A Crack in Everything

Angela Gerst

Jul 2011 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

"Gerst gets good mileage out of her political roots, but it's her finely honed plot that seals the deal. Here's hoping she runs for another term."—Kirkus Reviews STARRED review

Politics, money, love . . . what could go wrong?

Susan Callisto is pushing thirty and taking stock. Trading financial security at a Boston law firm for sandals and jeans in Waltham, she's reinvented herself as a political consultant for people seeking low-level office. Her income may be dicey, but Susan loves her new life—until her boyfriend, Detective Lieutenant Michael Benedict, dumps her without a goodbye. Not one to mope, Susan uses humor and perpetual motion to keep away the pain.

When biotech high roller Charles Renfrow offers her a huge retainer to advise his political campaign, Susan is wary. Why would a scientist stalking the human genome want to be mayor of a small Massachusetts town? Rumor has it Renfrow's biotech company is dumping deadly waste and that a child has died. On her way to confront him, Susan finds the body of his gorgeous assistant. Assigned to the case, Michael reenters Susan's life. Soon mayhem rains down: Susan herself is attacked, an elderly client is beaten and left for dead, and a child is abducted. When Michael's suspicions settle on Susan's favorite candidate, she elbows her way into the investigation. She hopes to prove Michael wrong. But now, with her own life on the line, Susan uncovers the crack in everything.

About the author

After law school, Angela Gerst moved from New York to Massachusetts and worked at journals. As a suburban desk reporter, she covered local happenings for the Newton Times and the Boston Globe, with a detour as press secretary for a Boston cultural organization. Her interest in local issues became a passion for campaigning and political consulting—which led inexorably to this first Susan Callisto mystery novel. Using her experience in magazine sales and marketing, she has helped define and set up Meadowlark Media. She and her husband live near Boston.