The problem I have with the book is that it just rambles along, going from scene to scene, character to character, reflecting, to some degree the nomadic, chaotic existence of the Secret Service agents--but where's the plot of this "novel"? I kept reading it waiting for something to happen. Things, of course, happen in the book, but there's not that cohesiveness that you find in most novels. Yes, there's character growth, though, with all of the characters, it seems forced, but perhaps in some way it is reflective of the characters's attempt to control their seemingly out-of-control lives.
There were two characters I liked and one portion of the book I really liked. The book essentially starts with Vi Asplund, an interesting and compelling character and found myself getting annoyed that the author didn't spend more time with her. Tashmo works with Vi and is a Reaganesque, larger-than-life kind of guy whose past actions have a profound impact on recent events in the book. But by far the most interesting part of the book is Vi's brother Jens's work. He is a programmer for a gaming software company and helped create their MMORPG "Big If". I found Costello's descriptions of how certain parts of the game were created fascinating, which surprised me a lot--there was just something in the way the author (through Jens) described the logic behind creating the digital landscape of the game.
Overall though, I was disappointed in the book. While I found all the characters interesting, I just didn't see why Costello wove them together in the way that he did. Was this a book about some Secret Service agents during a Presidential primary run? Or about how two children deal with their father's death and each other? Or is it about the insider's view of protection (the Dome, as it's called by the agents) and software code? Of course, I'm oversimplifying, but the answer is still yes, and the book suffers for it. Despite that, I'd recommend reading the book if you have nothing else to do on a lazy summer's afternoon.