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A Margin of Error: Ballots of Straw

Lani Massey Brown
The Beacon Bridge (2008)
ISBN 9781439206812
Reviewed by Jeneke Lesak for RebeccasReads (4/09)

“A Margin of Error: Ballots of Straw” by Lani Massey Brown is a modern day suspense thriller about a voting fraud set in Florida.  Cady, the Deputy Supervisor of Elections, is focused on pulling off a trouble-free election.  She is hardworking and honest; she puts her work ethic above anything else. But it doesn’t make things easy when a crazed ex-coworker wreaks havoc by sneaking into the media room posing as a reporter, and then breaks into the system causing major problems with the voting machines, thereby skewing results.  Nor is it helpful for the governor’s spy to have free roam of the office during Election Day, which makes for an interesting case of sexual tension between the two.  To make matters worse, Cady’s right-hand woman is kidnapped.  Will Cady break under the pressure or will she hold strong until the end?

The tension in this book is virtually suffocating.  Being stuck in the office building for half of the book with troubles mounting at every turn, I needed to get out and get some air!  The subject matter is current, exposing very real issues associated with voting machine controversy wrapped up in a great nail-biting suspense, right up to the unexpected ending.  Those who are partial to political suspense will appreciate Brown’s novel. 

I found the storyline of “A Margin of Error” to be appealing, especially having worked at the polls myself.  I will have to say that the writing style is heavy: heavy with tension, heavy with minute detail of every possible aspect of the voting process, and heavy, heavy, heavy with dialogue.  All that talking is somewhat unnecessary, and could be toned down a bit for a smoother read.  And why the censorship of the f-word when every other expletive is allowed, not to mention some very racy material?

“A Margin of Error” is certainly worth taking a look at.  Next time you are at the voting machine, it will make you wonder, “Does this really count…?”  Scary stuff!

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