No Way to Treat a First Lady (#184) reached out from the shelf and grabbed me as I was walking through the library. It's a political satire that Christopher Buckley wrote ten years ago, but is just as relevant and fun today as it was when it was first published.
Ken MacMann, the womanizing President of the United States, has been found dead in bed next to the First Lady by one of the White House maids. It would have been considered just a tragic health issue if it weren't for the impression on the President's forehead that clearly spells out "Revere" which just happens to exactly match the maker's mark on the antique silver spittoon kept in the presidential bedroom. It doesn't take long for the unpopular Beth MacMann to be accused of her husband's murder in a domestic dispute. But of course, since he's the President, the ante is upped when she's arrested instead for his assasination.
Beth promptly hires her old law school flame, Boyce "Shameless" Baylor, the winningest defense attorney in the country to represent her. And so the media circus begins with the entire world hanging on every courtroom minute, with endless interviews and analysis. Did she or didn't she? With evidence piling up against Beth, it seems as though Boyce may be about to lose his first case, and there's much speculation that this might be deliberate. But what about the presidential supporter who was sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom that night? Will Shameless live up to his name and pull out all the stops to win this case?
What perfect timing to discover Christopher Buckley! We were visiting relatives in Arlington, Virginia, during our roadtrip, and I happened to be reading this book while we were there. Nothing makes the book seem more real than driving past the White House and judicial buildings with this book in hand. I also found out my niece is a Buckley fan, and we both have plans to read his newest satire just out on Chinese-American relations - They Eat Puppies, Don't They?. Can't wait!
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