Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer

Hope Never Dies re-casts the former president and vice-president as amateur sleuths in a quirky mystery-adventure. He s an honest man in a city of thieves. He has no patience for guff, foolishness, or malarkey. He is United States Vice President Joe Biden. And when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues Amtrak Joe unwittingly finds himself in the role of a private investigator. To crack the case (and uncover a drug-smuggling ring hiding in plain sight), he ll team up with the only man he's ever fully trusted the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama.

I thought that it was great genre work; a wry romp of a fictional Biden in position of an amateur detective or PI. This had parts that made me laugh: Joe likes ice cream (which I believe to be true), Jill likes reading harlequins/bodice rippers (not sure if true, but fun to picture). There's also mention of “Orange Mocha Frappuccinos”, which I can't help but read and hear as it's said in Zoolander, attempts at fist bumps, diners (I thought the Waffle Depot was play on Waffle House, but there might be one in VA), and a high speed chase.

There are a few oblique references to the 45th president such as “Tweeter-in-chief” and at the end of the book it's hinted at that (fictional) Biden considers running again -- which was why there was some tension between him and Obama. Obama wanted to give him space in case he was running, but Biden mistook it as their friendship was fading.

I was so happy when Biden mentions Malcom Gladwell: ‘Getting the legs moving supposedly has a synergistic effect with brain synapses (that's what Malcom Gladwell told me once).'

I thought that the part about "That's what happens when you take a sandal to a stiletto fight" was hilarious.