On a stretch of I-75 that passes through the Everglades, twenty-three-year-old Department of Justice Investigator, Andie Moore, makes the fateful decision to follow a group of criminals into the swamp. In the reptile-infested area called ALLIGATOR ALLEY, Andie realizes too late that she’s in big trouble in this sixteenth Joe DeMarco thriller.

The next day, Andie’s body is found at a nearby rest stop. She was shot twice in the chest. Andie’s boss, Henry Cantor, contacts Joe DeMarco’s boss and sets into motion an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Andie’s death. As a DOJ investigator, Andie had been reviewing a $15 million-dollar Medicare fraud case, where two FBI agents bungled the case so badly, it never went to trial. The agents, McIntyre & McGruder, are waiting out the days until they can retire and fish. Lazy and incompetent, the two agents are hiding something about their work on the Medicare fraud case. Was Andie getting too close to the truth? Joe DeMarco, who’s a fixer for a corrupt politician, is paired with Emma, a former Defense Intelligence Agent who knows how to get things done. As the two head to Alligator Alley to retrace Andie’s steps and to investigate the two agents, it’s not long before they realize there is a third party involved and this person will do whatever it takes to cover their tracks.

ALLIGATOR ALLEY, the latest Joe DeMarco thriller, is smart, concise, and excellently written. The action starts early and the plot unfolds efficiently, leading readers on an investigation involving corrupt FBI agents, dirty politics, fraud, and greed. Joe knows his limits and Emma is a no-nonsense, resourceful character. Together, they make a formidable team. The players are sufficiently developed to drive the story where it needs to go without being overly superfluous. The ending is well thought out and provides a satisfying conclusion. I found the writing style highly appealing. This author knows how to tell a good story and not waste a reader’s time. As a new reader to this series, I found ALLIGATOR ALLEY to be an entertaining and excellent thriller rooted in politics and government organizations. I will definitely seek out previous titles in the series.

Book Summary