The Asset is a cerebral and simmering political-espionage thriller that’ll shock you with how dark and disturbing it progressively gets until the shocking finale.
Political researcher and savvy investigator Joe DeMarco can dig up dirt in the cleanest of corners. So it’s a no-brainer for the former Speaker of the House to enlist his services in verifying the news that Lydia Chang, the wife of one of his biggest rivals, might be working undercover as a Chinese agent. Not wanting to overplay his hand, the Speaker needs concrete proof and DeMarco is put on the job. Not only does DeMarco have to outsmart the intelligence agencies acting aggressively in their goal to corrupt the American government, but also the source of the intelligence who may have some very unsettling secrets of her own.
Lawson creates palpable tension in his narrative with a supreme emphasis on realistic tradecraft and scenarios where outthinking your opponent for a win-win scenario is more interesting than any kinetic and guns-blazing situation. The lack of traditional action opens the door to old-school intelligence gathering and intense banter between characters, all in various shades of grayscale moralities, that benefit this narrative immensely. Every dialogue and exchange adds to the unraveling of the major plot secret by secret until the last shoe drops and a race to the finish line ensues to find out the fates of the characters.
The Asset is an exciting old-school thriller with lots of political intrigue and sleuthing that takes you back to the classic detective tales.
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