Political Thrillers
by Craig W. Turner
The CampAIgn – Available January 25, 2022
Restaurateur Charles Denz has always had political aspirations, and when his good friend, the Mayor of Lakeside, a small city in Upstate New York, tells him that he’s retiring and wants Charles to take the seat, he’s all in. The fact that Republicans have held the office for a half-century certainly helps make the case.
In Washington, Democrats have been pitched a new concept: running an artificial intelligence entity for office. The technology is ready, but polling shows America is not, so they authorize throwing some resources at a pilot project in a local race where they might not otherwise have a chance. A nationwide search leads them to Lakeside, New York.
Now, this quiet community is the battleground for man vs. machine, and the walk-right-in race that Charles envisioned has become an expensive, globally-televised and life-changing fight to the finish.
The Kingmaker – Available April 2022
Ben Hathaway, a rising star in Cleveland politics, took one for the team. To protect his boss – and his career – he served three years in prison for a diabolical campaign scheme gone bad. Never said a word. Now that he’s out and looking to get back on track, though, the people he was loyal to have turned their backs on him.
Hell-bent on revenge, he decides to take on the world alone and starts his own consulting firm. But things are going too slowly, and feelings of defeat are creeping in. In the cutthroat world of local politics, for Ben the writing is on the wall – his success is not meant to be.
Ben’s hopes are revived, however, when he’s approached by a mysterious and well-funded organization with an impossible task for him: win an unwinnable race for Cleveland city council that for a reason unbeknownst to him has national implications. Suddenly, Ben is back in the spotlight, in a position to achieve his loftiest goals, and facing stakes that he never even imagined existed. But first, he must figure out who his benefactors are, what they’re after, and why they think he’s the guy to get the job done.
Border Troubles (Get it on Amazon)
It’s a celebratory time – for some – in the Cataract City: local politicians have just announced that the Niawanda Nation will be building a new, grand, state-of-the-art casino/hotel to rival the sprawling development on the Canadian side of the Falls. There’s a catch, though. In order to make the deal happen, the electeds had to turn over some of the area’s most prime real estate, and to protect their futures from political backlash accepted a small token of appreciation from the casino – namely, enough cash to last them the rest of their lives. Unfortunately for those involved, people are starting to talk… But in Niagara Falls, you don’t do that.
