Thick as Thieves

Ex-CIA operative Carr is too nice a guy to be a villain, but he's cast as one in THICK AS THIEVES. In William Dufris's narration, you can hear what a nice guy Carr is, which makes you wonder what he's doing running with a pack of unlikable losers who are out to bilk a billionaire. Dufris makes Carr both believable and likable. Dufris also helps move the plodding plot along with his portrayal of Carr's inner torment and the lack of compassion of the other characters. The ending is a shocker and makes listening to the slow parts worthwhile. M.S. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 16, 2011
Superlative prose lifts this gritty stand-alone from Shamus Awardâwinner Spiegelman (Black Maps). When a self-professed robber ("cash and highly liquid items only") asks former CIA agent Carr to assume the leadership of a group of highly skilled thieves, Carr, who's been using his gifts to anticipate problems and organize sophisticated schemes for criminal purposes in Houston, reluctantly accepts. The group is aiming at its richest prize yet­âtens of millions of dollars belonging to a disgraced financier, Curtis Prager, who evaded conviction for money laundering and conspiracy after the key witness against him fortunately died and now runs a financial services company for organized criminals in the Caymans. To loot Prager, the team must penetrate multiple layers of securityâboth physical and cyber. Carr must also contend with his father's failing health and the possibility that one of his people is a traitor. Spiegelman, who has worked in both financial services and software industries, makes the mission both intricate and plausible.