
"A flat-out great read with the spirit of a propulsive, character-driven 1970s movie.... Mr. Lynch pairs unlikely antagonists: an old-school political fixer blessed with immense charm, and an overeager newspaperwoman whose research, done in 2001, has the power to destroy him. They never behave predictably, and their showdown lingers long after Mr. Lynch's story is over." --Janet Maslin's 10 Favorite Books of 2012, The New York Times
"A terrific two-track novel that alternates between--and unites--the story of Seattle in 1962, just as the Space Needle is reaching the sky, and the city's post-dot-com gloom in 2001. The book is beautifully plotted, textured, and paced." --Thomas Mallon, The Washingtonian "A rich and engaging tale, with complex characters and a plot seamlessly interwoven with the history of Seattle [and] also the topics of ambition, corruption, the Cold War, and big-time newspaper journalism on the wane. The protagonists are a flawed and likeable pair that grudgingly admire each other, and the truth turns out to be elusive, often obscured by the clouds of memory and the need to sell newspapers. Anyone interested in the city, political intrigue stories, or just plan good writing should enjoy this book." --Nancy Fontaine, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer "This serious but charming rather old-fashioned sort of book about complicated folks in the midst of life's struggles is just big enough to embrace a number of important themes and topics - the making of the fair, the rise and fall of big city journalism, local politics, the details of history - and just small enough to make all of this quite intimate and engaging." --Alan Cheuse, NPR "A tremendously entertaining yet serious political novel... As with any fine work of art, it's hard to divine just why this novel works so well. And, as with such art, there's a lot more going on than appears on the surface. I dislike terms like 'instant classic' but this comes awfully close." --Richard Sherbaniuk, The Edmonton Journal