Politics - it's a place for shiny people with ugly souls. As a journalist Jack thought he'd met every shade of nutter, narcissist and bully to be found. But then he took a job in politics and discovered he'd only scratched the surface. Even better, it's Jack's job to maintain the pretence that all is normal, that our political masters have everyone's best interests at heart, that politics is not just a collection of attention-seeking egomaniacs looking for somewhere to park their character defects.
Yes, Jack is a political spin doctor. His new boss, Ray Sloan, is terrifying - and that's on his good days - and his former friends in the media regard him as a turncoat and a traitor. Elections, budgets and blackmail - it's all part of the bizarre world Jack now finds himself in.
If you are looking for a tale to reaffirm your faith in democracy, this probably isn't the one.