Shawn Stewart Ruff

Inspired by the William Jefferson Clinton White House scandals, a pulpy page-turner of tabloid intrigue.

The steady rise and stunning fall of a wealthy Cincinnati family is brought to life at the height of Monica Lewinsky scandal. Self-made businessman Griffin Jewells Saunders II is a handsome black embodiment of the American dream. A lucrative business alliance with his Clinton cabinet-appointed half-brother easily ensnares in the Republican attack machine. Griffin’s frantic efforts to evade imprisonment and public shame push both him and his family to the brink: his attention-desperate bisexual teen son becomes the unwitting victim of a gay pornography ring; his local celebrity self-absorbed wife plots to use a blackmail scheme to catapult to the national stage.

GJS II twists and spirals, in prose by turns lyrical and coarse with political incorrectness. At times, it's hard to know whom to root for, but the read is always riveting.