The Asset by Mike Lawson : A Reminder That Fast, Smart Thrillers Still Exist
Review by Maria Antokas
First, an apology. I know I’ve been suspiciously quiet lately, but I made myself a promise not to write glowing blog posts about books I secretly wanted to launch into the harbor. Unfortunately, the last few novels I picked up were… how do I put this delicately… literary sleeping pills with chapter breaks. I even forced myself through one book to page 83 — which is well beyond my age and therefore in direct violation of the sacred reader rule: if you can’t make it past the page number of your age, abandon ship immediately. But I persevered like some tragic Victorian woman dying nobly on a chaise lounge and was rewarded with absolutely nothing. Honestly, why do some authors refuse to get to the actual story? We do not need seventeen pages describing a troubled man staring moodily into artisanal coffee.
But back to business. Salvation arrived in the form of The Asset, the latest Joe DeMarco thriller by Mike Lawson, which I grabbed at the library mostly because I was in a fragile emotional state after Book #83 nearly ended me. Full disclosure: I had absolutely no idea who Joe DeMarco was. Apparently this is the literary equivalent of admitting you’ve never heard of oxygen because George Easter of Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine boldly claims that “Mike Lawson is one of the great storytellers of our age.” Big statement, George. Very big. But annoyingly for my skeptical nature, he may actually be right. From page one, Lawson hooked me. Joe DeMarco works as a fixer for the Minority Speaker of the House – because naturally modern politicians require full-time cleanup crews now – and when an opportunity appears to destroy the Majority Speaker with a scandal, things immediately smell a little too perfect. And in thrillers, “too perfect” is basically a dead body wearing cologne.
Lawson writes with that dry, sharp confidence you find in DeMille, except his plots feel more layered and politically sly. There’s humor woven into the cynicism, which frankly feels appropriate given the current state of civilization. The deeper DeMarco digs, the clearer it becomes that somebody is running a game behind the game, and the fun is watching everyone maneuver, lie, panic, and occasionally implode while trying to stay ahead of it. The Asset moves quickly, trusts the reader to keep up, and most importantly, remembers that thrillers are actually supposed to thrill. Imagine that. By the end, nearly everyone gets exactly what they deserve – which is honestly more satisfying than most real congressional hearings.
As always, if you decide to pick up The Asset, using my affiliate link helps support The Bookaholic Blog and my ongoing search for thrillers that don’t waste 83 pages of my remaining lifespan.
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