Remember Richard Condon and his "Prizzi" books about the bumbling New York Mafia? Well, this one does much the same for the Philadelphia variety. The members of the club of the title are the remnants of the old political machine led by Augie Sangiamino, former US Senator, convicted felon and now a political consultant. His candidates in the latest campaign are staggering along in the polls, Assistant DA Lisa Savitch has been assigned to nail him and his cronies, and Mike Muldoon, ex-FBI agent, is also on his tail. Then there's Whitney Pritchard III, whose oil company is polluting the atmosphere and is leading him into bankruptcy because of the fines generated. He needs friends in high places, and quickly. All these characters, and more, circle around each other in an outlandish danse macabre, the plot whirling more and more out of control. If you read it in public, be prepared for people staring at youas you laugh out loud.