Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and grab a copy of the latest Joe DeMarco adventure, which is out today. Untouchable by Mike Lawson (Atlantic Monthly Press, February 2025) is the 18th title in a consistently fine political thriller series that began 20 years ago in 2005. It is rare to see a series run that long and rarer still to find dependably solid plotting and writing in every entry.
The little-known role of the National Archives comes into play here, as the archivist who organizes correspondence and papers from the White House notices doodling in the sitting president’s handwriting that could be related to the recent death of Brandon Cartwright, a wealthy socialite rumored for years to host orgies for his friends. More specifically, some of those revels were suspected to offer underage children, one of which came forward as an adult to demand damages. Before the case could reach court, Cartwright was killed in a residential burglary. The presidential notes suggested that it could have been something else instead. The archivist turns the problem over to John Mahoney, former Speaker of the House, who promptly hands it off to his fixer Joe DeMarco.
DeMarco is used to handling bombshells from Mahoney but the idea that the president might have ties to a known sleaze like Cartwright, however wealthy he might have been, and to have knowledge of his death is almost too much for him. He learns the sheriff’s office responsible for the homicide investigation closed it quickly and then consults with Emma, the retired but well-connected DIA agent, who sends him to find the woman who actually recruited the girl who blew the whistle.
Readers will recognize the obvious parallels to the Epstein and Maxwell news reports, down to the references to the kinds of people who attended the Cartwright parties and to the physical description of Maxwell. Readers familiar with the series will also see that DeMarco still hasn’t learned to notice when he is being followed, something almost anyone in his position would have picked up by now. Emma on the other hand has greater tradecraft and knows how to identify and isolate an unwanted shadow, which she slickly eliminates.
What I thought was a satisfying ending turned into a complete surprise on the last page. An outstanding plot twist. Highly recommended. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.