The Candidate

The Candidate
A Newsmakers Novel, #2
Lis Wiehl with Sebastian Stuart
Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-0718037680
October 2016/352 pages/$26.99 Hardcover

How far will a candidate go to become president? Erica Sparks—America’s top-rated cable-news host—is about to find out.

Mike Ortiz is a dynamic war hero favored to win the White House. Standing by his side is his glamorous and adoring wife, Celeste. But something about this seemingly perfect couple troubles Erica. Is Celeste really who she seems? And most importantly, what really happened in that squalid Al-Qaeda prison where Mike Ortiz spent nine months?

But more than the nation’s future is at stake. Erica’s relentless search for the truth puts the life of her preteen daughter Jenny in danger, even as Erica’s own dark past threatens to overtake her.

In her latest Newsmakers thriller, New York Times bestselling author and Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl weaves a taut and chilling story. The Candidate is packed with political intrigue and media manipulation as the lust for power turns deadly indeed.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Lis Wiehl is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels. She is a Harvard Law School graduate and has served as a federal prosecutor in the state of Washington and as a tenured faculty member at The University Washington School of Law. She is currently a popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel. Visit her online at liswiehlbooks.com, Facebook: Lis Wiehl, Fox News Legal Analyst and Author, and Twitter: @LisWiehl.

Sebastian Stuart has published four novels under his own name, including The Hour Between, winner of the Ferro-Grumley Award and an NPR Season’s Readings selection. He has also co-written national and New York Times bestselling books. As senior editor of e-book publisher New Word City, Stuart has written over two dozen original non-fiction e-books.


MY THOUGHTS

I was mildly disappointed with Lis Wiehl's first novel in this series, but she is back on her game with this gripping story that is perfectly timed for this turbulent political season. Wiehl crafts a tale containing frighteningly realistic circumstances and events. As in the first novel, Erica garnered my admiration and sympathy as she strove to uncover the truth behind the public facade of the Ortiz political machine while simultaneously dealing with challenging personal situations. Integrity and truth clash with power, manipulation, and greed in this political thriller that I read almost non-stop, eagerly turning pages as the story built to its heart-pounding climax. Don't miss this compelling novel.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


THE NEWSMAKERS NOVELS - MY REVIEWS
The Newsmakers
The Candidate

View blog reactions

The Newsmakers

The Newsmakers
Lis Wiehl with
Sebastian Stuart
(Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-0718037673
January 2016/352 pages/Hardcover/$26.99
What if it turns out that the newsmakers are actually making the news happen?

Television reporter Erica Sparks has just landed her dream job at Global News Network. Beautiful, talented, and ambitious, Erica grew up dirt poor, worked her way through Yale, and is carrying a terrible secret. She moves to Manhattan to join GNN, leaving Jenny, her adored 7-year-old daughter, in the custody of her ex-husband. Erica’s producer at the network, Greg Underwood, is handsome and compelling. Scarred by her divorce, Erica is wary of romance, but there’s no denying the mutual attraction.

On one of her first assignments, Erica witnesses a horrific Staten Island ferry crash. Then she lands a coveted interview with presumptive presidential nominee Kay Barrish. During the interview Barrish collapses. Erica valiantly tries to save her with CPR. The footage rivets the world—GNN’s ratings soar and Erica is now a household name.

But she’s troubled. What a strange coincidence that both events should happen on her watch. It’s almost as if they were engineered. Is that possible?

Erica’s relentless pursuit of the truth puts her life and that of her daughter in danger. Her investigation leads her into the heart of darkness—where the future of our democracy is at stake.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lis Wiehl is a New York Times best-selling author, Harvard Law School graduate, and former federal prosecutor. A popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears weekly on The O’Reilly Factor, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Imus in the Morning, Kelly’s Court, and more. Learn more at liswiehlbooks.com and on Facebook and Twitter.


MY THOUGHTS

I have loved Lis Wiehl's previous books and was excited to have the chance to review her latest. While there is much to like about this novel, I was a bit disappointed. I can only suspect the reason is the switch in collaborators, from April Henry to Sebastian Stuart. The writing isn't as tight as her other suspense novels, and the ending is a totally predictable. In fact, some blatant clues and foreshadowing appeared fairly early in the story. Additionally, at least one thread was randomly woven in but not followed through consistently. As far as I'm concerned, it could have been left out completely as one scene stretched the limits of what I expect from a Christian novel. (Although I'm not sure I would really label this a Christian novel aside from the publisher.) I did like the two main characters, Erika and Greg; that and my previous positive experience with Wiehl's books prompted me to finish the book. You may have a different view, however, so check it out for yourself!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson for a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

View blog reactions

Snapshot

Snapshot
Lis Wiehl
(Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-1401689520
January 2014/320 pages/Hardcover/$26.99
October 2014/320 pages/Paperback/$16.99
Also available now on Kindle, Nook, and iBook.

Two little girls, frozen in black and white. One picture worth killing for.

Federal prosecutor Lisa Waldren’s estranged father wants her to investigate a cold case from his FBI days. Lisa nearly refuses, even though a wrongly convicted man faces execution for murder. Then her father reveals a photograph: a little white girl playing alongside a little black girl at a rally in 1965 where the shooting of a civil rights leader took place. She recognizes herself in the photo.

She was there.

Lisa agrees to help, resolved to boldly seek answers she’s skirted for decades. What she discovers are layers of deception, both personal and professional, reaching as high as the head of the FBI. Possibly even the president.

And though Lisa and the other girl may have escaped the 1965 shooting physically unharmed, her little friend, now grown, bears the scars of it. All because of the color of her skin. As Lisa and her father get closer to the truth, the real killer turns the hunt around.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lis Wiehl is a New York Times best-selling novelist, Harvard Law School graduate, and former federal prosecutor. A popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears weekly on The O’Reilly Factor, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Imus in the Morning, Kelly's Court, and more. Snapshot was inspired by historical events and an actual photograph of the author. Visit her website at www.liswiehlbooks.com Twitter: @LisWiehl Facebook: LisWiehl


MY THOUGHTS

Lis Wiehl became one of my must-read authors when she released her first series, the Triple Threat Club, so when I had an Amazon gift card earlier this year, I snagged this book. It's been not-so-patiently sitting on my TBR pile waiting for a gap in my review pile, and once I opened it earlier this week, I couldn't put it down. Because I was also a four-year-old girl in Texas in 1965, I was immediately drawn into the story, which was birthed from the photo on the book's cover, a photo of the author herself. Wiehl has crafted a story which, although fiction, rings with truth as it probes the past and exposes the fall-out of attitudes and choices made decades before. Beyond race relations, assassinations, and cover-ups, this is also a tale of family relationships, of a dad and his daughter tentatively bridging the gap that too many years has widened. Expertly pacing the story, Wiehl escalates the tension and suspense to a dramatic and surprising conclusion, making this book impossible to put down. I highly recommend this novel. Grab it now or when the paperback version comes out in a few weeks, but don't miss Snapshot!

View blog reactions

A Matter of Trust

A Matter of Trust:
A Mia Quinn Mystery
Lis Wiehl with April Henry
(Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-1595549037
April 2013/320 pages/Hardcover/$26.99
($15.83 on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com
Also discounted on Christianbook.com and booksamillion.com)
When life is murder, who can you trust?

One minute Mia Quinn is in her basement, chatting on the phone with a colleague at the prosecutor’s office. The next minute there’s a gunshot over the line, and Mia listens in horror as her colleague and friend Colleen bleeds to death.

Mia’s a natural for heading up the murder investigation, but these days she has all she can do to hold her life together. As a new widow with a pile of debts, a troubled teenaged son, and a four-year-old who wakes up screaming at night, she needs more time with her family, not less—and working Colleen’s case will be especially demanding. But Colleen was her friend, and she needs to keep her job. So she reluctantly teams up with detective Charlie Carlson to investigate Colleen’s death. But the deeper they dig, the more complications unfold—even the unsettling possibility that someone may be coming after her.

Lis Wiehl’s signature plot twists and relatable characters shine in this absorbing series debut . . . with an intriguing cameo from her best-selling Triple Threat series.



ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Lis Wiehl is one of the nation’s most prominent trial lawyers and highly regarded commentators. Currently, she is the legal analyst and reporter on the Fox News Channel and Bill O’Reilly’s sparring partner in the weekly “Is It Legal?” segment on The O’Reilly Factor. Prior to that she was O’Reilly’s co-host on the nationally syndicated show The Radio Factor. She is also a Professor of Law at New York Law School. Her column “Lis on Law” appears weekly on FoxNews.com.

Prior to joining Fox News Channel in New York City, Wiehl served as a legal analyst and reporter for NBC News and NPR’s All Things Considered. Before that, Wiehl served as a Federal Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s office.

Wiehl earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and her Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Queensland.

Wiehl is also the author of The 51% Minority, which won the 2008 award for Books for a Better Life in the motivational category, and Winning Every Time. A Matter of Trust is her seventh novel.

She lives with her husband and two children in New York.

April Henry knows how to kill you in a two-dozen different ways. She makes up for a peaceful childhood in an intact home by killing off fictional characters. There was one detour on April's path to destruction: when she was 12 she sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to noted children's author Roald Dahl. He liked it so much he arranged to have it published in an international children's magazine. By the time she was in her thirties, April had started writing about hit men, kidnappers, and drug dealers. She has published more than a dozen mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults, with five more under contract.

The New York Times-bestselling author of over a dozen mysteries and thrillers for teens and adults, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.


MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed Lis Wiehl's first collaborative series with April Henry, The Triple Threat Club, and am excited that she is starting a new legal mystery series. The novel starts off with a bang (pun intended!) as Mia Quinn's friend and co-worker is shot while they are talking on the phone. A chilling glimpse of the unknown assailant's perspective in the opening paragraphs immediately captivated me, and I was quickly submerged in the pages of the story. Wiehl's portrayal of Mia Quinn as a single mom (newly widowed) trying to juggle all of the responsibilities in her life-many of which seem to be teetering on the brink of disaster-is reflective of many women today. In addition to investigating the murder, Mia is also endeavoring to bring a cyber-bullying case to trial. With plenty of issues and deep emotions attached to both cases, the stakes are high and Mia isn't sure whom she can trust. While I enjoyed this novel, it was not as tightly woven as her previous series, and the ending seemed a big abrupt and forced. However, this new series shows promise, and I look forward to seeing what is in store next for Mia Quinn.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an copy of this book free from BookSneeze/Thomas Nelson. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

View blog reactions

Eyes of Justice - Gripping New Book

Eyes of Justice
Lis Wiehl with April Henry
(Thomas Nelson)
ISBN: 978-1595547088
April 3, 2012/320 pages/Hardcover/$26.99
Also available as an eBook

The Triple Threat Club has solved intense mysteries before . . . but this time it’s personal.

Cassidy, Allison, and Nicole fight for justice every day—Cassidy as a crime reporter, Nicole with the FBI, and Allison as a federal prosecutor. Together they're a Triple Threat to be reckoned with.

But never have they faced a case so full of blind alleys—or so painfully close to home.

When a devastating turn of events upsets the balance of the Triple Threat team, they discover an ally in a quirky Private Investigator named Olivia. The women vow not to stop until the case is solved and justice is served.

Yet just when it appears the police have the killer in custody, he somehow strikes again. Not knowing who to trust, the Triple Threat women go undercover for an intricate and deadly cat-and-mouse game where nothing can be taken at face value . . . and nothing will ever be the same.

Success – or survival – isn’t assured in this riveting Triple Threat mystery that will leave readers both shocked and satisfied.

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO AND RUN TO LIS WIEHL'S FB PAGE TO ENTER THE CONTEST BY 12:20 CDT TODAY (4/2/12)!


ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Lis Wiehl is a New York Times best-selling author, Harvard Law School graduate, and former federal prosecutor. She is the author, with April Henry, of the Triple Threat Novels (Face of Betrayal, Hand of Fate, and Heart of Ice). She also co-authored Waking Hours, the first book in the East Salem Trilogy, with Pete Nelson. A popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears on The O’Reilly Factor and was co-host with Bill O’Reilly on the radio for seven years. Visit her website.

Noted author Roald Dahl helped New York Times best-selling author April Henry take her first step as a writer. When April was eleven, she sent the famous children's author a short story about a frog who loved peanut butter. He read it to an editor of an international children's magazine, who then asked to publish it. April has since written several highly acclaimed mysteries and thrillers. Her books have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, and the Oregon Book Award, and translated into several languages. Two have been chosen for BookSense by the independent booksellers of America. April lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.

MY THOUGHTS:
OH. MY. I love Lis Wiehl's books, especially this series, and Eyes of Justice takes the suspense to a whole new level. The team is shattered when one of their own is brutally murdered. The other two are not only reeling with grief but determined to find the killer and bring him to justice. The danger and the urgency intensify when the killer seems intent on striking again. . .and one them may be next. Plenty of action infuses this thriller as the women pull out all the stops, risking their jobs as well as their lives, to solve the case. I really shouldn't have read this at bedtime; not only did it keep me reading until the wee hours, but my adrenaline was too elevated to sleep afterwards! A couple of loose ends make wonder if this is indeed the final book in this series, or if there might be more coming from Lis Wiehl and April Henry. I hope so! I'm not ready to say good-bye to what's left of the Triple Threat Club!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

View blog reactions

Win a Book - Guaranteed! (No April Fool!)

Lis Wiehl has a phenomenal new book. Eyes of Justice coming out Tuesday; my review will post tomorrow! But first, check out this sneak peak and find out about the great contest on her Facebook page. Win a copy of one of Lis Wiehl's books, Waking Hours (reviewed here), just for entering, and 100 people will receive an autographed copy of Eyes of Justice! But hurry! Contest closes at 12:20 pm CDT Monday, 4/2/12!

View blog reactions

You'll Stay Awake for Waking Hours!

Waking Hours
The East Salem Trilogy
Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson
(Thomas Nelson Publishers)
ISBN: 978-1595549402
October, 2011/336 pages/Hardcover/$26.99

All towns have secrets. Some have demons.

Welcome to East Salem: A deceptively sleepy town where ancient supernatural forces are being awakened.

A high-school girl is found murdered in a park in Westchester County, New York. The shocking manner of her death confounds the town and intrigues forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris, who is determined to unravel the mystery. All the suspects are teenagers who were at a party with the girl—yet no one remembers what happened. Could one of them be a vicious killer? Or is something more sinister afoot—something tied to an ancient evil?

But it's not just Dani’s waking hours that challenge her. Each night, her eyes open at 2:13 due to troubling dreams—dreams filled with blood, water, and destruction. Is it a clue—or a sign?

Across town, former NFL linebacker Tommy Gunderson finds his security system has been breached by an elderly woman who attacks him with preternatural strength. Before he can process the attack, someone close to him is implicated in the high-school girl's murder. He agrees to help—and finds himself working with Dani, the only girl who could resist his charms when they were in high school.

It will take astute analysis and forensic skills to solve the crime. But Dani and Tommy suspect there's more to the mystery than murder, more to their growing friendship than chance . . . and more to the evil they're facing than a mere human killer.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Lis Wiehl is a Harvard Law School graduate and former federal prosecutor. A widely popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears regularly on The O'Reilly Factor and was co-host with Bill O'Reilly on the widely-syndicated radio show, The Radio Factor, for the past seven years.

Pete Nelson is the author of Left to Die, which won the 2003 Christopher Award for books that celebrate the human spirit. He was listed in the Esquire Register of Best American Writers and nominated for an Edgar Award.






MY THOUGHTS:
Wow. When I open a Lis Wiehl book, I know I won't be going to bed early! Her books absolutely sweep me in from page one and captivate me until the last page is turned. I loved her first series, The Triple Threat Club, which she co-wrote with April Henry, so I was excited to see she's beginning another series, this time with Pete Nelson. I generally avoid books with supernatural overtones, but while there were a few moments that gave me the creeps in this story, I absolutely could not put it down. This is not your formulaic "who done it" mystery. The plot contained multiple layers and plenty of twists and turns, all of which kept me guessing on the resolution. And while that resolution tied things up somewhat, a few threads were left dangling to be picked up in the next book. I can't wait to find out what happens next in East Salem!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze/Thomas Nelsonl as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

View blog reactions

Add This To Your Reading List

I have a great book to recommend to you, written by someone who could have stepped into any of the professional roles detailed in this story.

Fox News legal correspondent and former Federal Prosecutor Lis Wiehl has created a suspense novel that's as timely as tomorrow's headlines.

While home on Christmas break, a seventeen-year-old Senate page takes her dog out for a walk and never returns. Reporter Cassidy Shaw is the first to break the story. The resulting media firestorm quickly ensnares Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges. The three unique women are life-long friends who call themselves The Triple Threat--a nickname derived from their favorite dessert and their uncanny ability to crack cases via their three positions of power.

Though authorities think Katie might have been kidnapped or run away, those theories shatter when Nicole uncovers Katie's blog. They reveal a girl troubled by a mysterious relationship with an older man. Possibly a U.S. Senator.

As the three women race against time to find Katie alive, their increasing emotional involvement brings out their own inner demons and external enemies. There are many faces of betrayal, but they must find one face in a crowd of growing suspects before they become the next victims.

In Face of Betrayal (Thomas Nelson), Lis Wiehl's expertise in law, politics, and criminal investigation merges with April Henry's narrative genius to create a gripping mystery filled with rich characters, real danger, and a shocking yet satisfying final twist.

AUTHOR BIO:
Lis Wiehl is a Harvard Law School graduate and former federal prosecutor. A widely popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears regularly on The O'Reilly Factor and was co-host with Bill O'Reilly on the widely-syndicated radio show, The Radio Factor, for the past seven years. She lives with her husband and two children in New York. You can learn more about her at her website.

April Henry has written seven mysteries and thrillers. Her books have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Two have been chosen for BookSense. April lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.


MY THOUGHTS:
Wow. This is a captivating and suspenseful book that I absolutely could not put down. And sadly, I can just imagine such a story screaming from the headlines of the newspapers and becoming the latest obsession of our 24-hour, minute-by-minute news stations. The story is well-balanced as it shows each of the three friends' varying perspectives that accompany their different roles in their attempt to discover what happened to Katie. As one who is easily annoyed by the media's intrusion and efforts to "scoop" a story, I was intrigued by Cassidy's perspective as she pounded the pavement only to be faced with the possibility of the story being ripped out from under her. Allison and Nicole have their own reasons why the case becomes intensely personal for them, and their quest to find Katie and bring the person responsible for her disappearance to justice turns the three dynamic women into a formidable force.

As a side note, I am thrilled to discover this author/commentator, and I am so encouraged to see a bright, intelligent, and articulate individual living out her faith in an intense environment. The back of the book contains the transcript of an interview of Lis Wiesl by Bill O'Reilly, and I especially appreciated this interaction:

Bill O'Reilly: We're living in a society where secularism is combating traditional religion. most Americans are facing that struggle on a regular basis. This important to you, your characters?

Lis Wiehl: Absolutely critical. All three women in the book struggle with issues of what to believe and why. For Allison especially, it's difficult to reconcile a loving God with what she sees everyday at work. For me, my faith is an integral part of who I am, and my own moral compass. As a Christian writing fiction I deal with issues of faith. And I think most Americans can relate to that. (p. 289)

Here's Lis Wiehl herself with a brief peek at the book and its writing:


I highly recommend this book and urge you to grab a copy today. But hurry - it's already #24 on the NYT Bestseller List! You can purchase Face of Betrayal at Amazon, Christian Books, or Barnes & Noble. I'm already looking forward to her next book, Hand of Fate, to be released next spring!

Happy Suspenseful Reading!

View blog reactions