The Sunday Macaroni Club was founded before their political party "discovered secondary education." The head cook is 75-year-old ex-US Senator Augie Sangiamino. Augie's formal public service ended when the FBI brought down his financial empire. Innovative at the very least, Augie was greasing his well-oiled machine with stolen money from many sources. After a stint at the Federal Penitentiary, Augie returned to his beloved Philadelphia and opened a "consulting business." This gives expediter for hire a new meaning.

Sidekick Joey Tartaglione is his bagman, driver and chief enforcer. The Club meets every Sunday for lunch. Other members include Lou Canuso, Democratic City Committee Boss, State Representative William "Ham" Flaherty and Judge Izzy Weiner.

As the book opens, Ham and Izzy are up for election in six weeks and both are trailing badly in the polls. These dinosaurs of the old political machine are wily and successful in spite of themselves as they mastermind a network of petty corruption. It would, however, be naïve to conclude that in this instance "hack" means non-threatening or safe.

Prosecutor Lisa Savitch and former FBI man Mike Muldoon lead the Good Guys. Lisa fled from Boston when her former fiancé so publicly embarrassed her that she could no longer function effectively. You have to really like Lisa, a fitness freak who chain-smokes while she jogs! Her tough-minded boss Kevinne McGinns intends to pave her road to the Governor's Office by jailing the Sunday Macaroni Club.

McGinns has persuaded Mike to come out of retirement and assist Lisa in that endeavor. Mike knows Augie well, having been instrumental in the investigation that jailed him the first time. They convene a Grand Jury investigation and the chase is on!

This age-old plot evolves in a predictable fashion. However, the factors elevating this book above an average read are the wonderfully funny characters and the light merriment one finds on every page. It is a dangerous challenge to cloak a thriller in levity, but Lopez meets it.

--Thea Davis