cover image The Sentinel

The Sentinel

Gerald Petievich. Berkley Publishing Group, $7.99 (372pp) ISBN 978-0-425-18879-8

Former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich (Money Men) describes the daily grind of protecting the President with meticulous care in The Sentinel. Unfortunately, his plot isn't quite as credible. Special Agent Pete Garrison suspects that the neo-Nazi Aryan Disciples have positioned one of their own in the White House, but his investigation is cut short by a blackmailer who knows of his affair with the First Lady and tries to frame him for murder. Though he is officially relieved of his duties, Garrison doesn't stop trying to prove his innocence and save the president's life. Relying on heavy dialogue, Petievich glosses over many details in an effort to keep the action hopping. Although the book's one plot thread is compelling, the story would have benefited from greater dimension.