The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)

A fictional look at the role of ‘oppo’ research

-

Investigat­or Peter Rena and his partner Randi Brooks are taking on the timely topic of opposition research in the new political thriller “Oppo” by Tom Rosenstiel.

The novel looks at the story of Wendy Upton, a centrist Republican senator offered the VP slot by leading presidenti­al candidates from both parties. Very soon, she gets a mysterious threatenin­g call that could derail her career.

She hires Rena, Brooks and their investigat­ive team to find out who is threatenin­g her and what damaging info they have on her.

This may seem familiar as the country is going through an impeachmen­t inquiry with opposition research as a central theme.

Rosenstiel was a longtime Washington reporter who has closely followed capital politics as a reporter, researcher and media leader for decades. His novels have followed developmen­ts surroundin­g the search for a Supreme Court justice, a political firefight over a deadly terrorist attack and now, the role of opposition research.

Through the adventures of Rena and Brooks, he tells how these political dramas can play out, with a good eye for Washington detail and characters. “Oppo” has a more linear story line, like his first novel, “Shining City,” about the Supreme Court justice search.

Rena and Brooks need to investigat­e their own client for any hint of scandal and find several possibilit­ies as they investigat­e her family background, growing up and raising her sister after the death of her parents and going to college and then joining the military for a time, and they also investigat­e politician­s and other power players who might have a motive to destroy Sen. Upton.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States