Synopsis:
What the difference between robbing a bank and robbing a Mafia bank?
Sara and Joshua are about to find out.
Joshua is a world class hacker and his partner, the alluring Sarah, is a master safe cracker who make their living pillaging other criminal’s bank accounts.
An attempted assassination puts them on the run. In return for help from a middle Eastern spy chief, they’re tasked with disrupting an arms deal being negotiated by a crooked banker in the Cayman Islands. This same banker launders money for his main client, a New Jersey mafia boss.
A huge pot of money proves too big a temptation and, in this international, absorbing crime thriller, Sarah and Joshua must outsmart a growing list of bad guys.
Favorite Lines:
“I love these Sigs, they feel so comfortable but what the fuck does Joshua think this is, World War Three?”
“Satisfied that good had prevailed, they turned the television off, nestled back together, and resumed their conversation on whether the ends justify the means. It was a long discussion, but they couldn’t agree on an answer that made them both happy.”
My Opinion:
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
This story follows spy duo Sarah and Joshua who work for Joshua’s uncle Sonny who is a part of a private intelligence organization. With Belgian police and criminals alike on their trail after they steal money from a bank account in Europe, they set up new lives in California and are put on a new assignment. What follows is a thrilling and intense story full of the mafia, malware, and murder. I do want to give a trigger warning as this book features violence and profanity that may not be suitable for everyone.
This is my first book from Spillane who was a detective with London’s Metropolitan Police, also known as Scotland Yard, in the 60s and 70s. He now writes thrilling novels inspired by his own experiences which I find to be fascinating just as I found this book to be fascinating. Spillane did a great job at creating a world full of secrets and spies with two characters who don’t quite play by the rules, which just makes me love them even more.
Spillane left no stone unturned with this story’s plot. I thought it was a very well crafted story with well thought out details while still leaving room for mistakes, which only added to the realisticness of it all. I found myself feeling like I was watching a spy movie play out in front of my eyes and I could definitely see this being something that is adapted for the big screen someday.
I am a sucker for multiple points of view in a story so I really appreciated the alternative perspectives of each character, I found that it added additional depth to the story and I enjoyed getting to know other characters through their thoughts. I also really enjoyed the character writing and development in this book. The characters were not black and white, they weren’t perfect, and mistakes were made; I found this to bring a bit more humanistic realism to the story.
If I had to nitpick one thing, it would be that I felt like we learned quite a bit about Sarah in this book but not as much about Joshua despite some chapters being from his point of view. Perhaps that is the point but if there happen to be more books in this series, I would love to learn more about him.
Summary:
Overall, this was quite a suspenseful story full of complex characters, a thrilling plot, and dangerous situations. I would recommend this to anyone interested in fictional espionage stories that involve organized crime, suspenseful thrillers, and action. Happy reading!
Check out Hustling the Mob: The Mafia, Malware, and Murder here!