Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Betrayals: A Jack Del Rio Thriller is a political thriller written by Richard Paolinelli. The inauguration of President-Elect William Arthur and Vice-President Norman Cashman was soon to take place, and Jack Del Rio, Baker Collins' top agent in the FBI domestic anti-terrorism division, and Secret Service head Jeremy Doyle's team had been working on the security aspects of the event for over two months now. As Collins and Baker watched the dress rehearsal, they believed every security aspect and avenue of egress had been covered. The presidential stand-ins were surrounded by alert Secret Service personnel who vigilantly scanned the environs for threats. No one noticed when one agent drew his SIG Sauer, and easily dispatched Arthur, Cashman and their wives. He then turned his attention to dispatching the remaining Secret Service detail and took advantage of the ensuing chaos to disappear into the crowd. The furious Secret Service chief was still shouting for his agents to get the perpetrator when he too was struck in the head -- by a paintball. Calmly sitting not that far from the outraged Doyle was Jack Del Rio, who was clearly amused by the furor he had caused. Doyle had disparaged much of Del Rio's insights and input in the two months leading up to the inauguration, and his resentment at having the FBI's "Golden Boy" work with his team had been clearly expressed throughout the exercise. Now Del Rio’s value had been clearly revealed, and his temporary assignment to the President-Elect's protection detail meant he had a lot to do within the next twenty-four hours.

Richard Paolinelli's thriller novel, Betrayals: A Jack Del Rio Thriller, blends elements of politics with history in this riveting tale of the prelude to the inauguration of a president-elect. While this is not the first novel in this series, the author gives the new reader enough background to allow this story as a stand-alone. That said, I'd strongly recommend reading Reservations: A Jack Del Rio Thriller as well, not only because it's a marvelous read, but to get more insights into Jack Del Rio. Paolinelli's agent extraordinaire is a complex and multifaceted character whose thought processes are a delight to follow. I especially enjoyed the Cold War-era historical aspects of this political thriller as sleeper agents seeded in the USA during the 1950s set out to change the future of the nation. Betrayals: A Jack Del Rio Thriller is fast-paced and filled with the twists and turns that make a book of this genre work so well. It's most highly recommended.