‘The 51st Directive’ a deft political thriller – Biblio File

FBI agent Erica Brewer is a wise-cracking, drop-dead gorgeous 31-year-old blue-eyed brunette divorcee who uncovers a plot to take over the U.S. government — from within. The tale that unfolds is a deftly crafted political techno-thriller that will have readers turning pages late into the night.

“The 51st Directive” ($9.99 in paperback, self-published; also for Amazon Kindle), by Chico writer (and photographer) Michael Agliolo, takes its title from an actual document. As Agliolo notes, it’s a “Presidential Directive which claims power to execute procedures for the continuity of the federal government in the event of a ‘catastrophic emergency.’”

In the novel, the unnamed President of the U.S., along with his associate, four-star general Raymond Wallace, hatch a brazen scheme to get rid of congressional liberals, never mind the cost.

“The writing was on the wall,” Anliolo wrote. “The left was gaining momentum. The nation was reversing course, turning away from the ultra-conservative direction the President had imposed the previous year.”