The 13th Target

by Mark de Castrique

When his wife dies of ovarian cancer, Russell Mullins quits the Secret Service to repurpose his life. He joins a Washington D.C. private protection company and is assigned to guard Paul Luguire, a Federal Reserve executive and its chief liaison with the U.S. Treasury.Mullins and Luguire form a strong friendship. So when a police detective calls in the middle of the night with word of Luguire’s suicide, Mullins doesn’t buy it. His doubts are reinforced by Amanda Church, a former Secret Service colleague now in the Federal Reserve’s cyber-security unit. She uncovered a suspicious financial transaction initiated by Luguire only days before his death. He authorized unrequested funds to be transferred from the Federal Reserve to a regional bank.Even stranger, after Luguire’s suicide, Amanda finds the transaction has been erased from Federal Reserve records. The regional bank now shows the money wired from an offshore account in the name of Russell Mullins. Someone is setting Rusty up. And when the bank president is murdered, Mullins rockets to the top of the suspect list. As a tenacious reporter develops leads, Mullins follows a conspiratorial trail of killing and kidnapping that leads from a shadowy mastermind to the possible destruction of America’s financial system.In an age of Wall Street meltdowns and downgrading of the U.S. credit rating, the secretive Federal Reserve has a pivotal role. Twelve targets are known. The clock is ticking. What, or who, is the thirteenth?
  

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Detective

304 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 2012

About the author

Mark de Castrique is an author, playwright, public speaker, and television producer living in Charlotte.

Through his company MARK et al., he writes, shoots, and edits projects for a variety of clients.

His work has earned CLIO, TELLY, and EMMY awards.

Mark has scripted stories aired on PBS and commercial network affiliates, as well as created video presentations for major corporations.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After failing to protect his loved ones, Russell Mullins becomes a bodyguard to the rich and famous. Soon, he is implicated in a money laundering scheme and cyberterrorism. Now he has to clear his name and stop the bombing of twelve targets.

Nothing very memorable.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend recommended this. I'd never read anything by Castrique but was quickly pulled into this fast-paced story. The plot was complex but very well written and despite many twists I didn't get lost along the way and was surprised several times. I want to try more of this author's books.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good writing and I liked the main character Russell Mullins. I just couldn't get into this type of novel. Some parts I enjoyed, but sadly, this one just wasn't for me.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing plot, the aftermath of which is now I distrust ALL gov’t. personal. 🤗 scary premise and excellent plot progression. A top notch narration - now that’s entertainment with a side of education. 👍🏼

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good whodunnit is always enjoyable, but Mark de Castrique writes a novel that is more than just good. It's a story that grabs your interest from the start and for 10 hours, it's impossible to stop listening to it. This maze of mystery and intrigue is brought to us through the life of Rusty Mullins. Rusty has retired from the Secret Service and is now working for a private security firm. When a good friend of his is thought to have committed suicide, Rusty is convinced it is murder. And now the trail to the center of the maze begins. With his connections, Rusty does his best to find the answers. This story keeps you on your toes with it's incredible cast of characters and fast paced plot. Figuring out the 13 targets, when and where they will hit as well as who is responsible results in a interesting and surprising ending! Always the best when an author can hold your interest and keep you guessing til the end!

Keith Szarabajka is the narrator for this novel. His performance is perfect for this book, giving the story a consistency with both pace and characters throughout the story.

[Whitley Birks]

Ever read one of those books where it's just a little too obvious that the author is in love with his own creation? So much so that it actually gets in the way of the *reader* enjoying it as well?

That's pretty much this book. I wanted to like it, but I was rolling my eyes so hard I could barely get through it.

[John Machata · Rating 1 out of 5]

Formulaic. Washington speak. Dialogue so flat I could slide it under a door. Ultimately, I cared for neither the writing style nor the characters and put the book down.

[Vontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read two books in one of the later series by de Castrique and was quite engaged by them, so moved on to this book. Those were my first exposure to this prolific author. The focus of this thriller is different from the others, in that it revolved around a potential political disaster with the US Federal Reserve. I wasn't familiar with the independence of that body, under the US constitution, had always assumed it was somehow under the mandate of the government. Fascinating plot, both for what I learned about the global impact & role that the "Fed" plays in global fiscal stability (or instability), particularly after major disasters such as wars and pandemics. And for the conspiracies in the underlying assumptions as introduced in the "book end" chapters.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio - 7 cds. Satisfying tale of political intrigue. I would call it a mystery as much as a thriller. Rusty Mullins is a perspicacious ex Secret Service officer thrown into intrigue when the friend he is guarding supposedly commits suicide. The story evolves from there with murder, kidnapping and unscrambling a terrorist plot. Rusty has a good read on people, and he deals with some interesting characters and unexpected heroes. He handles adversaries in a unique manner, too. He is not quite the same as your standard good guy like Harry Bosch, but maybe a little better. This book has heart, and no vile language -- a welcome change from current tales of this class. Worth your time, imho.

[Sandy Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started a little slow but it picked up and moved right along - I’m an avid reader and always looking for a new author so I’m glad this turned out to be a keeper - now I’ll can try some of his others see if they are just as good or better

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling story with an intricate conspiracy and some very good 0layers and some. Rey bad players both. Interesting take on the Federal Reserve which is an unusual character for a political thriller.

[Camille Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Barbara Huskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Vicki Klemm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good listening.

[Victoria Goins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Couldn't stop. Need to learn more about the Fed...something is not kosher....

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cloak and dagger mystery involving the Federal Reserve Bank and a plot to take over our moneary system from within. An interesting read or in my case an audio.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A former secret service agent investigates the murder of a federal reserve official.

[Michael DeRose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda meh. Had it's good parts though. Wish he would have leaned into the noir vibes a bit more.

[Carmen]

It was fairly predictable a short ways in. However, I did really enjoy the story and the extra depth that I wasn't expecting. As my first read of his, I will definitely check out other books by him.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Line: "Rusty. Have you got any money on you?"

When Russell (Rusty) Mullins' wife dies of ovarian cancer, he feels a real need to take a different direction in his life. Ending his career in the Secret Service, he joins a private protection company based in Washington, D.C., and is assigned to guard Paul Luguire, a Federal Reserve executive and its chief liaison with the U.S. Treasury. The change means that Rusty gets to spend time with his grandchild, and he becomes good friends with Luguire.

Such good friends that when he gets a phone call from a police detective telling him that Luguire has committed suicide, Rusty doesn't believe it. His belief is confirmed by Federal Reserve employee Amanda Church, who once worked with him in the Secret Service. Church has uncovered an extremely suspicious financial transaction initiated by Luguire that now seems to be setting Rusty up. When a bank president is murdered, Rusty does indeed skyrocket to the top of the suspect list.

As Rusty follows a trail of clues, he's joined by a discredited journalist and a police detective who's mere months away from retirement. Someone out there is conspiring to destroy America's financial system, and the Federal Reserve has a starring role in the plan. Twelve targets are known, and time is running out. What-- or who-- is the thirteenth target? Is this unlikely team of three going to be able to uncover the truth?

I'm familiar with de Castrique's two series set in North Carolina: the "Buryin' Barry" series featuring an ex-cop/ undertaker in Gainesboro, and the Sam Blackman series featuring an Iraqi war veteran who's now a private investigator in Asheville. I was eager to see what he'd do with the thriller format. As I expected, de Castrique does not disappoint.

The book is filled with fast-paced action, and although the plot is a little unwieldy from time to time, I dare anyone to use the U.S. financial system and the Federal Reserve as the basis for a plot and explain it as well as the author does. I have to admit that when the villain is revealed, I could have slapped myself upside the head-- the person was right out in plain sight from word one, and I was too caught up with other details to pay attention.

As always, de Castrique shines with his characters. Rusty Mullins is an honorable man that you believe from the start. He's fortunate to find Detective Robert Sullivan, a police officer who, although just months from retirement, knows an honest man when he meets one and is willing to go above and beyond the call to see justice done. As the discredited journalist, blogger Sidney Levine is perfect. Through his work in journalism and through his blog, he knows how to investigate, he knows how to get in touch with the more credible conspiracy theorists, and he knows how to flush out the information that Mullins needs. If I have any complaint about the book at all, it's that I would have gladly spent many more pages in the company of these three characters.

Mark de Castrique can write humorous mysteries. He can write mysteries with literary clues. He can also write a mean thriller. If you haven't read any of his books yet, now's your chance!

[Carl Brookins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Thirteenth Target

A carefully calculated mystery of unusual proportions and subject. Intensely engaging, and rich with sleight-of-hand misdirection, the novel is highly satisfying. None of that is surprising given the wide-ranging experience and talents of this author. His previous novels provide ample evidence of his abilities fashioning strong enjoyable crime fiction.

Rusty Mullins is at the heart of this tale. He’s a former member of the US Secret Service, now working in D.C. for a private personal protection agency. When his assignment, a highly placed member of the board of the US Federal Reserve dies suddenly, Mullins is convinced it was not the suicide it appears and with almost no evidence on his side, takes a vacation to try to prove murder.

Mullins calls on several personal “assets” he has developed during his Secret Service tenure, including Amanda Church, now working in security for the Fed. Surprisingly, what begins to turn up are indications that Mullins himself may be involved in a vast, multi-national conspiracy against the United States and its banking structure.

A novel about banking and movement of large sums of money around the world may seem uninteresting and impenetrable, but the author does an excellent job of bringing personal danger and high emotion to the table. The novel recalls the excellent Emma Lathem series from the previous century that featured banker John Putnam Thatcher. Mullins is not a banker and is younger than Thatcher but numerous parallels exist. An amusing dimension the author has added is Amanda Church’s husband, a thriller writer who offers intriguing insights into the roles sometimes played by minor characters in these crime novels.

The thirteenth Target is an excellent and enjoyable crime novel with an exciting logical conclusion.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell Mullins is a former Secret Service officer who is working for a private protection firm in Washington, D.C. He has been assigned to guard Paul Luguire, a Federal Reserve executive and its chief liaison with the U.S. Treasury, and the two have become quite friendly. So when Mullins hears that Luguire has committed suicide, he can't believe that's what really happened ~ and he's determined to uncover the truth.

The 13th Target by Mark de Castrique is a fast-paced mystery that really picks up steam when Mullins teams up with a former colleague Amanda Church. She tells him of a suspicious transaction that she and Luguire had discussed shortly before his death. As they begin to investigate it, they discover that someone is setting Mullins up, making it look like he's behind a plot that could destroy the U.S. financial system. To clear his name, they have to stop a massive attack. They know the first 12 targets, but what is the 13th?

The story in The 13th Target revolves around the U.S. Federal Reserve, and I have to admit I would have enjoyed it more if I went into it with a better understanding of how it works. There were certain details that, while de Castrique explained them, were still a bit confusing. But the storyline was interesting and the characters were complex. While some of the bad guys are revealed right up front, the mastermind behind it all was tough to uncover. I had my suspicions about several different characters, but never knew for sure until the end.

If you're looking for a political thriller that is based within current events, this is a great choice. It has a protagonist that is likable, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.

3 1/2 stars

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://lasrmystery.blogspot.com/2012/...


The 13th Target is a suspenseful and dark political thriller. Rusty Mullins is–or was–much more than a bodyguard, so when the guy he’s protecting ends up dead, he can’t leave it alone. It migh be a suicide, but he sure doesn’t want to believe it. And pretty quickly, he becomes even more motivated to figure out what happened, as he himself becomes a suspect. He’s as tough as nails, though, as well as smart and has friends in places to help. Intrigue blends with possible conspiracy here, in what quickly seems to be a government cover-up. We grasp that there is more than one ‘target’, yet the aim of the conspiracy seems illusive.

Money makes this plot go around: and not just wealth but economics, the Feds, the internal operation of government departments and government controls.

Mullins is a great main character; flawed, but admirable. His friends are as distinctive, valuable to the storyline yet not slaves to it: they have their own lives, and so are completely believable as well.

This is as far from a light-hearted mystery as one can get: although there is a case to solve, it is more of a noir thriller. The overall complexity slows what would otherwise be a fast read, because it is truly engaging.

Volatile moments almost leap from the pages – truly giving many meanings to the word “thriller.”

Straightforward writing style keeps this from becoming a terribly complex puzzle; I do think it will be most enjoyed by fans of the genre.

[Janet Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This political thriller by Mark de Castrique presents a cloak-and-dagger scenario about the Federal Reserve and its far-reaching power and influence within and outside the USA. Published in 2012, it weaves together the timely concerns of terrorism and the financial crisis in the USA. Mr. de Castrique keeps the reader guessing who knows what and who the "good guys" and the "bad days" are.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first stand-alone thriller from the author of the Burryin' Barry and Sam Blackman series. Rusty Mullins is a driver/bodyguard for Federal Reserve executive Paul Luguire. When Luguire is said to have committed suicide, Rusty is positive the conclusion is wrong and Luguire has been murdered. He attempts to convince Detective Sullivan, of the Arlington Police Department, of this so the investigation won't be closed. Barry takes some vacation time and starts a murder investigation. It quickly develops that there is a major plot afoot and that evidence indicates Mullins, himself, is involved.
A very readable novel although there might be a twist too many in the plot. I doubt that the majority of potential readers will understand, or care about, the complexities of Federal Reserve organization or monetary policy.

Non-series - Repurposing his life after his wife's death, Russell Mullins joins a private protection company and forms a friendship with his first client, whose suicide compels Mullins' investigation at the side of a former colleague into a dangerous conspiracy.

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author de Catrique certainly seized on a creative plot line, building on Occupy Wall Street. There is a group of white men from all over the world meeting clandestinely, needing to keep the U.S. Federal Reserve controlling money in secret. The protagonist, Russell Mullins, is a former secret service officer, with the usual wounds, i.e. wife dead of ovarian cancer, problems with former job. Well, powerful white guys are super crafty, and set up Russell in a plot to steal millions from the Fed, and fund a Turkish man with a bomb. All of this is undercover because they do such a good job that if Russell, Rusty goes to the authorities they will think he stole money, plus murders start piling up. Then there is another former secret service officer, Amanda, that seems to be helping Rusty but is she. Rusty is helped by Sidney the reporer and Detective Sullivan. There is a nice plot trigger, i.e. the code names that Secret Service gives presidents opens up the whole shebang. Pretty good, but it is a bit too self-consciously crisp.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell "Rusty" Mullens is a retired secret service operative who is providing security to Paul Luguire, a Federal Reserve executive and its chief liaison with the U.S. Treasury. When he gets a phone call from a detective telling him that Luguire has committed suicide, Rusty doesn't believe it. When he begins to look into the death, he discovers several financial transactions that seem to be setting him up as a criminal.

It looks as if someone is conspiring to destroy America's financial system, and that Rusty is spearheading the crime. This is a very good story and I enjoyed it very much. It features the Federal Reserve System where I had my very first job and a lot of the places mentioned are very familiar. They mystery was very well written and the characters are very well written.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An executive with the Federal Reserve commits suicide. Only Rusty Mullins, former Secret Service agent and personal bodyguard to the executive isn't buying it. His search for what really happened leads him to a vast conspiracy to blow up the 12 Federal Reserve banks on the 4th of July. But there is also evidence of a 13th, unknown, target. And time is running out.

de Castrique has written a perfect beach book. There is enough intrigue and action to keep you reading although there are certain aspects you might not want to think too hard about. Still, even with the need to suspend one's disbelief a bit, he has written a believable and likeable protagonist in Rusty Mullins and I could see this as the start of a new series.

[Elly Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2* This is my second listening and I can see why I wasn’t enthralled the first time. There are long passages of explanation, sometimes thinly veiled as dialogue. In fact, at times the explanation sounds more like a lecture or a rant. Making it worse for me, I lack a deep understanding of the processes and history of the financial institutions in the States, so I often get totally lost. Other readers will likely get more from this novel, but even on this second try I cannot give more than 2*.

Interesting subject material but just not solidly written or believable compared to many I have enjoyed lately. Still, it was okay.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third de Castrique book. I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, since the other two were Buryin' Barry and nothing like this one, but I was impressed with the intensity and the believability of the plot. Like Buryin' Barry, the main character in this one was very caring, intelligent, brave, and un-corruptable - to me, the main characteristics of a hero. Bring on the next one, Mark!