The Second Perimeter - Tapa dura

The dazzling sequel to The Inside Ring finds Joe DeMarco, the Speaker of the House’s all-purpose “fixer” in a battle of wits against a lethal female spy.

When the Secretary of the Navy’s nephew says he believes that two colleagues at a U.S. naval base may be committing fraud, his uncle is skeptical. Reluctant to launch an official investigation based on a relative’s vague suspicions, the secretary asks House Speaker, John Mahoney, to send his troubleshooter, DeMarco, to check out the story. As DeMarco and his friend Emma, a retired DIA agent, began to investigate what they thought was a low-stakes government swindle, they come to the terrifying realization that an espionage ring has infiltrated the naval base.

The leader of the espionage cell is a woman with whom Emma has a history that goes back to the cold war. Their encounter destroyed the woman’s once promising career and turned her into a ruthless operative who cares about only one thing: destroying Emma, the person responsible for her shame, dishonor, and shattered life. DeMarco has never been near a spy in his life—at least not that he knew of—and now he’s dealing with a foreign agent who is more deadly than anyone he’s ever encountered.

MIKE LAWSON served for years as a senior civilian executive for the United States Navy. He is the author of The Inside Ring and lives in the Pacific Northwest. The author can be contacted at his Web site: www.mikelawsonbooks.com.