A vicious look at politics in DC - sadly this plot is very realistic. Women are used and discarded easily with little to no accountability worldwide.
Agatha, Congressman Paul Paxton's Chief of Staff crosses a line. Escaping DC, she spends years aboard, returning home after the death of her husband.
Decades later, Agatha finds herself among political sharks again. With the hope of saving her young tenant.
I loved the reality of using what you have to fund your education, ability to live. The ruthlessness of politicians, sketchy connections - expertly drawn out and executed.
Cannot wait for the next one from this author!

I really really liked this book. I'm not usually into the political thrillers. This one felt different from the start. There was good character building, but the intrigue was off the charts. I did feel at times the coincidences lined up too well. and at times, especially in the end, it seemed a little rushed, but overall the story was great, I would love more just like it.

Thank you to Matthew FitzSimmons, Netgalley, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

The perfect slump book for me. Just what I needed. The perfect mix of suspense and keep you on the edge with page turning and engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

I really enjoyed the Gibson Vaughn series and was excited to read a new book by Matthew FitzSimmons.

The Slate was fantastic. Agatha Cardiff is a complicated and intriguing character. She was chief of staff for a Congressman and his main fixer. She goes into self exile for twenty years after cleaning up a mess. When her tenant goes missing, she gets involved. So much going on. Read this book and enjoy.

This was a very riveting book. It is very relavant in todays political climate.. This tells the story of Agatha Cardiff , a political fixer for a Congressman.
She comes out of retirement after leaving the corrupt world of politics. The rules of politics have changed but the corruptness has not. I highly recommend this book

Sadly, this book was not for my taste.
I won't say there is anything essentially wrong with it. It just isn't for me.
It was way too political for my taste - which is not unexpected.
This is the kind of mystery/thriller that don't talk to me.
I'm sure other readers will appreciate it more than I did.

This was a complicated, detailed look at events from the past being used to blackmail the president. The main character, Agatha is damaged, sarcastic, both immoral and moral, after leaving the cutthroat world of politics with some very unsavory characters, gets thrown back into that world when she needs to rescue her tenant. We also followed the story of an ambitious senate hopeful and a young reporter and all the interconnections. A satisfying read overall 4.5

A very interesting look at the underside of Washington. It would be a good read for my older students with a good attention span as it gets complicated and lots of characters. Lots of ethical issues to discuss as well.

I enjoyed this book. Love, love, love the Gibson Vaughn series so I was excited to give this one a shot. Maybe I am exhausted re politicians lately but I did not enjoy it quite to the Vaughn levels.
I enjoyed getting backgrounds on the main characters and meeting a wide array of other politicians. Character growth was good for Agatha and Isha as well as Felix. The ending did intrigue me and I would come back to this world for more Agatha Cross adventures.

I don’t read many politically themed books but took a chance on this one by a new author for me. It begins with an common plot where a married congressman is attracted to pretty young ladies, motel rooms and incidents that go sideways. The setting is of course in the DC area with lots of golf and networking. There are quite a few characters, Senators, the President, interns & staff, news media & reporters. The timeline includes events twenty years apart. A Supreme Court nomination is opening up and along with it an old favor is called in. Old secrets threaten to disrupt the status and power some high ranking officials would rather not revisit. Agatha is one of those affected by past decisions and actions. Her character is layered with a rich history of helping powerful people. Money may be the root of all evil, but power is an addiction some can’t get enough of. I’m still contemplating whether she redeemed herself in the end or if some wrongs can’t be righted. The plot had a wide variety of politicians with greedy, underhanded, vain and ignoble traits. The story is much more about their motivations, the trade-offs, the debts and promises to get where they wanted to be and how to stay on top. I’m not sure there was a hero, you’ll need to read for yourself and decide.
Thanks to Publishers Thomas & Mercer for providing the Advance Reader Copy, via NetGalley, of “The Slate” by Matthew FitzSimmons, expected publication 10/08/2024. These honest personal thoughts and opinions are given voluntarily without compensation.

Twenty years ago, Agatha Cardiff was the chief of staff to an up and coming pitbull congressman, and she was called upon to cover up a scandal involving a powerful Senator, a friend of the congressman. Agatha left politics after that incident, and kept a low profile. But now, Agatha is caught in the limelight when she tries to help her young tenant who is missing, and once buried secrets may come to life, threatening a presidency. The Slate is a fast paced and totally engrossing political thriller that exposes a seamy underside of government, with corrupt back-room deals and blackmail as its main components. Wasting no time, the book starts off quickly with an attention-grabbing opening, then fast-forwards to present day, and the reader is definitely hooked as the story unfolds, with various characters introduced who will all play a part, even if it’s not immediately apparent, as the plot pieces start to come together. Well written, no fluff or pontificating, just a tense and taut spellbinder. Loved it! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable political mystery from the author. Filled with page turning suspense, this is a book which I would recommend to others who enjoy political dramas.

“The Slate” by Matthew FitzSimmons is an enjoyable mystery with plenty of political intrigue. It centers around a woman who was a “fixer” and chief of staff for a crooked congressman. After retiring and disappearing for many years, she comes back into the game to help her young lawyer tenant after she suddenly disappears. The book is filled with scandal, blackmail and unsavory DC politicians with a hint of possible justice that made me think there is potential for a sequel. The secrets and suspense will keep you reading from the very first page.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Slate by Matthew FitzSimmons is a gripping political thriller that pulls you into the murky depths of Washington, DC's power corridors. The story centers around Agatha Cardiff, a former chief of staff turned exile, who is drawn back into a web of corruption and blackmail involving high-ranking politicians.

FitzSimmons masterfully crafts a narrative filled with secrets, scandals, and relentless suspense. Agatha, a complex and morally conflicted protagonist, faces the consequences of her past decisions as she navigates a treacherous path to redemption. The plot is intricate and fast-paced, with well-developed characters and a realistic portrayal of political machinations.

This novel is a must-read for fans of political thrillers. FitzSimmons delivers a compelling story that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The Slate is a testament to his skill in creating immersive and thought-provoking fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced reader copy.

So excited to have a new political thriller from Matthew Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons does prickly characters so well (i.e. Gibson Vaughn), so Agnes is fun to hang with for the duration of the book (and the ones to come!). I also love getting dropped back into Washington DC and getting to see the city from a behind-the-curtains view. Looking forward to the next installation with Agnes.

A good book with political intrigue is hard to find, but Matthew FitzSimmons nails it with The Slate. At the center of the book is a self-exiled former fixer, Agatha Cardiff, who left the political game after working as the chief of staff for crooked Congressman Paul Paxton and participating in covering up a scandal that involved his friend and colleague. That friend and colleague is now the President and Paul is using that scandal to blackmail the President into a Supreme Court nomination. In the meantime, Agatha’s tenant, a young lawyer over whom Agatha feels somewhat protective, disappears, which prompts Agatha to look for her. This quest ends up dragging Agatha back into the political game she once fled, putting her in the center of a deadly collision course. Staffers, lobbyists, journalists, more Congressmen, and the Russian mob all figure into the dynamic, giving Agatha a dangerous and interconnected plot to unravel. What seems like a number of unrelated characters and relationships all come together in the political quagmire of money, power, and influence in this deft and intricate story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

ALL the stars for "The Slate" by Matthew FitzSimmons! I have been a fan of Matthew FitzSimmons and his Gibson Vaughn series for many years. He is. a masterful writer of the slow burn thriller.

The Slate is a political thriller set in Washington DC that hooks you from the first page. Presidential blackmail, a badass female main character and too many shady political operatives to count make for an unputdownable story. And I'm crossing my fingers that this is the first of a new series!

Another hit by this author! I appreciate how FitzSimmoms developed Agatha's character. She is a woman who did anything to meet her goals in the past, and she is trying to be a better person. This book will be enjoyable to those who like a little politics with their crime drama.

Hits the ground running—check.
Tight, flowing, readable prose—check.
A super-engaging, original-feeling, lead character that you are very willing to invest in—check.
Great use of close third-person POV, bringing you very close to the main characters—check.
A believable and organic-feeling inciting event to get the plot rolling—check.
Very well-paced, page-turning, character-driven arcs dropped organically into the main plot—check.

Ah, now I know why I finished this in three days, in just two main sittings! I used to read more thrillers than I do now, the reason being that when you binge on one kind of book, it becomes too easy to compare them all to the very best you’ve read. Do not look for too many twists in this tale, and don’t expect jaw-dropping revelations. What you can expect are all those elements I consider the essential things on my checklist above in order to create a very engaging and enjoyable mystery-thriller. And if you enjoy a female protagonist of a certain age (the *excellently* written Agatha is 52 in the main part of the story), then I urge you to read Slate.

I enjoyed this a lot and am very much hoping for a possible sequel. It’s a standalone story with a resolution, but Agatha is most certainly an interesting enough and sympathetic character to hang a whole series on. Until then, I’ll be checking out Matthew FitzSimmons’s other publications.

Thank you to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read this really fun story.

Best book I’ve read this year. As a long-time Washingtonian, the author gets Washington exactly right with his description of Eastern Market, and many of my old haunts like Tracks and the 9:30 club. This thriller is the first of what I hope is a new series. Protagonist Agatha Cardiff is living a quiet life after a handling what could have been a scandal for a congressman. She gets involved in helping her neighbor who’s part of a new scandal twenty years after we first meet Agatha. Lots of thrills, smart dialogue, a murder or two make this a must read from one of my favorite authors!