Senator Grant Lawrence is, so everyone agrees, the next Kennedy. And with a bid for the presidency sure to be in his future, his political career faces the kind of threat that could end it all when his children’s nanny and his ex-stripper girlfriend are murdered in his Florida home.

But, because a faithful aid stumbling on the scene sought to protect his boss by removing the ex-girlfriend’s body, Tampa homicide detective Karen Sweeney doesn’t realize that the two murders are connected. What possible connection could a beautiful young woman found murdered in an alley have to a handsome and wealthy Senator? (I know, I know. You don’t have to answer that question.)

As the reader quickly realizes, Grant is a good guy whose current passion is shepherding through Congress environmental legislation that threatens some decidedly not-so-good special interest groups. But the secret he’s keeping from the police about the young woman and his connection to her is a big, big one and would, no doubt, spell instant ruin to his career.

Not surprisingly, despite the fact that Grant is in the midst of grieving for the nanny who was a surrogate mother to him in his childhood and who was dearly loved by his two daughters, sparks fly between Grant and Karen. And when it begins to appear that the murder could be connected to Grant’s controversial environmental efforts, Karen is sent to Washington to continue her homicide investigation.

While not the most creative or intricately plotted romantic suspense novel I’ve ever read, With Malice earns a qualified recommendation. Grant and Karen are likable, and though it’s hard to believe anyone could fall in love in the midst of the first stages of grief, author Lee succeeds in creating a credible developing relationship between the two. And, hey, if you had a thing for John Kennedy, Jr. as I did, you’re going to like Grant.

I bought Grant’s character as a basically moral man and a loving father and thought that his hesitancy in getting involved with Karen rang true. (Yep, there’s no question those tabloids are a pain in the butt.) I have to say that I also liked Karen’s uber-competency at her job. She’s smart, she knows what she’s doing, and she’s not squeamish about things that would decimate most of us. Still, it never quite made sense to me that Grant would keep his aide’s secret and not reveal that the body was moved from his home. It seems to me that the revelation of a murder cover-up would be far more damaging politically than simply the fact that he dated an ex-stripper, but then politicos have made the cover-up mistake for years.

I have to come clean on one point. I live in Washington, D.C. and, because I’m hyper-sensitive to author errors when writing about my city, I’m careful to pick books for review that don’t take place here. In selecting this one, I was under the impression that Tampa was the location for the majority of the action. But, with that said, I’m happy to report that Rachel Lee does a good job (far better than most) of portraying D.C. accurately. There is, however, one major exception that – in the interest of Tourist Protection – I feel I have to set straight. Grant finds himself on the Metro (our super-wonderful subway system) and a local woman helpfully informs him that getting around Washington is easy once you understand that “north-south streets are letters. East-west streets are numbers, increasing as you move away from the Capitol. State-named streets are diagonals.” Now, I have to tell you that if you follow those directions, you’ll find yourself in a heap o’trouble real fast because the exact opposite is true. North-south streets are numbers, east-west streets are letters, and, while theoretically it’s correct that state streets are diagonals, Pierre L’Enfant clearly had a lively sense of humor because Connecticut Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, and Georgia Avenue are primary north-south routes in the city.

Another small problem for me is one that’s come up before in discussions at AAR about books with political settings and characters. I know it must be difficult for an author to keep her own perspective out of things, but With Malice does contain what I saw as a potshot at Bill Clinton. I don’t agree with Ms. Lee’s obvious feelings about our former president and the statement definitely pulled me out of the story.

All in all, though, With Malice is a romantic suspense novel worthy of your time. But one word of advice: If you’re ever lost in D.C., buy a map, get a guidebook, and make certain to wipe from your mind forever Ms. Lee’s “easy” guide to getting around the city.