INDEX OF SUSPICION
By Robert E. Armstrong
Writer's Showcase - December 2001
ISBN: 0595204856 - Paperback
Mystery
E for explicit material

Reviewed by Nancy Mehl for MyShelf.com
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Patrick Sawyer, former Governor of New Jersey, sneaks away from a five hundred dollar a plate fund-raising dinner, hoping to get a little time away from Secret Service agents and fawning admirers. A suave and sophisticated politician, who commands respect from men and women alike, Sawyer appears to be a shoo-in for his party's presidential nomination. As he sits alone in a rental car parked outside a country club in Houston, a crazed cat, which mysteriously found its way inside the locked vehicle, savagely attacks him. Veterinarian Duncan MacDonell is nearby when a call goes out for help. He is shocked to see the candidate's condition and certain that the cat is rabid. MacDonell traps the animal and takes it back to the lab for testing. He is surprised when the test comes back negative. His gut instinct tells him that something is wrong. His instinct proves correct. Patrick Sawyer contracts rabies. Now, the CDC is involved, and it looks like MacDonell's job is on the line unless he can explain why the original test failed to reveal information that might have saved the life of the next President of the United States.

The family of the man who may replace Sawyer as the party's next candidate contacts MacDonell, asking him for help to dispel any cloud of suspicion that might hang over a run for the White House. A quest for the truth propels MacDonell into a world of lies, deceit, and murder. Was there a conspiracy at work? Who is involved? Who knows the whole truth?

INDEX OF SUSPICION offers a complex and compelling story that grabs you and holds you until the very end. Duncan MacDonell and his wife, Jeannie, are richly drawn and believable. They are definitely characters you want to visit again. This is a top-notch novel, full of intrigue, yet underscored with a human element that makes the overall presentation near perfection.

INDEX OF SUSPICION, the second book in the Duncan MacDonell series, rates the highest recommendation I can give. Expect to hear more from its talented author, Robert Armstrong.

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Nancy Mehl is the author of Graven Images and Sinner's Song.

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