Favorite Quotes:

Weak men were more dangerous than strong ones, he’d always found. If you could control them, so could someone else.

We both want the White House, but neither of us wants to sit in the Oval Office. Real power doesn’t reside there, anyway… No one understands the limits of the federal government more acutely than the president himself. New York is the center of power in this country. Washington is a branch office.

Julian had succeeded in degrading him a bit, but while he felt a sense of victory he had no taste for it. It was as if he’d answered a deep hunger with bad food.

To cover the story about the story. That’s what counts nowadays, not the story itself, which in this case is pretty flimsy, but the tangle of stories that gets woven around it. Who’s denying the story—the vice president himself, his campaign manager, a spokesman? We’ll run an entire story analyzing the implications of each of these, and soon that becomes the story. Nobody remembers or even cares if the underlying story is true or not.

As had become his custom, Julian searched inside himself for a trace of guilt or remorse and failed to find one.

My Review:

Seth Margolis has produced an intricate, chilling, complex, and well-crafted plot that was far-reaching and frighteningly pragmatic. Could it be that easy for the twisted machinations of one rich man to elect the least publicly appealing candidate in a presidential race? That would explain so much of the current political landscape… I want to return to the land of the clueless. I have come to the conclusion that Seth Margolis is an evil genius as well as a diabolical tyrant as he hooked me. He essentially held me captive for two days while I was unable to do little else but read this active, fast-paced, and complicated scheme that was jam-packed with a large cast of odious, obnoxious, fiendishly callous, and appallingly arrogant characters. Not a one of them was truly admirable yet they were cleverly drawn and intrigued to me to no end. For two entire days, I have had a death grip on my Kindle with a body taut with tension and jaw frequently clenched while I worked my way through this appallingly realistic tale of obsessions, betrayals, political conspiracies, corruption, greed, blackmail, murder, and revenge. But I am in a torrid snit and stamping my little foot in dissatisfaction and aggravation, as I was denied my much-needed closure. There was no ending, the story just stopped. It was greatly disturbing to realize I had read the last word while I was expecting at least a few more pages as the game was still in play. Oh, the audacity! But I did learn a new word that is so relevant to the decidedly blonde world of today – plutocrat.

If I hadn’t read enough interviews with author Seth Margolis to know that he’d written Presidents’ Day before Donald Trump ever announced that he was running for president last year, I’d have been convinced this novel was inspired by real events.

In actuality, however, Margolis’s work is witty and smart, two traits that reality seems to be somewhat lacking these days, and his globe-spanning story of power machinations, intrigue, and retribution is a meaty, gripping novel that kept me enthralled for the entire 360 pages.

It’s also a novel with a fairly substantial cast of character. Julian Mellow, is, of course the central character, with Zach Springer being one of the other main voices we hear, but I definitely felt like there was a sort of ‘cast of thousands’ inhabiting the pages of this book.

What really struck me was the cinematic quality to Margolis’s writing. From the opening scene in San Francisco, to the final one in Florida this book is immersive. I could feel the steepness of that hill in the first chapter and see the drab, grubby room in the last, and in between, whether the setting was an opulent hotel, a conference room in an office building, or the White House, itself, the sense of place is incredibly strong.

Ultimately, Presidents’ Day is a read with as much social commentary as satisfying plot twists, and I recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers or political fiction.

Goes well with a Reuben sandwich and a bottle of micro-brew beer.

: This is a new twist on the belief that every US Presidential election is fixed. in this case, it's not by another party or country but by someone who wants revenge on the people responsible for the death of his son. It's a hard look at politics in this country and gives a gritty and harsh look at how and why people are elected. One of the richest men in the world finds someone that he can support and mold into the person he wants as President so that he can control foreign affairs and take action against the country where his son was killed. Will his money be able to buy him the revenge that he so desperately seeks or will he be brought down by someone who is following the story and trying to put the pieces in place much to the disbelief of others. This is a book that kept me turning pages quickly to see how it ended. If you enjoy a good political thriller, this is a must read!

Simply wasn't my taste in light of the political turmoil going on. I couldn't keep attention to it as the last thing i needed in my head was more political banter re poor candidates winning due to manipulation.

Presidents’ Day by Seth Margolis is a political thriller following a group of men who are clawing their way to the top in the presidential race. Each man has a locked closet of secrets and one man, Julian Mellow, has the key. As Julian plays puppet-master in the election, all of the men become his political pawns in his own game of revenge. If Scandal and House of Cards had a literary baby, it would be Presidents’ Day.

What I Liked:
The Characters: I really liked the development of some of these politicians and their dirty politics. I also really liked Julian Mellow, even though he was supposed to be the “villain” character.

The Pacing: this one was quick paced. This is exactly how I like my reads!

The Overall Plot: I did like the general story. Men trying to claw their way and using whatever tactics are needed to come out on top.

What I Struggled With:
The Politics: I am Canadian. I have a basic knowledge of American politics. I know what I see on television or what I know from the one American history course I took in University; needless to say, I struggled with understanding some of the plot points. I spent a lot of time trying to google the hierarchy of American politics. I couldn’t get lost in the story because I was constantly fact checking.

If you are a fan of political thrillers, then this is the book for you!
I think my love for this book stems from what I majored in in college (Political Science and International Relations). Fans of House of Cards will love this.

In the current Presidential race there are a number of men fighting for the vote. Each candidate has secrets and scandals, and one man holds the key to them all.

Julian Mellow has created a life through low risk and high reward investments. He was always careful to never get in over his head, but when he did he created an enemy for life - who is now after him. As the story continues, we learn that Mellow has set his sights on one goal: selecting the next President of the United States.

All of this includes ties to a small African nation, ruled by a brutal dictator, that is brewing a resistance. This African nation, Kamalia, is where Mellow's son died years earlier.

This story is told through the perspective of multiple characters, which I've always enjoyed. As it fills in the blanks as the story progresses. The timing of this novel couldn't be any better with the recent election. I will say, I am sad they didn't wait until later in February to release it (on President's Day!). Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys political fiction/thrillers.

Thanks to Diversion Publishing for an early copy.

I wrote a very favorable review in the blog: menreadingbooks.com.