Lucas Blogs About Hope Never Dies

Depicted: a scene which does not appear in the book.

So, what's this book's deal?

Well, Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer is a detective novel pastiche in which former Vice President Joe Biden investigates the death of his friend, an Amtrak conductor on the Acela Express, with a little help from another old friend, that's right, former President Barack Obama. We begin with ol' Uncle Joe in what he calls "a black Irish mood," stewing over a video of Obama parasailing in South Africa, believing that the 44th president would rather hobnob with celebs than play a round of golf with his dorky former VP. Who should turn up in his backyard but Barack himself, and he's got some bad news: Amtrak conductor Finn Donnelly was hit by a train with a baggie of heroin in his pocket and a map to Joe Biden's house at his desk. From there Biden and Obama undertake an ill-advised investigation into Donnelly's death,  while rekindling the bromance which has been the source of countless memes. They frequently duck Steve, Obama's secret service agent, have a few awkward run-ins with an insurance investigator, and, of course, piss off the "by-the-book" Wilmington, DE police captain assigned to the case. I'll just give you the tl;dr right now: it's a boilerplate detective novel but starring Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

I take it that this is a comedy.

Yes, and while it does have its moments, I wouldn't describe it as laugh-out-loud funny. More often the jokes draw a knowing smirk or a soft chuckle. I might even go so far as to say that the premise itself is funnier than anything in the novel.

That's too bad.

Well, I wouldn't say I was let-down necessarily, but the mystery isn't quite engaging enough to make it worth reading without the comedic elements. Some of the issue is down to timing. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. This story almost seems better suited for a medium other than books.

Like a radio-play or a movie?

Yeah, although if they could get Joe Biden to record this as an audiobook, I'd be all over that. In fact, I'd bet that the person who'd find this funniest is Joe Biden. That aside, some jokes just land better when you can force the audience to experience them at a specific pace. And since everyone reads at their own pace, comedy in books can be hit-or-miss.

So you're saying that someone else might find this book funnier than you did?

Yes. But that's true of any quality of any book.

But that calls into question the value of reviewing books in the first place. I think I need to sit down.

Don't think about it too hard, Hypothetical Reader. Just ask me more questions about Hope Never Dies.

All right. So would you say that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are portrayed realistically?

Hmm. Well–

I swear, if you make some snide comment about not knowing them personally I'll–

They're definitely characterized in a manner consistent with their public personae: Obama is cool, if slightly aloof and standoffish while Biden is avuncular, if somewhat goofy and dorky, and, obviously, a big booster for Delaware and Amtrak. And, of course, since they are both men of a certain age, neither one of them is comfortable talking about their feelings or why they've drifted apart.

So is that a yes?

We'll say it's a yes. Though, I do hope that the real Joe Biden would know better than to sneak in the back of biker gang's bar with out backup. Though I think that's part of the fun of the book. You know, the idea that you've got this gritty detective type of mystery being solved by a former president and vice president. And as I stated before, how much you enjoy the book will probably depend on how funny you find that premise.

So it sounds like the majority of the novel is a near miss.

That's about the long and short of it. As with Meddling Kids, this book falls just shy of fulfilling its story's potential. Though it does have a leg up on Meddling Kids because it doesn't have any annoying writing ticks like—

Please don't remind me.

Oh, right. Anyway, if you're nostalgic for the Obama administration, or if you find the book's premise more inherently hilarious, you'll probably enjoy this book at least a little.

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer, Quirk trade paperback edition, 2018, 301 pages, pairs well with ice cream cones and – what else – hope

Links:

Andrew Shaffer's website, if you're into that kinda thing.

Need another presidential mystery/thriller? Here's the trailer for James Patterson and Bill Clinton's The President is Missing. I'm not endorsing this book, I just wanted to dunk on it a little, so here goes: They billed this book as "The Book Only a President Could Write." HAH! More like, "The Book Only a President Would Want to Read!" OOOOOooooOOOOOoooOOOHHHHH!!!!