Running Mates

March 2, 1992
In this entertaining fiction debut, journalist Feinstein ( Hard Courts ) displays a gritty knowledge of the political scene. When Washington Herald reporter Bobby Kelleher investigates the assassination of Maryland governor Barney Paulsen, he initially wonders whether Jamelle Touretta, leader of the radical Females for Freedom, may have engineered the murder so that a woman, Lt. Gov. Meredith Gordy, could take power. But then Kelleher discovers that right-wing whacko Jimmy Dumont was also present at the scene of the shooting. Kelleher locates Dumont, whom he had known during their college days, but is nearly killed in the confrontation. Soon after, Dumont, who is connected to an extreme pro-life group, is reported dead. Urged by his publishers to keep ahead of the competition, Kelleher is aided by his young partner Maureen McGuire and by Gordy, who is worried by her top aide's friendship with Touretta. Kelleher finally links the feminist leader with Dumont, although ferreting out proof of the alliance of feminists and pro-lifers often puts him in mortal danger. A strong, surprising resolution caps this thriller that delivers on its promise despite its protagonist's occasionally larger-than-life heroism and incredible luck.

March 15, 1992
In sportswriter Feinstein's mystery debut, reporter Bobby Kelleher struggles to discover just who is running with whom. The assassination of Governor Barney Paulsen moves Lieutenant Governor Meredith Gordy, a charismatic feminist, into the Maryland governor's mansion and the national spotlight. Evidence points to an (improbable) feminist group that has been known to seduce and blackmail politicians. Kelleher, however, recognizes one of the shooters as a college classmate with a history of radical right activity. With partner Maureen McGuire, the reporter squeezes sources and scoops and is scooped by media rivals while pursuing Paulsen's killers down byways of love and death. Sports-nut fans of Feinstein's articles for the "Washington Post" and "Sports Illustrated" or his top-selling books, such as "A Season on the Brink", will find Kelleher a kindred spirit who can spare a few minutes between deadlines and narrow escapes for the double overtime finish of a Maryland-Virginia basketball game. The focus here, however, is politics and the media, nonathletic arenas Feinstein understands and describes entertainingly. Though elements of the plot strain credulity, "Running Mates"' likable characters, energetic pace, and clever misdirection will leave readers looking forward to the next entry in the planned Kelleher series. ((Reviewed Mar. 15, 1992))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1992, American Library Association.)