Executive Target

 President James Whitcomb is in his third year in office. His chief of staff has decided to begin his reelection campaign by making appearances across the country, speaking directly to the voters, without the filter of the hostile mainstream media. Whitcomb has decreed that one of those appearances will be in Phoenix, AZ. His chief of staff is not surprised.

Meanwhile, the publisher of the New York CHRONICLE, the leading progressive newspaper in the country, has plans of his own. Jake Rosen believes he has come into possession of information about the president that, if true, will enable Rosen to control the White House. However, unknown to the White House and Rosen, a domestic terrorist group, with cells throughout the West, including Phoenix, has also targeted Whitcomb. Their unrelated but concurrent conspiracy seeks to attack Whitcomb and cripple his presidency.

The characters in this political satire, good and bad, many unknown to each other, converge on Phoenix. The president and his staff, once they discover the plots, execute their counterattacks. The final result leaves many losers, but not so many winners.

President James Whitcomb had been a Marine helicopter pilot who was shot down in Iraq. After leaving the service, he attended law school and joined a Wall Street law firm. He was a popular two term New Jersey governor and successfully ran for president when President Trump unexpectedly announced that he would not seek a second term. 

Denis Lenihan is Whitcomb's chief of staff and best friend. He recently determined that Whitcomb should begin his reelection campaign by making a series of "road shows," speaking directly to friendly crowds in the heartland. Whitcomb seconded his chief of staff's idea. His only condition was that Phoenix be one of the road show stops. Lenihan did not bother to argue.

Jake Rosen is making plans of his own. He has obtained information about Whitcomb which, if true, will enable Rosen to control the occupant of the White House. Rosen sees this as an opportunity to remake America, to drag it out of the dark, bottomless pit into which it had fallen with the election of Donald Trump.

Jamal McDaniels is a Special Agent of the United States Secret Service assigned to the Presidential Protection Division. The Secret Service has learned that a little known domestic terrorist organization located in the West, possibly in Phoenix itself, has targeted POTUS. McDaniels has been sent to Phoenix to disrupt the terrorists' conspiracy. But POTUS's visit is in a few short weeks. Will the Secret Service have enough time to complete its mission?

EXECUTIVE TARGET is a modern day political satire. Good guys and bad guys (and gals) operate across the country, seeking to have their side win it all. The action takes place in the White House, the newsroom of a media giant and the desert. The reader will be privy to high-level White House meetings, conspirators' plans and who the winners and losers are in this political roller coaster ride.

Pete Byer is an attorney who is desperately trying to be a retired attorney. He is a former criminal prosecutor who later worked in private practice and in house for Wall Street securities firms.

Byer now writes web content for law firms. EXECUTIVE TARGET is his first novel. It is a political satire that is meant to provoke thought and stimulate conversations, but mostly entertain. Byer lives in northern New Jersey and New Jersey readers will recognize many of the locations mentioned in the book.