No Way to Treat a First Lady

January 6, 2003
Matheson brings all the skills one would expect of an experienced actor to Buckley's latest romp. In a story that's equal parts satire and courtroom drama, Buckley (Thank You for Smoking) slings barbs at lawyers, politicos and Washington's social elite. After President Ken MacMann returns from a lusty night in the Lincoln Bedroom with actress Babette Van Anka, his wife, Elizabeth, hurls insults and a priceless Paul Revere spittoon at him. When MacMann is found dead the next morning with the word "Revere" embossed on his forehead, the first lady becomes the prime suspect. Buckley lays his cards openly on the table: one lawyer is nicknamed "Shameless," while another's last name is Crudman. And Matheson captures them all, whether rendering Shameless Baylor's mock indignation at being refused a preposterous motion or evoking the arrogant commentary on a show called Hard Gavel. He also does excellent turns as the flighty, would-be Middle East peace activist Van Anka, a host of other witnesses and the no-nonsense judge who tries to keep the Trial of the Millennium in check. This may not be the year's most substantive audio, but with a plot that seems just crazy enough to be true and a crisp performance by Matheson, it never fails to entertain. Simultaneous release with the Random House hardcover (Forecasts, July 29).

June 1, 2002
In a spoof that bears absolutely no resemblance to real-life characters, First Lady Beth McManus (so ice cool she is dubbed Lady Beth Mac) is charged with the murder of her womanizing husband.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2002
" Forbes FYI" columnist Buckley knows Washington politics and uses them to good effect in this outrageous and witty whodunit. When philandering President Ken MacMann is found dead, his bossy wife, Beth, irreverently dubbed Lady Bethmac by the press, is charged with his murder. To represent her, Beth hires her law school sweetheart Boyce "Shameless" Baylor, known for getting even the most deplorable defendants acquitted. Trouble is, the new White House definitely wants to put Lady Bethmac in her place, and what better way than with a guilty verdict? If all of these characters sound familiar, just wait until you meet the ineffectual VP who succeeds MacMann; the groveling, power-hungry journalists who run with rumors; the plethora of defense attorneys acting as talking heads; and the courtroom judge who just wants to come out of the case not looking like a fool. Thankfully, Boyce and Beth turn out to be adequately likable characters whose personas are more media-made than true to life. A wild romp of silliness and irreverence that's sure to please political junkies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)