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Is there honor among thieves? John Clarkson's exciting new crime drama mixes Wall Street corruption with organized crime to come up with the answer. It all begins when Olivia Sanchez comes to her cousin, a hardened criminal (who's out of a crew in Red Hook, Brooklyn) after a Wall Street broker she works with breaks her fingers. She's discovered some illegal dealings at her brokerage house and apparently become a threat to higher-ups.
Blackballed from the financial world and reeling from her personal attack, Olivia turns to Manny Guzman, a real hot-headed ex-con, in an effort to seek some justice. Guzman's crew is led by James Beck, who has spent years in prison, like Manny, but has a much cooler head and more sober approach. He attempts to sort out some financial compensation for Olivia, but waters are muddied by the head of the brokerage firm, who calls in favors from a Russian arms dealer, whose money is ultimately tied up with the illegal activities that Olivia was following.
From there, things get deadly on a variety of levels, but James Beck is a man who can roll with the punches and adapt plans as he goes.While Manny wants to kill Olivia's boss to teach him a lesson, cooler heads prevail, but things are no less deadly as all sides dig in for a long fight. Beck and Guzman have plenty of local resources, but will they be a match for the Russian mob or the Bosnian war criminals employed by the drug-addled Russian arms dealer?
In John Clarkson's deft hands, this story turns in on itself, criminals switch sides, and what you thought you knew changes. It's a very well written thriller with well developed characters at every level, from ex-NYPD security guards to the relationship between cousins Olivia and Manny. James Beck is clearly the leader, not only of his own crew, but of the storyline itself and he's learned to walk the line between crime and the law, judging individuals for themselves. In a book with many despicable characters, he's one to cheer for. Clarkson will only leave readers wanting more, both of Beck and his writing.
§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, February 2015
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