Tucker Daniels is looking forward to retiring from the U.S. Secret Service in 10 weeks on inauguration day, but then the outgoing president gives him an off-the-books assignment that puts his life and those of his fiance and son in mortal danger.
Tucker Daniels was looking forward to retiring from the U.S. Secret Service until the day when out-going President Edwin Palmer charged him with investigating whether the son of the president elect was telling the truth when he alleged his father planned to betray the U.S. to the Chinese. Making Daniels’ assignment even more difficult, the young man is killed in a solo car accident on his way to the White House supposedly bringing proof of his father’s duplicity.
As he begins to investigate, Daniels finds an ally in the young man’s fiancé. Working together they run up against one roadblock after another until Daniels concedes he needs the computer talents of the son who hasn’t spoken to him in years. With his son finally on board and time running out, they get the break they need. They find out how and why Ethan died, but as they are about to disclose the truth, Daniels’ fiancé is kidnapped with the threat the investigation must stop or else she dies.
As inauguration day dawns, the conspirators are about to win, and to eliminate loose ends, they plan to kill Daniels and his team. Daniels has one chance to stop the swearing in ceremony and prevent a traitor from becoming president. It may cost him his life, but as a former marine and veteran Secret Service agent, that’s a risk he’s willing to take.
Inauguration Day is a story of one man’s courage in a world of where betrayal seems the easiest course.
Excerpt
Headquarters of the United States Secret Service
“Yes!” Tucker Daniels said to himself, pumping his arm like a golfer dropping a putt.
His retirement papers had come through. The official date was ten weeks away––January 22––the day Henry Garvin would be inaugurated President of the United States. That meant he could book a flight to Hawaii. Retiring and getting married the same week! Big steps, but after twenty plus years with the Secret Service and sixteen before that in the Marines, he felt he’d done his duty to his country and deserved a heaping portion of R and R.
There was a second item in his mail box that he hadn’t noticed at first. He was more than a little surprised when he opened the envelope and discovered outgoing President Edwin Palmer had requested he be agent–in-charge of the team that would be accompanying him to his Nebraska farm over the coming weekend. He’d not been given a Presidential Protective Division assignment since being promoted to a management position in the investigations division a decade ago.
That evening he apologized to Maureen while packing. “Instead of a quiet ten weeks, it looks like they’re going to give me assignments no one else wants.”
She was sitting on his bed, a wine glass in her hands, probably unaware how sexy she looked in her Washington Commanders t-shirt. “That’s not very nice of them.”
“But,” he said, zipping up his overnight bag, “in ten weeks, they won’t have Tucker Daniels to pick on.”
Professional Reviews
Couldn't Put It Down!
If you like psychological thrillers, this is a book you have to read. But, I must warn you, you won't be able to put it down until you turn the last page!
Tucker Daniels a well-seasoned secret agent and, about to retire. Ten weeks before he can marry his girlfriend and fly off to gorgeous Hawaii. Ten weeks! Then he got a note from the president requesting him to be agent in charge of the team accompanying him to his farm in Nebraska. Well, what's so hard about that for a seasoned secret service agent? He was ready to retire, relax that's all he wanted to do but, he wanted to help the President one last time. Tucker wondered what is going to happen. What does the President want? is Tucker going to be able to retire? Was the President going to delay Tucker's big plans? Well, I'm not telling you! LOL. You'll have to read the book yourself.
I wanted to begin my review by showing you the Mastery with which the author grabs you from the very beginning and does not let you go until the very end. A book that manipulates your mind. You just can't put this book down. It has so many characters you'll meet, some you will like, and others who will terrify you! The characters do their part in keeping you hooked to the book. Twists and turns through the the entire book, so you'll see what's coming...or will you? Enjoyable, easy reading, but you won't relax until the very last page, when things will be revealed. A shocker for sure. Buy this book, you have got to read it!
Very highly recommended.
A Presidential thriller
I thought the main character of soon to be retired Secret Service Agent Tucker Daniels, was written an absolute treat. And, before you groan, it's not one of those just two weeks from retirement cop-type things. He doesn't go out on 'just one more mission' with a colleague and buy the farm, etc. Nope. More that he’s got another life he's looking forward to, and that needs thinking about and planning for and shows his plate is already full. What I mean is, there's a refreshing realism and down to earthiness about Tucker, and pretty much all the characters. This is how you and I would be under such circumstances. He is a decent, likeable kinda guy, though he is high up in the Secret Service, he still gives the impression of being out of his depth, in a good way. He doesn't go all film-star, inner resources, didn't know he could do all this sort of thing unrealistic on us. He's a normal guy being thrown into a terrible situation.
That curve ball, is handed to him by the book's soon to be ex-President Palmer. It's interesting that the book is written to circumnavigate the orange idiot as President. Obama is/was real, but he was the guy before 'our' President Palmer. But, for those of us who thought Obama was The Man, Palmer seems cut from the same cloth. Yes, I can go along with Tucker being given the job by the President and told to keep quiet about it. It sure made things interesting with regard to how he can get help, and not least, how he avoids his fiancé finding out. That alone, had me quaking in my boots for him.
The feeling of getting nowhere in the investigation for quite a while is put over well. Frustrating for us to, if you're looking for quick answers. But they only happen in 50 minute (allowing for adverts) tv series, eh? He doesn’t have a plan, because there isn't one to be had. He's just bouncing from one setback to another. So, it's all going along nowhere quietly enough, with maybe a hint of a breakthrough here and there - then it all falls apart. Spectacularly. Kidnapping, death, death threats, blackmail, hidden movers and shakers. Things spiralling dramatically out of control. A(n appropriate) hurricane of dreadful deadly events. Our man is in the centre seemingly unable to do anything about it, except watch it all swirl around him.
Where it could be better, is being sharper. There's a lot of waiting for the next event built in, but not exploited to, I don't know, reveal something about the character. It's handled in a 'this happened, then we waited, then this happened' kind of way.
“He’d have to wait until Trey got home from work. The next five hours passed like people sick of winter wait for a sign of buds on the trees in their backyards. At six-thirty he dialled his son’s home number.”
That’s how it’s laid out too. Surely there should be some sort of a break, a line break, even, or a form of words to cover the period?
But that is about all that made me hesitate here and there.
The cover could do with being changed, it's just a bit too normal. It's a holiday snap, not a thriller book cover. Looking at PGP's other works, the typeface is consistent, but he's made it hard on himself by choosing an expanded face, and a long word in the title. After all, where are the video screens? You'll know when you read it, when you've got your breath back...
Wow! What an amazing book...I literally couldn't put it down.
Tucker Daniels is a Secret Service agent a couple months away from retirement and looking forward to his upcoming marriage, when he is asked by the sitting president of the United States to take an off-the-books assignment. The incoming president-elect's son has been killed in a single car accident while on his way to the White House to provide documents to the president regarding his father and the matter needs to be investigated. Unfortunately, since the investigation is off-the-books, Daniels can't use any of the normal channels, such as, the police department, FBI, etc... To make matters worse, the investigation needs to be completed prior to the upcoming inauguration day of the president-elect.
'Inauguration Day' has as many twists and turns as a roller-coaster. The character's descriptions are great! The strong characters add to the story line and the sub-plots of the story make for a strong plot. This is, most definitely, a real page-turner that leaves the reader on the edge of their seats. As I mentioned in the beginning, I could not put it down. This is my first book by Peter G. Pollak that I've read, but I look forward to reading additional works of his.
I highly recommend 'Inauguration Day.'
Shades of "Designated Survivor," this one appears to be quite thrilling, and quite realistic. I especially liked the second professional review (unfortunately, without the name or credentials of the reviewer).
While I probably won't get time to read it, I commend you for writing something that is more realistic and less fanciful to the point of ridiculous that I often find in these kinds of stories.
Jason Chase, a man filled with personal demons, only wanted to finish his manuscript. But all his carefully laid plans disappear when a stranger showed up at his front door claiming to be his long-lost father.
Book 3 continues the Commander and the Chief's adventures in political intrigue, superstition, old feuds, and the search of Nikola Tesla's missing papers in this Close Encounter of the Weird Kind.
Her grandma always said she had “the blessing”, and to always use it for good, but sometimes there is shame in fame if a person can’t handle it. Don’t let the Boo Hag ride ya
