St. Helena Press, 400 pages, $16.99 (c2016)
For almost twenty years, David Pepper has been involved in politics in Ohio. It has given him the background to form a fictional political thriller, and to levy a convincing real-life argument against dividing up our representational districts for the U.S. House of Representatives in such a blatantly prejudicial fashion. But that almost operates as a background hum.
Reporter Jack Sharpe of the “Youngstown [OH] Vindicator” may work for a fictional newspaper but the horror of political manipulation of voting isn’t exactly fiction anymore. What Pepper presents isn’t a reality, as far as anyone knows, but the potential is daunting.
Before Election Day in the United States of America, the Democrats hold sway in the House of Representatives. After Election Day, about thirty-five swing counties have unexpectedly swung in favor of Republican candidates, including some who are not very well known or favored. The House is now in the Republicans’ domain. There are now enough members of the House to pass an energy package allowing the placement of a massive network of pipelines to move a substantial amount of oil squeezed by fracking.
Cui bono? Representative Tom Stanton (R-PA) who eventually becomes the Majority Leader. Oliver Ariens, a super-lobbyist, would be on the list of beneficiaries, but he died of a heart attack. Jim Gibbs, the Ohio Republican candidate, who won over Lee Kelly, the long-time Representative of their county.
Lee Kelly was despondent after losing what should have been a sure thing. He stayed despondent until suddenly he wasn’t. He had discovered something, he told his wife. He had left a message for Jack Sharpe, but Sharpe never had a chance to talk with him before Kelly died in a fiery car crash.
Pulling at the threads of what possibly could have interested Kelly, Jack acts as both reporter and homicide (if that is what it was) detective. The first question is what drove so many swing counties in the country to tilt toward the Republican candidates. Jack thinks he has an answer. In the process of compiling evidence to override legal objections from his newspaper, he uncovers another potential murder, this time of a young woman, an assistant to the odious Tom Stanton.
In a back-and-forth timeline, Pepper lets his readers know pretty early on what the real skinny is on the voting malfeasance. The thrill comes from following Jack’s determination that there was a crime and then his uncovering of the villains. The real villain, however, is gerrymandering. What a terrible system, one of the foreign characters says. Indeed. (Yes, that is my personal opinion.)
This book skews to Democratic readers, although I would hope that everyone of every political persuasion could appreciate the book for what it is. Just switch the parties around if it would make you feel better — although historically, looser regulations for fracking in the oil industry have been more supported by Republicans than Democrats. And, may I add, this was published before the election of 2016.
The bottom line: I highly recommend this book to all people who stand under our free-flying flag, long may it wave!
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