximates that of a six-year-old. He is totally oblivious to his surroundings--right up to the moment of getting sapped--failing to do even the most elementary checks of his environment for threats. All this in spite of the fact that he constantly and often intentionally provokes dangerous people in the course of his investigations--after which, when he is jumped by the henchmen of those whom he provokes, he never seems to learn to take precautions. DeMarco's naturally unguarded nature appears to be at least partially autobiographical for the author who, while acknowledging the corruption on both sides of the political divide, appears to generally espouse left-leaning views in his 3rd person omniscient narration of the stories--characterizing Democrat politicians as corrupt but kind-hearted while, of course, Republican politicians are equally corrupt and universally mean-spirited. Issues such as gun-control are commented on with the standard left-wing bias.

I have read every book in this series. So, that tells you that I find them entertaining. Mostly I give them 5 stars. This one is not the pick of the litter--probably because it reeks of the stereotypical metrosexual leftist prejudice against the hicks in flyover America. Also, as in the other books, each time that DeMarco walks unsuspecting into a parking garage or turns his back to the sidewalk and gets his head beat in, I groan. Not out of sympathy for his pain but in embarrassment for his sheer stupidity given the obvious danger that he places himself in and that he learns absolutely nothing in the course of 15 books about personal risk management. And the corollary to this is that his tradecraft is abysmal. In one book he makes a video recording of a mobster's testimony against an extremely dangerous adversary and doesn't get a copy made for security. You would think he would learn from his mistakes but, from one year to the next, he learns nothing.

Also, in this book, House Standoff, at one point the author characterizes an otherwise competent FBI agent as totally ignorant of the law when the author allows her to be convinced that she can't detain the subject of a search and seizure warrant during the duration of the search. According to the law, the subject may be detained until the search is completed consistent with the safety of the officers. Of course, the subject in this story is allowed to make the phone call--when the agent erroneously admits she has no right to stop him from so doing--which a real agent would never allow. The subject then calls in armed reinforcements. This creates a totally unnecessary and ignorant armed confrontation. In actuality, the subject of a search warrant does not have a right to a phone call during the search. Just as they don't have a right to a phone call during an arrest. To allow that, as the author graphically portrays--poses a grave threat to the law enforcement personnel conducting the search, causes the search to be threatened, forces the search to be terminated prior to its completion, etc., etc.--which is why a subject can be legally detained and held incommunicado for the duration of a lawful search. The officers actually have an unambiguous right to restrain the subject consistent with their need to safely complete their task. In the incident portrayed in this book, there was a well known concern about officer safety. Also, the fact that the subject was allowed to call for help caused the search to be rushed and ended prior to completion. The author pretending that the subject of a search has a right to call for help is the epitome of ignorance of the law.

Joe Barrett is one of the best narrators ever! I listen at 1.25 speed because it sounds more natural to me. Slower than that is a lazy drawl. But Joe Barrett does a good job with accents to both differentiate characters and also locate them in space, time, and national origins. I thought he did an outstanding job with the Native American hotel owner in this story--voicing him with that soft, uninflected speech characteristic of members of some of the tribes. Noticeable and not overdone.

The author captures the corruption of Washington D.C. with all of the color and verisimilitude that we have come to understand.

Oh

This was a very interesting book. I really enjoyed listening to the book. This book made the listener feel as they were in the story.

Joe DeMarco Series

Plot. Joe DeMarco, a guy in his late 30s, has a law degree but cannot find a job because he is the son of a deceased mafia hitman. Joe has never been involved with the mob in any way; he's never even owned a gun. Joe gets a job working in the Capitol. Seems the Speaker of the House had an affair with Joe's aunt and she calls in a favor. Joe is a decent guy, divorced, a bit of a horn dog, lazy, and would rather be playing golf. Speaker of the House John Mahone is a demanding alcoholic, a womanizer, as crooked as all politicians, feared by everyone who knows him - except his wife - a gal everyone adores. Mahone has a few redeeming traits, like a love of the veteran. There is another character of interest. Emma is a woman of high moral standards, a retired deep black ops gal that knows everyone and everything. She hates Mahone because she knows he's a typically devious politician but treats Joe as an annoying younger brother.

The series consists of several full-length novels - each with a beginning - middle - end, meaning you don't have to start with book one, The Inside Ring - but it will help with continuity. Bribing for votes, blackmail, dirty politicians and cops from the FBI to local police, heroic war veterans, and many good guys. From the basement of the capitol to alligator swamps, the series contains a wide range of plots. Narration is fine - Scott Brick does the first two books, Joe Barrett the remainder - no issues with either.

The Joe DeMarco Series is written by Michael Lawson, each book in the area of 10 hours of listening in unabridged audiobook format, released starting in 2005 through today by Random House and Blackstone Publishing.

Entertaining.

Much better than the last one in the series.

Much better than book 14. I had already purchased this one before finishing book 14 and expected to be disappointed, but was not. As good as any in the series.

Must read

Loved it. I was on edge and was afraid of the outcome. I was glad it ended the way it did. Read all fourteen books and you will know why I said I was on the edge of the ending of the series.

DeMarco and Author’s Introspection

Good use of a $5 off coupon. Most of this series is on the Audible Plus borrow plan! This series is well worth owning and l am now re listen in order as l did not purchase that way. I am a huge fan of Mr Barrett narrations of Brian Haig, Sean Drummond series. It is mr Barrett’s best use of his talents. Check out the series if you love great mystery writing..
This story show off author’s irrelevant feelings for political figures and his adjectives are getting even more prolific in his description of the speaker of the house. The author felt the isolation of the COVID pandemic just like the rest of us hence this focused story of who done? One of the favored reviewers,who many of follow, didn’t like this story. If you a a fan of this series, then you know that each story varies as to the drama that unfolds. No each book does not necessarily get better an better as some people think that should be the progression of a writer’s skill. An author only responsibility to his fans is to tell a good tale.
This was a good one.
Were my comments of help?

Great

Another great Joe DeMarco adventure! Twists and turns through out keeping you guessing till the very end.

Similarities

Too many similarities to a real occurrence at the Bundy Ranch standoff. Except for the truth.

A Totally Different Joe DeMarco Book

My reviews are not discussions of plots and how the ends are not what I expected. I just like to comment on the fact this is a great read (or listen) and I recommend it highly.

Nice offbeat series

HOUSE STANDOFF is Book 15 in the Joe DeMarco thriller series by Mike Lawson. I listened to the first two books in the series in 2019 and was disappointed. I've listened to the final 13 novels in the series during recent weeks. They have been consistently excellent. This book is the weakest of the 13. The good news is that series books 3 through 13 are included in Audible's Plus Catalog which means means that most Audible members can listen to them for free.

Protagonist Joe DeMarco is a lawyer who has never practiced law but instead works from his office in the subbasement of the US Capitol as a problem solver for the Democrat leader of the US House of Representatives (House Speaker when the Democrats are in the majority). The congressman is a likable old fool. Joe Barrett narrates the final 13 novels in the series. As usual Barrett is outstanding.