In Tanz and Greenberg’s novel, a tragedy prompts a man to distrust the nature of reality itself.

As the story opens, Tyler Blanton is feeling on top of the world in his Manhattan office: He’s signed a landmark (and lucrative) new account for his business, BLT Marketing Associates, and he’s purchased a diamond engagement ring for his girlfriend, Monique Devereaux, who’s recently received a promotion at her nightly news job—she’s getting her own segment, called “Nique’s Niche.” But his happiness is dashed in the sharpest way possible when he and Monique are caught in a terrorist attack, and she doesn’t survive. (“He felt a dark cloud engulf him as he saw countless bloody bodies strewn in every direction.”) Tyler is crippled with grief and shock despite being consoled by everybody in his life. He’s just starting to get over the worst of it when he sees that Monique’s TV station has decided to run her previously taped final “Nique’s Niche” segment about the New York state lottery. At first, this airing reopens the wounds of his grief, but then things get stranger; he’s sure her segment feels live, not prerecorded, and he tapes it for future reference. On impulse, he jots down her on-air prediction for the winning lottery number, buys a ticket, and promptly wins. But when he shows the taped segment to a friend, the presenter is different—Monique’s not there. In the course of this compellingly complex, mysterious narrative, Tyler’s experiences grow increasingly bizarre, leading him to leave New York, take up with a stranger, and eventually confront what’s really going on. Although the prose is sometimes stiff and the dialogue clunky, the authors keep enough plot twists coming to hook readers until the narrative reaches its satisfyingly tangled conclusion.

A complicated, occasionally stilted story of perception and reality.

A savvy businessman crafts an intricate Ponzi scheme in Greenberg and Tanz’s novel of trickery and greed.

Ted Casey, “once a successful fiduciary and money manager,” finds himself falling down a dark hole of deception and conspiracy when he decides that his current income is simply not enough for him any longer. Though wealthy and privileged, Ted, observing that his “salary and commissions had become quite stagnant,” decides he needs to make a change “in order to continue the lifestyle to which he has grown accustomed” (said lifestyle is one of designer clothes, fine dining, drinking, and gambling). Ted begins his downward spiral by taking advantage of an elderly woman, acquiring her wealth (via a reworking of her will and a judicious application of poison) and blowing it all in a few wild nights in Atlantic City—this is just the beginning of a descent into madness. Still unsatisfied, Ted resolves to reinvent himself in Florida, where he concocts a Ponzi scheme to make millions. Ted’s journey is full of twists, turns, and trickery, where nothing (and no one) is quite what it seems. Tanz revels in his creation of Ted’s superficial reality; references to pop culture events, popular restaurants, and brand names litter every page. The authors pepper the minimal dialogue with juvenile terms like “bro,” “stud muffin,” and “peeps,” which are either amusing or completely out-of-touch—just like the story’s protagonist, who is almost comically evil. Tanz and Greenberg write with clear intention and a propulsive sense of pace. The narrative is well-plotted, and the authors know their subject well. Some readers will enjoy Ted’s depraved attempts to get rich quick; however, the characters lack depth or any sort of relatability (lacking a feeling of connection, other readers may lose interest). More time is spent describing Ted’s dinners than on any explorations of character motivation.

An intricate tale, by turns compelling and off-putting.

A modern-day crime thriller that intertwines the lives of a hardworking Philadelphia cop and a self-made businessman on the wrong side of the law.

In Tanz’s debut novel, Rick Grosse is the scrappy, smooth-talking co-owner and operator of Full Service Concierges, an all-purpose outfit dedicated to supplying nearly anything—from last-minute hotel reservations to black-market drugs, alcohol and prostitutes—to “those who wanted something and wanted it yesterday.” As the story opens, Rick is still pining for his long-lost girlfriend Brandi, “the one who got away,” and also dealing with his partner Carl Mickels, whom he suspects is planning to turn him in to federal agents. Rick takes Carl out to an abandoned lot and kills him, which sets the plot’s main gears in motion. Rick comes to the attention of Stephen Davis, a team leader of Philadelphia’s Organized Crime Task Force and a straight-arrow workaholic who has to clear his vacation days well in advance, for when “he would not have to be accountable to anyone, barring a national disaster or alien invasion.” As Rick jet-sets up and down the Eastern seaboard and beyond (and Tanz very strongly evokes the seedy joys of air travel), Stephen slowly, inexorably draws the net tighter around Rick’s operations and its shady network of Mafia backers. As the author skillfully ratchets up the pace and tension, the story starts to hinge on Rick’s murder of his partner, which haunts him like Macbeth’s killing of Banquo. The book’s carefully wrought details of small-time racketeering and procedural police work alternate well with the action sequences and descriptions of local color, as when Rick drives to Atlantic City, N.J.: “Blueberry bogs and corn rows were interspersed along the highway, with occasional signs reminding that not wearing a seat belt is a punishable offense. Rick smiled. So is murder.” The inevitable confrontation between killer and lawman is also complicated by an extremely enjoyable plot twist.

A fast-paced, engaging mob-and-cops novel.

There’s no sophomore slump for Tanz as he brings his Philly style back to this cat-and-mouse crime story that weaves together the lives of two serial killers.

Bruce Titell is a classic computer geek: His life revolves around computing power, processors and software updates. His wife, thinly fleshed-out Julie Donovan, has repaid his lack of interest in their marriage with multiple affairs, all procured from online “cheaters” websites. After her shocking death in a car crash, Titell takes his deep-seated rage and fuels it into a revenge plot that ultimately involves murdering women who stray. Tanz crosses his story with that of mob hit man Julian Gando, a Philadelphia transplant whose life revolves around killing and his former-call-girl live-in love, Bryant Merril. Bruce and Julian are both being watched by the city’s top-notch Organized Crime Task Force, whose undercover cops and computer code crackers doggedly pursue the blood-soaked criminals. Tanz creates a wickedly twisted world, although Titell’s transformation from upstanding businessman to crazed murderer is a bit rushed. Yet it’s hard to put the book down because Titell and Gando pursue their crimes in such a heartless, detailed fashion. Spelling errors and strange details, such as what every character eats or drinks, tend to slow down the story, and Tanz sometimes bogs down the flow with updates on when Titell decides to go shopping or head to bed. Fortunately, there’s plenty of intrigue to make up for these minor storytelling deficiencies. In particular, Titell’s use of cheater websites and his ability to morph into his killer character—“SmoothAssSilk”—provide fascinating chapters, pulling the character’s madness into disturbingly realistic depths: “He pushed back from the desk, took a long sip of whiskey and turned on the computer. After loading, he clicked on Favorites and entered the site. He smiled broadly when he noticed two replies and four flirts adorning his inbox.” It’s chilling to watch the two men descend from their everyday lives into complete darkness.

The technical snags are defeated by two vicious criminal minds.

Tanz’s (Silk on the Rocks, 2012, etc.) latest thriller follows a female serial killer, the killer’s pursuing detectives and the strange links between them in the author’s third installment of his Philadelphia-based crime series.

Jaime Valle is that classic girl next door—she’s attractive, holds a middle-class job as a dental technician and maintains friendships with neighbors and co-workers. Behind that facade, however, lies a crafty, aggressive mind that is bent on avenging her husband’s death. Valle’s target is the health-insurance company that failed to approve her husband’s surgery for a heart condition. The widow’s seemingly amiable nature is the ideal cover as she plots the murders of two people who work for the insurance company—all while continuing to show up for work and lunch dates. Meanwhile, a fellow assassin and familiar character within Tanz’s series, Julian Gando, attempts to go underground and start a new life within the witness protection program. Whether he’s describing the chilly winter nights in Philly or the humid days in Florida, the author creates compelling, well-told stories about the tango between cops and criminals. This book’s most interesting relationship may be between brothers Stephen and Michael Davis, two police detectives for whom love and brotherhood are hard to understand and find. Michael, whose war injuries force him to use a wheelchair, is the book’s most sympathetic character as he tries to understand his more successful brother, his budding fascination with Jaime Valle and his allegiance to the police force, which has named Valle as its top suspect. Tanz keeps his writing focused and smooth, offering in-depth details of police investigations, strong character development and fast-paced conversations among his complex and flawed heroes.

A frenetic thriller with nuanced characters and a twist.

From the author of A Toast to Justice (2013) comes a novel about a would-be football star bent on revenge against his high school classmates.The tragedy of Long Island–resident Robert McKay began in 1971 during football practice at Hillside High. His future as a possible all-state athlete vanished when fellow player Eric Halls crushed his ankle during a scrimmage. Now, McKay is a plumber, frequently servicing the properties of some of Long Island’s wealthiest residents. When he hears that his graduating class is holding a 40th-anniversary gathering on Long Island, he decides it’s time for revenge. He tracks Eric Halls to a motor lodge and empties his gun into him at point-blank range. Nassau County detectives Henry Gates and Tina Delray quickly begin investigating what appears to be a crime of passion. McKay, however, isn’t finished. He next targets Maureen, his old sweetheart, who drifted away after his injury. At the gathering, she is surprisingly kind to McKay—but his resolve is set. The plumber enlists the help of buddy Tim Hardman, who knows to keep his mouth shut (or else). Crime novelist Tanz provides rich characterization and back story as his detectives close in on McKay. Gates’ assessment of Halls’ murderer is impressively concise: “[I]t was not a professional....[T]he number of shots fired indicated rage and overkill...it was personal.” Tanz also makes it delightfully easy to root against his killer, writing McKay as a boastful dirtbag. Mentions of “American Pie” and other hits from the early 1970s transport readers; unfortunately, too many references to movies and TV shows burst the narrative bubble. At one point, instead of describing a location, Tanz alludes to the set of Hill Street Bluesto paint a scene. The tale eventually comes to an exposition-heavy conclusion, not unlike a television drama itself.A visceral thriller from an author unafraid to reveal his influences.