APRIL 2013 - AudioFile
Out of desperation, Carter Tomlin gets a taste of the adrenaline rush that comes with robbing a bank. A mild-mannered accountant, Tomlin had no idea this rush would become his biggest addiction. Narrator Edoardo Ballerini has the vocal mannerisms and masterful range of accents to fluidly move this thriller, the second in Laukkanen’s series featuring FBI agents Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere. Tomlin has been unemployed, and his storybook life is unraveling—until he starts robbing banks. Ballerini excels at making Tomlin seem so put together on the outside and maniacal on the inside as his thirst for adrenaline, money, and power takes over. S.C. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
In Laukkanen’s fine sequel to his impressive debut, The Professionals (2012), laid-off Minneapolis accountant Carter Tomlin starts to rob banks once he realizes he can no longer pay his mortgage or support his beautiful wife and two kids. But his secret life as a bank robber is more addicting than he anticipates, and he’s making money faster than ever before. As Tomlin’s heists get more and more outrageous, FBI special agent Carla Windermere targets him as her prime suspect, despite the semblance of a perfect family life, a Victorian mansion, and a fancy car. When Windermere fails to persuade anyone that this embodiment of the American Dream could be leading a double life, she turns to her old partner, Minnesota state investigator Kirk Stevens. The hard-boiled narrative moves at a quick clip, and the tension between Windermere and Stevens adds some spice to the intrigue, though Tomlin’s over-the-top actions may strike some readers as unconvincing. Author tour. Agent: Stacia Decker, Donald Maass Literary. (Mar.)
Library Journal
As in his debut novel The Professionals, which also featured the crime-stopper team of FBI Special Agent Carla Windermere and Minnesota State Investigator Kirk Stevens, Laukkanen tells the tale of a good man gone very, very bad. Newly laid-off accountant Carter Tomlin is staring at a large mortgage, a pretty (but expensive) wife, and two young kids. Desperation mounts proportionately with his unpaid bills, and so Tomlin goes where the money is and begins robbing banks. Stealing weapons from drug dealer Schultz, Tomlin brings into his circle of crime his secretary, Tricia Henderson, and her eponymously named boyfriend, Dragon Medic; the violence accelerates as Tomlin revels in the thrill of power over his victims. Windermere pursues Tomlin from one direction while Stevens befriends Tomlin, only to discover Tomlin has secrets. And Schultz is out for revenge.
Verdict This is a terrific Great Recession thriller whose postmodern amorality grips from the beginning. While the criminals here are not as likable as Laukkanen’s Arthur Pender gang from the first book, fans will not be disappointed. [See Prepub Alert, 9/17/12.]—Vicki Gregory, SIS, Univ. of South Florida, Tampa
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
APRIL 2013 - AudioFile
Out of desperation, Carter Tomlin gets a taste of the adrenaline rush that comes with robbing a bank. A mild-mannered accountant, Tomlin had no idea this rush would become his biggest addiction. Narrator Edoardo Ballerini has the vocal mannerisms and masterful range of accents to fluidly move this thriller, the second in Laukkanen’s series featuring FBI agents Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere. Tomlin has been unemployed, and his storybook life is unraveling—until he starts robbing banks. Ballerini excels at making Tomlin seem so put together on the outside and maniacal on the inside as his thirst for adrenaline, money, and power takes over. S.C. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
With this second thriller in a series, Laukkanen's latest provides an entertaining worst-case scenario of an accountant gone bad. Carter Tomlin has a lovely wife, daughter and home, but the good life in Minnesota comes crashing down when he's laid off from his accounting job. Now no one wants to hire him, and consulting can't pay the bills. How can he support his family and their lifestyle? Well, banks have money. He'll rob one. Just one ballsy heist to tide him over, and he's done. It doesn't yield him enough cash, though, and he discovers that scaring the living bejesus out of harmless bank tellers is a lot more fun than balancing books. So, he has to amp up his game, and he and a young lady partner go for bigger scores. Bullets start to fly, and soon, Tomlin is in much deeper trouble than he'd ever expected--and he's loving it, all while his innocent family remains clueless. Meanwhile, FBI agent Carla Windermere and detective Kirk Stevens team up to identify the robber and try to bring him down. They've previously worked together in Laukkanen's debut, The Professionals (2012), and have a professional and personal chemistry that makes them fun to follow and easy to root for. Tomlin takes them through plenty of twists and turns as he becomes increasingly unhinged and dangerous--even other bad guys had best give him a wide berth. Fans of crime thrillers shouldn't miss this one or anything else with Laukkanen's name on the cover. The writing is so crisp, the pages almost want to turn themselves. He's a terrific storyteller.
