A contemporary story of romance and greed, told with humor and sophistication.
A dramatic tale of secrets and lies set against the backdrop of a devastated Greece.
Love and money are both at risk in Myers’ politically driven novel of intrigue and betrayal. In 2012, Greece is reeling from its economic downturn, and riots rage throughout Athens, threatening the daily lives of its downtrodden inhabitants. The chaos creates unsettling fear and stress for the Greek government but provides an opportunity for Jim Schiller, a hedge fund investor who invests in the promise of a financial bailout. He travels to Paris, where he conspires with the beautiful, mysterious Sophie d’Auverne, a former financial adviser with strong connections to the inner workings of international finance. She promises him that the bailout is a sure thing and that his investment will make him a billionaire—but the bailout turns out to be as elusive as Sophie herself. As Jim waits for the return on his investment, he’s ambushed by two Russian men who seem to know details of his personal life. They insist that Jim knows the whereabouts of a crucial but mysterious document, and Jim soon discovers that it’s a leaked list of tax evaders throughout Europe, which threatens to overturn the bailout. Jim must find this list or he stands to lose far more than just his financial stability. This layered tale of romance, mystery and suspense reads like a tapestry of fact and fiction; as it outlines recent events, it also details the quest of a very determined man who’s also likable and sympathetic. Jim’s stake in the bailout touches on universal themes, including the human need for security and connection. Overall, it’s an exciting read with surprising twists but also a human interest story that’s relatable and timeless.
A contemporary story of romance and greed, told with humor and sophistication.Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1494325985
Page Count: 242
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
A strict report, worthy of sympathy.
A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen) has a compulsive impact.
"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….
A strict report, worthy of sympathy.Pub Date: June 15, 1951
ISBN: 0316769177
Page Count: -
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
APPRECIATIONS
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