Criminal Enterprise

November 26, 2012
In Laukkanen’s fine sequel to his impressive debut, The Professionals (2012), laid-off Minneapolis accountant Carter Tomlin starts to rob banks once he realizes he can no longer pay his mortgage or support his beautiful wife and two kids. But his secret life as a bank robber is more addicting than he anticipates, and he’s making money faster than ever before. As Tomlin’s heists get more and more outrageous, FBI special agent Carla Windermere targets him as her prime suspect, despite the semblance of a perfect family life, a Victorian mansion, and a fancy car. When Windermere fails to persuade anyone that this embodiment of the American Dream could be leading a double life, she turns to her old partner, Minnesota state investigator Kirk Stevens. The hard-boiled narrative moves at a quick clip, and the tension between Windermere and Stevens adds some spice to the intrigue, though Tomlin’s over-the-top actions may strike some readers as unconvincing. Author tour. Agent: Stacia Decker, Donald Maass Literary.