Andrew Shaffer: Hope Never Dies (Paperback, 2019)
perfect paperback
Published June 7, 2019
"Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, "Amtrak Joe" re-teams with the only man he's ever fully trusted--the 44th president of the United States. Together they'll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America's opioid epidemic. Part noir thriller and part bromance novel, Hope Never Dies is essentially the first published work of Obama/Biden fanfiction--and a cathartic read for anyone distressed by the current state of affairs."--Amazon.com.
What happens when you take the cerebral Barack Obama and impulsive Joe Biden from the popular chain of memes and thrust them into a murder mystery involving trains, drugs, muscle cars, and bike gangs? A brilliant, hilarious, and endearing book. If you enjoyed the Big Lebowski and the bromance of previous administration then this is the book for you.
Did you say Obama and Biden crime mystery? Sign me up! Hope Never Dies is pure fan fiction, following a retired Joe Biden as he comes to grips with life after vice presidency. It's been over six months since he left the White House and he's no longer in receipt of a Secret Service detail. It feels like every day the news is full of Obama and his shiny new celeb friends. Has Joe been forgotten?
An Amtrak conductor is killed on the tracks and in his belongings is a map with Joe's house marked on it. They knew each other from when he used to take the train into Washington DC. Obama gives his old partner a visit to advise him to hire some private security. They agree to tell the police that the Secret Service are looking into it to keep Joe's name out the papers. But Joe …
Did you say Obama and Biden crime mystery? Sign me up! Hope Never Dies is pure fan fiction, following a retired Joe Biden as he comes to grips with life after vice presidency. It's been over six months since he left the White House and he's no longer in receipt of a Secret Service detail. It feels like every day the news is full of Obama and his shiny new celeb friends. Has Joe been forgotten?
An Amtrak conductor is killed on the tracks and in his belongings is a map with Joe's house marked on it. They knew each other from when he used to take the train into Washington DC. Obama gives his old partner a visit to advise him to hire some private security. They agree to tell the police that the Secret Service are looking into it to keep Joe's name out the papers. But Joe can't leave it be, he needs to uncover the truth.
Barack and Secret Service Steve, keep coming to Joe's rescue and eventually they team up, much to Steve's disapproval. They will just have to give him the slip. There's seedy motels, biker gangs, and one dodgy knee. It's silly and fun, even if the mystery element isn't anything amazing. I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
There's plenty of little jabs at the current administration too. I liked how it didn't gloss over Joe's age, he can't just charge around like a young man and he spends half the book with a knee injury after falling over. Some of the jokes were a bit cringey, but I also chuckled in places. I'd probably read another one if Andrew Shaffer were to write another.
