“One in the Chamber”: A Political Thriller with a Satirical Bite https://ift.tt/eEO9d1p
When Iowa farm boy Cameron Leann moves to Washington, D.C., and enters the political realm as an intern, Washington’s wealth, nepotism, and hypocrisy overwhelms him. As he struggles daily to adjust to the games played by those in power, he finds himself accepted into a group of staffers who work with a cohort of U.S. senators known as the Gang of Six. The staffers have one thing in common despite their varied backgrounds — they all hate their bosses. As a scandalous revelation threatens the rushed nomination of the first Black chief justice, Cam and his friends find themselves plotting against their bosses, and Election Night promises to hold a rather murderous surprise for everyone. What follows in Robin Peguero’s One in the Chamber is a satirical political thriller that does not shy away from dissecting the personal and professional absurdities that comprise the lives of high-ranking officials and their staffers.
The novel’s main character, Cam, is a bone-chilling character reminiscent of literature and film’s most calculating serial killers, narcissists, and disturbing sociopaths. Unlike the others in his Washington peer group, Cam is a person of action — one who devises the plan and then carries it out. That, along with the eerie way he masks his sadistic tendencies and sexual proclivities, make him psychologically frightening — and the novel’s most memorable persona. His ability to read others and feed on their vulnerabilities and insecurities in order to elevate himself mentally, emotionally, and professionally is redolent of American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. Only, Cam is a new kind of Patrick Bateman — one who rises from poverty’s depths and into Washington’s elite, difficult-to-crack shell. He cannot rely on familial or personal wealth or professional and personal connections in order to guarantee him a successful political future. Instead, he must rely on the connections of others — like Liz Frost and Randy Lancaster (a senator’s wild, drug-abusing, female-exploiting nephew). Thus, as the novel progresses, Cam remains a dislikeable character with few or no redeeming personal qualities. He possesses a strange duality since — as the mastermind of a devious, murderous plot — he becomes a kind of hero for those staffers who have dreamed of revenge on their bosses. This type of psychological twisting and turning is what makes One in the Chamber a multifaceted novel. It is more than just another whodunnit crime novel; it is a careful examination of the human psyche by relying on a cast of diverse characters few other novels dare to include.
Part of One in the Chamber’s charm is its dark humor. Subtly interspersed throughout the book are social media posts where staffers use the hashtag #CapHillSoWhite. #CapHillSoWhite reveals the kinks, the quirks, the racism, and the homophobia rampant among elected officials. Entries include all sorts of scandal-worthy information like “My boss lets his degenerate nepo baby go hog wild during the work day. Junior must have the goods on him.” Other attest to the brutal, dog-eat-dog, backstabbing behavior tolerated — and even perpetuated — by representatives and their staff: “My boss told everyone about my secret disability.” The account, in its revelations about what actually happens inside the U.S. government’s hallowed halls, resembles the real-life X accounts @AngryWHStaffer and @DWS________ [Dear White Staffers].
The chaotic melee portrayed in One in the Chamber is all-too reminiscent of the White House during Trump’s 2016–2020 presidency, which — as Rolling Stone states — was “awash” in drug use. In Peguero’s novel, staffers snort cocaine and engage in mid-afternoon sex and drinking sessions. The chambers and offices where American policies are crafted are not only the places where everyday Americans believe their (s)elected officials are carrying the will of the people but also places where sexual harassment thrives. Female characters like Liz Frost are motivated, highly driven women who have worked excruciatingly long hours to achieve their political dreams. Nonetheless, they are also the objects of senators’ sexual abuse.
Liz Frost, however, is an intriguingly manipulative character in the book — one that is easily detestable. She has a knack for eyeing the right opportunities that will elevate her status and solidify her political future. However, she is also the type of character who understands that while beauty might be only skin deep, it is a tool she can manipulate in order to control those around her. From security guards to senators, Liz woos and wows her way into political throngs and ventures where few staffers have been allowed to enter.
One in the Chamber is boldly gripping, too, in that it does not evade addressing sexual harassment. Toxic masculinity is at the forefront of the novel. From Cam’s father’s criminal and gun-laden past to Randy Lancaster’s continuous objectification of women, the novel dissects and exposes the hurdles women, LGBTQ+ people, and those from immigrant and disenfranchised backgrounds must overcome in order to pursue and maintain successful political careers. In this regard, the novel transforms into a call for a justice and change. It begs individuals to consider not only their own behavior in order to spark effective changes for equality and equity, but it also demands that they hold the representatives they elect to office accountable for theirs.
Robin Peguero’s One in the Chamber is a new kind of political thriller. It is part mystery, part social examination, part satire. Eerily enough, its plotline reads like a scandal straight from the latest political headlines. It examines the zest and zeal of the twentysomethings who possess the drive, the aspirations, and the social media savvy to alter the course of American politics. Smart and vicious, snarky and wild, One in the Chamber is brave and frightening — a call for change in a unique and witty format.
FICTION One in the Chamber By Robin Peguero
Grand Central Publishing
March 26, 2024
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