"Another provocative, engrossing, fast-action novel by Mark LaFlamme! Greed, deceit, unscrupulous politicians, a stolen corpse, and a tragically sympathetic protagonist blend together to deliver a winning story you won't be able to put down. The author, also a journalist, ably captures the 'dirt' of American politics of our turbulent times. If you've ever wondered what happens behind the curtains of a presidential election, you must pick this one up!"
- Mayra Calvani, Midwest Book review
"Recommended in red-white-and-blue letters three feet high! Hang onto your campaign buttons as this author takes you on a thrilling ride through the political landscape of a dirt-infested campaign filled with such political shenanigans it will leave you gasping and shaking your head."
- Betty Dravis, author of "1106 Grand Boulevard" and "The Toonies"
""Dirt: An American Campaign" is Waterville author Mark LaFlamme's third novel, a funny, satirical and suspenseful political thriller about a presidential primary campaign where all the candidates arrogantly calculate how to expose and scandalize their opponents and where the media gleefully tries to embarrass everybody. This is an outstanding story that reveals the unsavory reality of high stakes political campaigns and the unscrupulous people who run them."
- Bill Bushnell, Bushnell on Books
"Maine writer Mark LaFlamme always delivers a plot teetering on the cliff-edge of madness. DIRT: An American Campaign is a brilliant road trip to that dark place, blending a thrilling story with keen exploration of human behavior."
- Linda Bulger, Avon, Maine
"Like King, LaFlamme is a tricky writer. He lures you in by seeming ordinary, but there is something residing in his texts, in his characters’ dialogues and inner monologues, that goes beyond that threshold of normalcy and expectations. Before I know it, he’s got me again. This is not an unhappy thing. The pages have to be turned, but this is a pleasure, as the story plays out before me – he’s done all the work. I cannot turn away until finally I reach the end.
This was true of the first LaFlamme book I read, The Pink Room, and remains true of his latest, Dirt. What makes this guy from Lewiston such a crafter of thought-provoking page-turners? I can only guess that it’s this – he is not afraid of hard work. This is a man who spends day and night pounding the crime beat for the Lewiston Sun Journal. Off the news desk, he writes books and short stories, which the rest of us get to read. He is not going to waste our time.
The greater world hasn’t picked up on him yet. He’s still mostly ours at this point, here in the state of Maine."
- Michelle Souliere, Strange Maine
"LaFlamme had me hooked from the first paragraph."
- Ryan James, Budapest, Hungary
"This book is full of twists and turns. I was hooked on page one, and I read this book very quickly. I have never read anything by Mark LaFlamme in the past. I have no idea how this brilliant author slipped by me."
- Ginny, "Mom of 2 Dancers"
"A bizarre chain of events involving a love more powerful than death, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of American politics, are just the tip of the iceberg. If you enjoy delving into human psyche, this book will not disappoint."
