After being discharged from the United States Marine Corps, Stan ends up in Dallas where he intends to finish law school. In the spring of 1976, while attending SMU, he is recruited into the Republican party, elected county chairman, and finds himself helping President Gerald Ford in his campaign against Jimmy Carter. The campaign is marred, however by an untimely FBI investigation into the financial dealings of a major party contributor, Brad Thornton.
The investigation unleashes an avalanche of misfortune beginning with the alleged murder-suicide of Stan's friend, Rob Shepard, his wife Cindy and their three children and culminating in the resignation of two Republican candidates for the 67th District's state representative seat. Stan, who can't believe his best friend could have murdered his family, launches his own personal investigation to clear Rob's name. When the investigation turns up new evidence that threatens members of a powerful Mexican drug cartel, Stan becomes the target of Cartel thugs and hit men. Undaunted by these threats, Stan enlists the help of a resourceful classmate, Paula Waters, and a law professor, Harry Hertel (aka Snake) and undertakes a dangerous mission to extract a key witness held by the Cartel at a Mexican resort.
Still saddled with the responsibly to field a candidate in the 67th District Stan recruits his assistant, Kristina Tenison, for the job. Kristina is reluctant to run as no woman has ever been elected to this office since Reconstruction, but when Stan agrees to be her campaign manager and promises her she'll win, she reluctantly enters the race against the veteran incumbent, Ron Wells. But as the election draws near and she still finds herself lagging in the polls, she wonders if she hasn't made a big mistake and questions Stan's continued assurances that she'll win.
Industry Reviews
Disillusioned: A Stan Turner Mystery William Manchee Top Publications (2010) ISBN 9781929976669 Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (08/10)
Stan Turner is one busy man. He has a wife and four young children. He serves as the chairman of Collin County, attends law school at night, sells life insurance to help pay the bills, and acts as the campaign manager for the Republican candidate for state representative. Even with all of that on his plate, he still vows to clear his friend who has been implicated in a murder-suicide. Although he has no law enforcement background, the police work closely with Stan. However, someone seems to anticipate their every move, leaving Stan and the police to wonder if it is merely a coincidence or if someone is leaking information about their investigation. Set in the 1970s, "Disillusioned" revolves around the presidential race between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford and the ramifications that race could provide for the Republican Party. In addition to the politics and political scandals, there are subplots including a money laundering venture, a drug cartel, and many suspicious characters with skeletons in the closet. The storyline is good but I was somewhat disappointed with the use of the detective story cliche in which citizens who have no background in law enforcement or investigation are portrayed as more competent than the police. The characters in this book are rather diverse. Stan is flirtatious, idealistic, and a little too daring for his own good. He sees the good qualities in people and is extremely loyal. His wife Rebekah, on the other hand, is insecure and expects Stan to think only about the best interests of her and their children and to not get involved in other people's problems. Kristina Tenison is a young and beautiful politician whose value is rising within the Republican Party. Through some lucky breaks, she has been given the opportunity to run for a seat as a state representative of Texas. Or was something besides luck involved? "Disillusioned" is volume nine of the Stan Turner mystery series. It is written for an adult audience. There is plenty of action for readers who like a thriller. But there are also emotional scenes for those who like empathizing with the characters.
