In this first novel by a CNN political correspondent, a D.C. consultant lands herself in the middle of a high-profile scandal while spinning the case of the century

Kate Boothe is sitting pretty in Rome, drinking good wine, enjoying the company of the most handsome man in the world, and trying to take a well-deserved breather from her work as a political consultant. Then her business partner, Jack Vanzetti, flies out to tell her that someone has been selling military secrets to the Chinese, and that her least-favorite ex, muckraking reporter Lyle Gold, has been fingered as the guilty party. With the country in a state of patriotic panic, nobody is willing to take Lyle’s side; by stepping into the breach, Vanzetti & Boothe could finally have the big win they need in order to consult on a presidential campaign.

Kate is more interested, however, in the question of Lyle’s innocence: while she’s willing to believe him capable of many offenses— he dumped her, after all—treason seems out of character. And since the political climate demands that someone hang, perhaps literally, she decides to come to Lyle’s defense. But she quickly discovers that she’ll make no friends by investigating the complicated intrigues of the military/political elite, and finds that the stakes are higher than even she had realized.

As sharp and irreverent as its heroine—a woman who’s willing to take on the fight of her life armed only with brains, charm, and a couple of bottles of champagne—The Latest Bombshell is a witty, savvy debut.