Herbert Brewer’s Dirty Little Secret is the first in a series of savagely funny, social-adventure novels calculated to appeal to the readership that has made Douglas Adams, John Kennedy Toole, Terry Pratchett and Carl Hiaasen so successful.

When the fictional nation of Amsarnie becomes reluctantly involved in the politics of a foreign war, Prime Minister Dereck Cartright is appalled to discover that his country’s armed forces only really exist as an expenditure statistic.

Under extreme pressure, Dereck conceives a plan to create an army by drafting young men from areas of low, electoral participation.

Claust is a notoriously tough, industrial, desert town with the worst record of political apathy in the country.  Claust matriarch, eighty-three-year-old Jenny Won Baker operates the town’s premier brothel with a passionate, maternal energy. 

Encouraged by the leading citizens, Jenny engineers bizarre scheme to confuse the draft that transports the whole country to the very brink of civil war.

Herbert Brewer’s Dirty Little Secret introduces the wonderful, imaginary country of Amsarnie.  From the outset, the story chases the reader from pub to Parliament, penthouse to police cell and back to the pub.  The  conflicts unfold in all the colors of modern life, experienced through a diverse assortment of sympathetic characters at every level of humor.

In Strange Monkey Sex, the second Amsarnie installment the United Nations have offered Amsarnie’s Prime Minister, Dereck Cartright a sinecure-post in Bangkok that’s just too good to pass.  So Dereck decides to retire from elected politics.

Dereck has a comfortable relationship with Amsarnie’s Army, who organise most of the nation’s crime, and who want their own man to succeed him into office.  The problem is that the Opposition Party are in such disarray, if Dereck announces his resignation, one of his Cabinet will take over and win any election.

So Dereck can’t resign.  He has to lead the Government to ignominious defeat to enable the Army’s candidate, Janey Clickert, to take power as leader of the Opposition Party.

The Army take over and reinvent the Opposition.

Dereck calls a press conference and admits to beating his wife, smoking crack-reefers and being on a bowling team.  The media carve him up.  A few voices point out that bowling isn’t illegal, Dereck was never married and also beg the question, is it even possible to roll crack-cocaine in a reefer?

The public, jaded after so many years of spin are suddenly excited about the issues.  Dereck, unexpectedly, gets the highest ratings in history.

Dereck’s Cabinet distance themselves and make wild claims of their own, with everybody over-playing their own sordid past.  Private detectives are hired to disprove competing claims of depravity.  College roommates are contacted and offered money to exaggerate old stories.

Meanwhile, tough, sexy, ample-bottomed lawyer, Janey Clickert establishes herself as the Opposition Candidate who can’t be corrupted.

Amsarnie heads into election...