Born to Run    by James Grippando Order:  USA  Can Harper, 2008 (2008) Hardcover, CD Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Jack Swyteck's father Harry was once governor of Florida. Harry and Jack have had their differences through the years, but have recently patched up their squabbles. When Harry asks for help, Jack readily agrees. Harry's friend, the U.S. Vice President dies in an alligator swamp when hunting, and Harry questions the heart attack given for the cause of death. The president wants Harry to be Vice President and Harry asks Jack to be his lawyer. Suddenly, Jack finds himself in the middle of a complicated fifty year old mystery. Jack reunites with an old girl friend with whom he shares his aversion to turning forty (forty sounds pretty good to me!) Anyway, the action escalates around about here and Jack is confronted with a Greek with a reason to be on the run. And a secret that apparently involves the president. Jack is taken hostage as breath-stopping suspense builds, and it's revealed that the secret hanging over the president could take down the administration. Born to Run is James Grippando's fifteenth novel. He is a master, whose suspenseful novels are a step above most others. He has picked an interesting premise here, one that makes readers wonder if they really know their politicians and what makes them tick. What is truly scary about this book is how close to reality it might be. After all, politicians are people first, who then take up the mantle of public service. Not all can be motivated by the desire to spend their lives for the public good. Some self-serving moves surely linger in the backs of the minds of leaders of the most powerful nation in the world. Born to Run - which takes this notion and runs a marathon with it - is well worth the read and highly recommended. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews