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“A twisty, enthralling heist yarn . . . loaded with the threat of a double cross any time. . . . smart and satisfying.”—The New York Times, Editors' Choice
Adrift in a sleepy coastal Massachusetts town, a man who ferries fugitives by day gets twisted up in a plot to pilfer diamonds in this Casablanca-infused heist novel.
Jack might be a polished, Harvard-educated lawyer on paper, but everyone in the down-at-the-heels, if picturesque, village of Onset, Massachusetts, knows his real job: moving people on the run from powerful enemies. The family business—co-managed with his father, a retired spy—is smooth sailing, as they fill up Onset’s holiday homes during the town’s long, drowsy off-season and help clients shed their identities in preparation for fresh starts.
But when Elena, Jack’s former flame—a dedicated hustler who's no stranger to the fugitive life—makes an unexpected return to town, her arrival upends Jack’s routine existence. Elena, after all, doesn’t go anywhere without a scheme in mind, and it isn’t long before Jack finds himself enmeshed in her latest project: intercepting millions of dollars’ worth of raw diamonds before they’re shipped overseas.
Infusing a fast-paced plot with sharp wit and stylish prose, CrimeReads editor-in-chief Dwyer Murphy serves up an irresistible page-turner as full of heart as it is of drama.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 11, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593742259
- File size: 202508 KB
- Duration: 07:01:53
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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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. -
Robert Petkoff is the perfect narrator for this quirky heist novel. Despite his Harvard law degree, Jack Betancourt is a people mover. When questionable people like mobsters, crooks, or others in dire straits need to disappear, Jack is their go-to guy. His ex-girlfriend, Elena, herself a shady operator, returns to Onset, Jack's tiny Massachusetts beach town, with a daring plan to break into a safe holding millions in diamonds and substitute fake diamonds for the real thing. Petkoff is so good that when Elena's plan hits a major stumbling block and the atmosphere grows ominous, he captures every nuance and subtlety of author Murphy's stylish writing. Well-defined characters; an attention-grabbing, highly original plot; and Petkoff's superb performance make this an audiobook not to miss. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine -
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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