Suspicion

March 17, 2014
In this lean, crisp thriller—a zipping Jaguar of a ride—from bestseller Finder (Powerplay), author Danny Goodman is having a tough time dealing with the tuition and administrators at Lyman Academy, his daughter Abby’s tony Boston day school. Then, because Abby is the sole friend of awkward loner Jenna Galvin, Jenna’s father, the nouveau riche Thomas Galvin, generously supplies a crucial $50,000 to tide the Goodmans over. Goodman soon learns this cash comes with a price. Two FBI agents claim Galvin is an American operative for Mexico’s brutal Sinaloa drug cartel. They bully Goodman into turning mole, planting wires in Galvin’s Boston-area estate, and eavesdropping at his ski lodge in Aspen. Goodman faces jail time and whopping fines if he displeases the Feds; but if he tips off the cartel, he could be killed. The plot turns—three major ones—are as shocking as they are believable. Finder has a satirist’s sense when discussing teen snobbery and the exurban rat race, and his spare, laminated style is several cuts above that of most thrillers. His characters are nuanced; especially compelling is the Mexican doctor who aids the poor by day and moonlights as a murderer—dispatching cartel foes with faux natural causes. Agent: Daniel Conaway, Writers House.

May 1, 2014
Following two Nick Heller novels (Vanished, 2009; Buried Secrets, 2011), Finder gives us a stand-alone in which Boston writer Danny Goodman gets in treacherously over his head after borrowing a large sum of money from a fabulously rich man who isn't what he seems.Since his wife died from cancer two years ago, Danny has been struggling-emotionally, because his teenage daughter, Abby, still blames him for not telling her that her mother was dying; and financially, because he had Abby transferred to the city's most exclusive private school, where her best friend, Jenna, goes. When the school threatens to kick her out for lack of tuition payments, Jenna's father, Tom Galvin, loans Danny $50,000, saying his formerly troubled daughter's current happiness depends on her continuing to have Abby as a classmate. Tom, who is married to the daughter of a prominent Mexican businessman, also values his burgeoning friendship with Danny, a fellow Bostonian with working-class roots like his. But no sooner has Danny deposited the money than DEA agents are all over him, informing him that Galvin works for a top Mexican drug cartel and unless Danny spies on him for them, he will go to prison as an accessory-or even worse, be targeted by the murderous cartel. Danny's nail-biting exploits include breaking into Galvin's locker during a game of racquetball to drain data from his cellphone. Is Tom onto him? Is he being so warm and generous to Danny only to set him up? The characters don't break any molds; we've seen even the likes of the cartel's sadistic "angel of death," Dr. Mendoza, before. But the plot is so smartly put together, expertly paced and unpredictable that neither Danny's shallowness nor Finder's limitations as a prose stylist keep this from being an irresistible page-turner.This is another winner from Finder, who, as ever, builds suspense without a shred of overstatement.

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Starred review from February 1, 2014

In Finder's (Buried Secrets; Vanished) 11th heart-pounding thriller, a struggling writer desperately scrambles to pay his bills; protect his teenage daughter, Abby; and avoid a 40-year prison term. To cover tuition costs for the private school Abby loves, Danny Goodman reluctantly accepts a generous loan from Thomas Galvin, the extremely wealthy father of Abby's best friend. After the money is wired into his account, however, the feds accuse Danny of laundering drug money and trap him into working as a confidential informant. But if Galvin and the Mexican drug cartel he's financing suspect Danny is snitching to the feds, Danny, and quite likely Abby, will die. Trapped, our hero begins to lie, conceal secrets, and engage in increasingly dangerous and deceptive activities--until finally Danny decides he wants out rather than risk losing those he loves. The startling climax concludes another fantastic Finder thriller. VERDICT Finder fans as well as devotees of action-packed suspense have a great read ahead. The taut pacing, staccato chapters, and ingenious plot, especially Finder's characteristically creative use of digital surveillance techniques, guarantee a literary thrill ride.--Jerry P. Miller. Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
Biographer Danny Goodman is struggling to raise his teenage daughter, Abby, after his ex-wife's death. When Abby's private school notifies him that she'll be expelled unless Danny pays his astronomical tuition bill, he dreads forcing more change in Abby's life. So, Danny thinks he's dodged an emotional bullet when he accepts a loan from Thomas Galvin, father of Abby's best friend. But, before relief sinks in, Danny is summoned to an undercover DEA office and informed that the loan implicates him in their case against Galvin, a money-launderer for the Sinaloa drug cartel. Danny can either work undercover or face indictment, and a public indictment will alert chainsaw-wielding cartel enforcers. Danny takes the DEA's deal, but he's no 007, and every moment undercover is torture. Thriller veteran Finder merits applause for this streamlined story made believable by Danny's everyman character; readers will find his palpable guilt and fear instantly relatable. For a cartel read-alike, try Richard Lange's Angel Baby (2013).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)