I always enjoy the Joe DeMarco books by Mike Lawson and Untouchable is no exception. Joe, a “fixer” for a powerful congressman and (for now) former Speaker of the House, finds himself in the middle of a potential scandal that has broad implications. It’s a “ripped from the headlines” kind of story.

This book has a great plot, with a widely-varied cast of characters and bad guys. The dialogue is snappy and helps keep the reader fully engaged in the story. it’s a fast-paced thriller with lots of moving parts and it dips and dives like a rollercoaster.

I thought the first few chapters were a bit choppy, with short sentences that felt a little stilted. But, it settled down into a well-written thriller with good character development and several unexpected twists that only ramped up the story as well as the tension.

I enjoyed Untouchable and now I simply have to read Mr Lawson’s next Joe DeMarco book! NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

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.

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press on February 25, 2025

The Joe Demarco series follows but sometimes lags behind the current political world, particularly when elections change the party that controls the House. Whether series regular John Mahoney, the Democratic leader, holds the position of Speaker depends on the result of the most recent election. Mahoney is the minority leader in Untouchable and would have been even if the novel took place after the most recent election because Republican control of the House didn’t change. Mahoney would like to be Speaker again because, like nearly all political leaders, he craves power. His fixer, series protagonist Joe DeMarco, doesn’t care which party controls the House. He’d rather be golfing than working.

Untouchable imagines a wealthy friend of politicians and celebrities who has been indicted for sex trafficking a minor. A 15-year-old girl accused Brandon Cartwright of throwing sex parties and hiring young prostitutes to hook up with guests. Cartwright is plainly based on Jeffrey Epstein, while Maxine Barkley, the woman who procures underage prostitutes for Cartwright’s parties, is the fictional analog of Ghislaine Maxwell.

The novel opens with two men, Shaw and Burkhardt, breaking into Cartwright’s home and killing him. They also shoot Cartwright's lover. The men steal every document they can find but leave valuables and the two bodies behind.

The president has a hobby of doodling during meetings, often without realizing he’s taking notes. On the back of a speech, he wrote “Cartwright a-hole!!! Pardon? No f-ing way!!! Pay? Too rich $$$. Doyle’s way? Only way.” The draft speech made its way to National Archives but it took months for the cryptic note to come to the Archivist's attention. He interpreted the note to mean that Cartwright asked the president for a pardon that the president refused. The president countered with a payoff that Cartwright refused because he didn’t need the money. From this, the archivist concluded that Cartwright was trying to blackmail the president to obtain the pardon. “Doyle’s way” is an expression used by pundits to refer to the national security advisor, who routinely ordered the assassination of terrorists and others he considered to be a threat to the country without regard to the collateral damage a missile or bomb might cause. The implication is that Doyle had Cartwright killed to protect the president.

The archivist shows the note to Mahoney but won’t let him keep a copy. Her hope is that Mahoney will take some action that will bring the president to justice. He won’t go to the press or the FBI himself because he’s breaking the law by sharing the president’s document and doing so publicly would destroy the integrity of the National Archives.

Mahoney assigns Demarco to search for evidence that the president was being blackmailed. Being the person he is, Mahoney is less interested in bringing the president to justice than in gaining leverage over him.

The story follows Demarco’s investigation. He quickly realizes that the FBI slow-walked its investigation of Cartwright’s sex trafficking and refused to investigate his death. The DC police chalked up the death to a robbery but a young, disgruntled detective tells Demarco that her boss refused to allow her to conduct a real investigation. Demarco interviews the 15-year-old (who is now a chubby adult alcoholic), tracks down Barkley (who is too frightened to confirm that Cartwright was blackmailing the president), discovers the president’s indiscretions that fueled Cartwright’s blackmail attempt, and tries to find witnesses who can confirm Cartwright’s relationship to the president.

Doyle has Shaw and Burkhardt follow Demarco. More people die at their hands as Doyle tries to puzzle out the source of Demarco’s knowledge of the blackmail attempt. Demarco enlists the help of the mysterious Emma, a former NSA official who is now a series regular. Shaw and Burkhardt will try to kill them both before the story ends. Will they succeed? Will Demarco get the goods on the untouchable president? Will Doyle get away with his crimes? The novel takes a suitably cynical view of power-mad politicians and the political appointees who enable them.

While some Demarco novels are more engaging than others, this one captivates. The story moves quickly and gains credibility by drawing on real-world events that would be difficult to believe if they weren't so well documented. Mike Lawson writes these novels in a breezy style, but the style doesn't detract from his ability to build tension as Demarco follows clues that lead to danger.

Although Demarco has a well-established personality, he gains a bit of darkness by the novel’s end. Demarco has always had conflicted feelings about his father, a contract killer for the Mafia who nevertheless lived by a moral code that prevented him from killing the innocent. The key question at the novel’s end is whether Demarco is also willing to kill someone who, in his moral judgment, is likely to escape justice and deserves to die for his sins. The answer is surprising. It also sets up the next novel in the series. As always, I look forward to reading it.

RECOMMENDED

Mike Lawson's latest book with Fixer Joe DeMarco is AMAZING!!!
Seeing an Epstein style storyline where no one can say it's "a suicide" is great

The story leans on the political, which is to say,those who hate the current administration will say "this is proof". Ironic,considering the last regime had a leader known for sniffing little girl's hair and making kid's uncomfortable.
But , thankfully, unlike way too many novels today, it's still a story and not a lecture.

Strong writing!
Intense self-reflection without beingnvirtue signaling.

I wish more writers would write for their audiences instead of their smugness.

Untouchable is one of those thrillers where things do not stop happening and the reader just wants to learn where they'll take them. There is a good plot, although it reminded me a lot about the information released on the Jeffrey Epstein's case, and Joe is sent for the wrong motives to search for the truth regarding Cartwright's death. What Joe will discover is one wrong decision/crime after another in which he and those who'll eventually help him will be running for their lives. He'll also think a lot about his father and the motives that led him to be a killer for the mafia, Joe considers himself totally different from his dad, but is he really? Untouchable is an easy and engaging read that besides crime, describes how power , greed, lust, affects people. Great entertainment!
I thank Mr. Lawson, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

A RIVETING AND REALISTIC POLITICAL THRILLER

SUMMARY
The Washington, D.C., troubleshooter Joe DeMarco is assigned an impossible task. Without their knowledge, DeMarco must investigate the President of the United States and his National Security Advisor for their association with the ultra-rich mega-doner Brendon Cartwright.

Cartwright, worth billions, is known for hosting lavish parties attended by wealthy politicians, movie stars, British royalty, and Russian oligarchs where anything goes. Recently, Cartwright was indicted for sex trafficking a minor at one of his parties. Before his trial could commence, he fell victim to a military-style execution, and his ten-thousand-square-foot home was ransacked.

Shortly after Cartwright’s death, an archivist at the National Archives discovers a shocking note on the back page of a draft of a presidential speech. The note suggested that the president might know something about Cartwright’s death. When John Mahoney, the former Speaker of the House, is shown the note, he immediately calls Joe DeMarco to discreetly investigate whether Cartwright had been blackmailing the President.

REVIEW

Untouchable is a riveting and scarily realistic thriller with an unforgettable cast of characters. Joe DeMarco is intriguing and fascinating. I was delighted to see the savvy and super-smart retired DIA agent Emma again joining forces with DeMarco and his stealth investigation.

Author Mike Lawson’s writing cleverly weaves gut-wrenching suspense and wry humor with great pacing. His conclusion is stunning but immensely satisfying. Overall, it is an exceptional read for lovers of action-packed political thrillers.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Publisher Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press
Published February 25, 2025
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

'Untouchable' is highly entertaining as a cat-and-mouse chase in the American capital with sky-high stakes. It portrays the deep rooted corruption in the political system that never cares for normal humans whose loss of lives is written off as collateral damage. It possesses enough wit, intrigue, and shock factor to make it literally impossible to put down once begun.

Joe DeMarco is the fixer for former Speaker of the House John Mahoney. When a archivist at the National Archives comes across a document with notes relating to Brendan Cartwright, a billionaire who was recently indicted for sex trafficking a minor and then brutally murdered in his home. The notes are on the back of a document received from the White House and clearly in the President’s handwriting. The archivist decides to bring it to Mahoney’s attention although she won’t show the actual document to anyone. Mahoney tasks DeMarco with finding out what is going on. Without a whole lot to go on, DeMarco enlists the help of retired DIA agent Emma and the two of them begin their investigation that quickly leads them to the National Security Advisor, although they can’t talk to either the President or the NSA.

This is the 18th book in the Joe DeMarco series. It is certainly not a literary masterpiece but a fun read - as almost all of the Joe DeMarco series has been. The book is well paced, has plenty of twists and turns, is sprinkled with some humor, and has a bit of a surprise ending and the hint of things to come. My thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

I LOVED this new thriller. It's classic Joe DeMarco with a plot twist at the end. It left me ready for the next book in the series. I've been reading Joe DeMarco series for quite some time and over time, it seems that he bends the law a bit more. Did he bend it too much this time? Can justice be called justice by any means necessary?

Having read all the previous books in the series, Joe DeMarco is back with a whole new set of issues. This time we have a member of the National Archives setting the ball rolling after an administrative assistant submits documents that might have inadvertently (or not?) set a series of events into play. We have an execution, possible sex trafficking, travel and, of course, John Mahoney. DeMarco can be like a dog with a bone, and this proves to be no exception. In this case, there are greater ramifications than ever before. I’ve always eagerly awaited the next installment and this time is no exception.

This is the latest of Mike Lawton’s Joe Demarco series. There are 18 books and I have read all of them except #17 Kingpin. All are entertaining, well written, and on track the whole time. There are no sub plots that don’t fit. This book was no exception. It started slow compared to the others but when it got going about a fourth of the way in., it was tough to put down. Without providing any spoilers, Joe again is able to run down a seemingly no win situation with help from his friend Emma. Congressman Mahoney, who is Joes unofficial boss, plays a smaller role in this book. Joe traces a situation that reaches the President and that creates a lot of intrigue. I have enjoyed every one of these books

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Mike Lawson, and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After discovering the work of Mike Lawson years ago, I am always excited to read one of his political thrillers. The novels are filled with great storylines and puts Joe DeMarco into the middle of the action. After a suspected child trafficker is killed in his mansion, the case against him stops in its tracks. However, a note appears in the Natuonal Archives that suggests someone in the West Wing might have played a role in silencing the man before he could spill the beans. Enter Joe DeMarco, whose work as a fixer for the former Speaker of the House has many whispering. DeMarco is asked to investigate and potentially bring down the one man who cannot be touched. Lawson delivers another wonderful thriller for all to enjoy!

Brandon Cartwright had a great deal of money and knew how to use it. He was a party guy and found ways to ensure that his guests never left unhappy. Rumours abounded about what happened at those parties, which came to light when Cartwright was arrested for child trafficking, after a girl of fifteen went to the authorities to say that she had been used by Cartwright for sex at numerous of his soirées.

When news emerged that Brandon Cartwright was gunned down in his mansion, the case stopped dead in its tracks. The house was ransacked but many things of value were left lying around. Everyone presumed this was the end of it all, though a piece of writing that ended up in the possession of the National Archives points the finger to a connection between Cartwright and the sitting US president. This secretive intel lands in the lap of former Speaker of the House, John Mahoney, who quickly passes it off to his fixer, Joe DeMarco.

At question here is just how close were Cartwright and the president. Might there have been a plan hatched in the West Wing to silence Brandon Cartwright so that he did not spill anything on POTUS? This is the motivation DeMarco has, as he turns over every rock to follow the trail. What he discovers keeps him searching.

All the while, someone is less than impressed with DeMarco’s determination and seeks to quiet the man before he, too, can discover the connection. There may be a level of untouchability to the sitting US president, but DeMarco has always been driven by answers, not the narrow framework of the law. Mike Lawson delivers a great thriller that had me flipping pages just to get some answers of my own.

I have always enjoyed the writing of Mike Lawson, who knows how to mix politics and a thriller effectively. The story blossoms from the outset and has eerie parallels to something Epstein-esque with a peppering of Gaetz and perhaps the untouchable nature of the 45th US president. The story moves along with a great narrative that pulls no punches, though it increases in intensity as the momentum builds with each chapter. Strong characters, including Joe DeMarco, make for a great piece that is ever-evolving. Key plot points and parallels to actual events provide entertainment and intrigue for the attentive reader. I am eager to see where things are headed with this series and how Lawson will keep developing his DeMarco character.

Kudos, Mr. Lawson, for a great addition to the series!

Pulse-pounding indeed! Untouchable by Mike Lawson is an intense, high drama thriller that I couldn’t put down. The story is captivating, full of intrigue, revenge and regret with a jaw dropping ending. Loved it for an action-packed plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this ARC.

An Attempt to Convict the President of Murder

“…Pulse-pounding thriller from Edgar and Barry Award finalist Mike Lawson…” Lawson “is a former senior civilian executive for the US Navy”. The Edgars are named after Edgar Poe. The latest 2024 competition had 1 winner and 42 nominees. I did not see on the website any designation for a “finalist”. This seems to be an inflation of Lawson’s status. Same for the Barry Award, but it has fewer nominees, with only around 5 of them. And the reference to this thriller being “pulse-pounding” might also be a political understatement: it doesn’t promise to raise the pulse, but rather that your heart will continue to beat as you read it.
“…Beloved Washington DC ‘troubleshooter’ Joe DeMarco finds himself assigned an impossible case: help take down the President of the United States.” At least this is an exciting start for a novel. I have not read this plot before: the hero is going to assassinate the President? I must be misunderstanding the premise… I read the chapter 1 to see how this point is handled. As promised, there is a dramatic opening as a group of Secret Service agents burst into the Oval Office, and one breaches protocol to grab the President to encourage him to leave with them for the bunker because there has been a looming threat against his life. They put a gas mask on him and rush out. The story is linear and logical, unlike many in this set of reviews. The threat is then explained as a “white powder” that spilled out of an envelope. This reads like a watchable TV thriller, so those who are interested in this genre should enjoy continuing this read.
“Brandon Cartwright was a rich guy worth a couple billion bucks—inherited, of course—meaning he hadn’t worked a day in his life. But he sure knew how to party, and the people he rubbed shoulders with were all sorts of rich and famous: politicians and movie stars and British royalty and Russian oligarchs. So when Brendan Cartwright is executed in his own home, the cops quickly conclude that he was most likely killed by one or more of the rich, powerful people he partied with. But when John Mahoney, the former Speaker of the House, emerges from a clandestine meeting with the head of the National Archives, he learns there’s evidence suggesting that the President of the United States was somehow involved with Cartwright’s death…” There is a careful explanation of what these Archives are (including their use when “authenticating the votes of the Electoral College” became “controversial” in the Trump non-election) when Mahoney is first-mentioned. This is better than other novels that tend to avoid offering any specifics about what such agencies do. And when Mahoney is next mentioned there is an explanation of his drinking problem, again done with specifics; this problem re-appears as Mahoney re-appears, and is clearly relevant to explaining his character and actions. Though it does get repetitive, as it keeps being brought up with less and less density in the descriptions. In another positive, when Mahoney’s familiarity with another guest is mentioned, there is a full clarification of how they knew each other, in a linear fashion.
“…Mahoney needs someone who can investigate from the shadows—enter Joe DeMarco, Mahoney’s fixer.” Chapter 6 introduces this guy by showing him shoveling concrete to build a fence, before describing his house and other characteristics, and family history. It is rare in this set of reviews to find a novel with such simple clarity of narrative structure. “DeMarco is no stranger to hunting down some of the very worst people Washington D.C. has to offer. In fact, he’s made a career of it. But as evidence continues to point towards the President, DeMarco is faced with an impossible situation: investigating a man who is quite literally untouchable.” Ah, that explains my earlier confusion: the hero is not going to spend this novel plotting on how to assassinate the President, he is merely trying to prove that the President is a murderer… It’s presented when Mahoney explains “that the National Archives had gotten a copy of a speech and on the back of the speech were notes in the president’s handwriting indicating that he may have conspired with Eric Doyle to have Brandon Carwright killed” (37-8). This is helpfully direct. Then, an explanation is given that Doyle retired from the military and started “milking the system” by getting “contracts” with the Pentagon. Doyle and his guys “were arrested twice for killing civilians in Afghanistan and both times they got off because the U.S. government helped them get off and because Doyle bribed the right Afghans. Doyle’s firm also hires itself out to scumbag dictators who don’t trust their own people to protect them.” And Doyle is “the president’s best buddy.” This plot and manner of storytelling drags readers into this story. Enough is explained about the agencies and practices involved for the reader to understand the sides in this conflict, and specific corrupt practices, without boring them with too much information. It seems Lawson is determined to win one of those awards with this one, as it seems to be a particularly hard-earned work of fiction.
—Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Fall 2024: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-fall-2024

I feel like this has been a theme of books I've read recently, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say that this was Demarco like we've never seen him before! The author does a great job taking real world situations and fictionalizing them just enough. In this installment, Joe remains great at getting an insider to help him out (PW County police officer in this case) but also remains TERRIBLE at knowing whether he's being followed - this is the second book in a row where he's been followed for some time without knowing it! I was VERY glad to see Emma back in this book - I felt like I was really missing her involvement in Kingpin. All in all, the author weaves a political insider conspiracy like not many other authors can. The ending without a doubt will keep you anxiously waiting for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this advanced copy. #Untouchable #NetGalley

Untouchable is a good installment in the Joe DeMarco series by Mike Lawson. He is the ‘Fixer” for the former Speaker of the House, John Mahoney.
A piece of paper is found in the National Archive that has terrible implications for those in power.
Mahoney sends DeMarco to find out what is going on, and he runs into some unsavory people. He knows a lot of people who can help him and off he goes.
DeMarco calls on Emily, an old friend, to help. The action never stops, and all sorts of things happen.
I really enjoyed this one – this one has a lot of his friends helping him. We get to have more insight into the relationship between Mahoney and DeMarco.
I really like the series, and this one did not disappoint.

The ever dependable Mike Lawson gives us a new Joe DeMarco thriller. Demarco is a fixer for the John Mahoney, Former Speaker of The House and gets all of the off the book jobs. Asked to look into something that suggests something is rotten at the very top of US Government he attracts the interest of some very dangerous people. Luckily he knows some dangerous people himself, but that might not be enough….. As usual, DeMarco ambles through things wishing he was playing golf, the story and characters happen around him. Emma, his rather talented and enigmatic friend is her usual stand out self, a brilliant character. DeMarco looks the part but usually is slightly lazy and rarely thinks outside the box, Emma however likes to kick the hornet’s nest. Topical story told with Mr Lawton’s usual character driven and observational style. I am a massive fan of all his books and he never fails to deliver, he certainly deliver here. Great stuff.

Untouchable by Mike Lawson, and overall, I really enjoyed it. The story is gripping, the pacing is solid, and the characters are well-developed. Lawson does a great job of keeping the reader engaged with plenty of twists and turns,That said, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by the ending. While it tied up some loose ends, I felt like it didn't fully deliver. Despite the ending, I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks NetGalley for advance copy

timely, thriller, threats, suspense, intrigue, unputdownable, political-intrigue, political-corruption, witty, twisty, entitled-attitude, murder, lies, secrets, accountability, suspicion, friendship, greed, investigations, due-diligence, criminal-acts, criminal-element, tense, extortion, archivist*****

Solid fast-paced plot with thoroughly invested characters and an all-too-believable tense progression. It's a scene of American politics at the highest levels and with plot twists as mind-bending as tomorrow's news. Joe DeMarco is the man we'd all like to have investigating to find truth and making certain that nothing stays hidden.
The ending made me nutz!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected advance proof from Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
Pub Date Feb 25, 2025 #Untouchable by @MikeLawsonBooks #JoeDeMarcoThrillersBk18 #NetGalley @groveatlantic #TenseThriller #WashingtonDCPolitics

This was a wonderful book. I think it brings to light the things political figures to to insure they can get away with almost anything. In todays political climate most people can relate to this. It changes the main characters life. The ending leaves you on a cliff wanting more. I hope there is a sequel to this book. Mike Lawsons books are always wonderful and this one will not disappoint you..
Thank you net galley for giving me the opportunity to read it