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Starred review from May 8, 2023
This atmospheric heist thriller from CrimeReads editor Murphy (An Honest Living) proves that genre readers really can have it all: terrific characterization, an intricate plot, and stylish writing to boot. Jack Betancourt lives in the rundown Massachusetts beach town of Onset. He leads a quiet life, working at a business built by his ex-spy father that helps people in trouble disappear: thieves, mobsters, spies, and fugitives of all sorts. Jack’s old girlfriend Elena, a lawyer with a very shady past, arrives back in Onset after a seven-year absence. She has a plan to steal diamonds valued between three and 180 million dollars (depending on the buyer) from a law firm colleague’s safe and needs Jack’s help to do it. Their scheme has a lot of moving parts, and bad luck threatens to shut them down, but Elena’s a ruthless leader, and Jack is driven by a cocktail of motivations even he can’t quite untangle. Murphy’s spare, polished prose carries a touch of Elmore Leonard and a whisper of Ernest Hemingway, but in balancing those influences he locates a style all his own. Strong characters, sharp wit, breathless action, and real emotional depth make this exceptional neo-noir sing. Agent: Duvall Osteen, Aragi, Inc.
June 10, 2024
CrimeReads editor Murphy's (An Honest Business) latest focuses on Jack Betancourt, who manages the unusual family business started by his father, an ex-spy. The family provides safe havens for people on the run, shuffling them around Onset, MA, a tourist town down the coast from Cape Cod founded by scavengers who preyed upon shipwrecked vessels. Elena, a former love interest who fled to New York, slides back into Onset with a scheme and a come-hither glint. She enlists Jack, who is not hard to persuade, in a plot to pilfer diamonds from a crooked lawyer working for international hoodlums. Jack knows he and Elena are doomed from the start--likely, one of them will bolt, or they'll wind up buried together. Narrator Robert Petkoff offers a virtuoso performance, deftly delineating each character and precisely conveying their emotions. Curiously, he manages to engross listeners in the narrative while leaving them ambivalent about both Jack and Elena. VERDICT Petkoff's narration elevates this tale to unforgettable heights, making it a solid recommendation for any crime fiction collection.--Christa Van Herreweghe
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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