Cries of the Lost Lib/E

Arthur Cathcart #2

by Chris Knopf, To Be Announced (Reading)

Cathcart, wounded and alone, grief stricken and hiding off the grid, had thought the only mystery was who killed Florenciaand why. But soon he is forced to ask, who was Florencia? He knew only that she came from Chile, had a knack for figures, and owned her own insurance agency. So Arthur sets out to do what he does best: find out stuff. In the resulting chase around the world, he encounters international terrorism and government intrigue where the currency is betrayal and the rewards are calculated in blood and revenge.

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

Audio CD

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Cathcart and Natsumi Fitzgerald's second appearance follows "Dead Anyway" and precedes "A Billion Ways to Die." The first book followed Arthur's recovery from a bullet to the brain (his wife received a similar wound and didn't survive). If the first book was a revenge novel, with Arthur avenging his wife's murder, the second book is an exercise in learning who his wife really was because she wsas up to her neck in a major financial scam. But in aid of what cause?

Arthur is very clever, and has computer and research skills that are immense. Natsumi is almost his equal in daring, and in steadfast support. Even so, they are fighting for their lives while using the dead wife's ill-gotten loot to discover why she was stealing money that she didn'tr need, and why a range of deadly people are hot on Arthur and Natsumi's heels. (They aren't Arthur and Natsumi any more. They create and appropriate a range of identities, but their two-way chase becomes increasingly dangerous as they move from the Grand Caymans to Spain, France, England, and Albany. Aside from the FBI, and various other feds, they are involved both as prey and as hunters with a spin-off group of ETA (BAsque terrorist) members and with a spin-off group from the Guardia Civil (a Spanish paramilitary that engaged in a war with the ETA). Luckily, Arthur and Natsumi have their wits, as well as a retired FBI agent and Arthur's favorite bunch of Bosian criminals, who are even tougher that the ETA and the Guardia Civil.

I like Arthur and Natsumi enough that I can overlook the occasional implausibility along the way, and enough that I'll start reading the third book (and hoping for a fourth one) tomorrow. The books have a high toll of bad guys and innocents, but they are also very funny. The first book, being the center of the mystery, has some advantages over the second one, but they come across as one long novel that is worth reading.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combining the authentic science and gadgetry of a Tom Clancy novel, the global danger and excitement of James Bond, and the flawed protagonists and convincing relationships of LeHane’s Kenzie and Genarro, Chris Knopf’s Cries of the Lost is a thoroughly engaging stand-alone mystery, and the second in a great new series.

The author peoples his world with a wealth of deftly created characters, imbuing each with enough individuality that, even without having read the first book, readers will quickly recognize who’s who.

But the center of this whirlwind is a character without identity, or at least, one deeply engaged in recreating himself. Arthur Cathcart lost his code-breaking skills when he was left for dead. He lost his identity by having himself declared dead. And he lost his wife, Florencia, to a murderer in Dead Anyway. Now he’s learning who Florencia really was, chasing secrets in her past, while creating a new future for himself with the beautiful, and loyal, Natsumi.

History, geography and well-researched culture add authenticity and tragic conviction to this novel of intrigue and suspense. The smaller world of tribal and family loyalties plays out its dramas of revenge against a backdrop of big brother snooping and modern-day terrorism. Meanwhile two individuals seek truth, even when truth threatens to kill them.

Lost in death, lost in the past, lost in the grip of ancient enmities, or lost to misfortune and cruel chance; there are many cries and many lost in this novel. But over and above them all is the call to individual loyalty and love. Cathcart may allow the mystery to drag him down and deep into danger, but he’s never truly lost as long as he knows love and loyalty.

Disclosure: I was given a free preview edition of this novel by the publisher and I offer my honest review.

[DarcyAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free complements of Goodreads and their Giveaway competition.

This book is the sequel to Chris Knopf’s Dead Anyway, something of which I will admit I haven’t read. Now, the book does mention events that happened in the past, assuming they happened in Dead Anyway, but it isn’t necessary that you read it in order to read this book.

However, I found it was sometimes necessary to be a tech geek in order to understand some of the lingo. Arthur knows A LOT about computers and technology, and sometimes Knopf goes into a little too much detail about what exactly Arthur is doing. I pushed on and grasped the main idea, but it was a little too much tech talk for me.

The story follows the plotline of Arthur and Natsumi unraveling a code from Arthur’s wife, Florencia, that gives different coordinates for safe houses all over the world. As they travel to each safe house Arthur and Natsumi dig deeper into Florencia’s past. The story was interesting and I have to say the ending was surprising. I don’t know if it was realistic or worth all the international chaos that Arthur seemed to draw to himself. This story is one of those international espionage spy thrillers type that maybe I just can’t grasp the deeper “cooler” meaning of. It could be in part that I didn’t read the first book, I will admit. It was a good read though. If spy thrillers are your genre, this is it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first book in the series, I greatly enjoyed this adventure but I still don't quite know what the hell is happening. It's all very convoluted but still great fun with plenty of suspense and action.

[Gulshan B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite my however brief but admittedly multiple misgivings, this book turned out to be quite nearly as much fun as its predecessor was.

Seeing the two main characters return to form and action, and yet so out of depth and place was in equal parts dubious yet exciting. The former because I wasn't sure if the formula that the first book had so successfully created was replicable, and the latter because the scope of the story had just broken wide open!

The source of my repeated misgivings was due to the plethora of characters and somewhat dense plot that our fearless main characters are trying to unravel, before - and preferably, without - getting killed. Despite my perceived complexity of the plot, the chase and the danger were real, and the pace and the thrill were never let down. The writing is as breezy and quick as the earlier instalment, and the banter of Arthur and Natsumi are as always a pleasure, Little Boy too!

The sheer scope of history that this book attempts to address and describe is quite impressive, and in fact, IMHO, this must be one of those rare books that seems to have been over-edited. Many times, I felt liked I could do with some more backstory, some more descriptions, some more prose not describing actions, but describing people or places, or what they were feeling or thinking, and why. Not enough of that.

Can't imagine what's going to be the subject of the third and final instalment of the trilogy, but I'm sure (I hope) Mr. Knopf has some more aces up his sleeve!

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

When market researcher Arthur Cathcart emerged from a coma and set out to track down whoever murdered his wife, the results were far from pre-ordained. Wounded and alone, grief-sticken and hiding off the grid, he thought the only mystery was who killed Florencia, and why. But the quest for justice uncovered a host of fresh mysteries, just beginning with an elaborate scheme, complete with dummy corporations and off-shore numbered accounts.

So in place of "who killed Florencia?" he was forced to ask "who was Florencia?" There was nothing about their lives together that answered this or any of a thousand questions she left behind. All he really knew was she came from Chile, had a knack for figures and owned her own insurance agency.

So Arthur takes off again to do what he knew he did best: Finding stuff out. What follows is a chase around the world, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, and remote parts north and south. No longer alone, with Natsumi Fitzgerald at his side, armed with a portfolio of false identities, hard-learned tradecraft and the continued cloak of anonymity, Cathcart plunges into the world of international terrorism and government intrigue, where the currency is betrayal and the rewards are calculated in blood and revenge.

[Karalee Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in Mr. Knopf’s Arthur Cathcart series, I think I enjoyed this a little more than the first entry, but it suffered from many of the same flaws. Too many characters (most of them unsavoury, and many with Spanish names which I found difficult to keep track of in an audiobook), too much technology for someone damaged by a gunshot in the brain (that’s Arthur, not me), and too vast quantities of money being spent and abandoned for my minimalist taste.

I was also unhappy that Natsume, Arthur’s sidekick/sweetie, is more decorative than functional in the story. She seems rather compliant, not to mention unflappable in so many fraught situations.

I’ll finish reading the third volume because it’s Chris Knopf, but I don’t think it will begin to compare with the treats of his other two series.

The audiobook was read by Donald Corren, who does his usual pleasantly laid-back rendition. He differentiates the various characters’ voices well, and is wonderful with his handling of Spanish and French names and phrases.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series, Dead Anyway, for my book club, and really, really liked it. This one is also quite good, though maybe not up to the first one. Still, there's another one in the series, and I am definitely anxious to read it! In the first book, Arthur Cathcart, mostly a market researcher and math whiz, has a lovely life with a beautiful and successful wife, Florencia. Then, early on, assassins kill her and seriously wound him. Helped by his sister, a doctor, he has himself declared dead and sets out to find out who killed Florencia, and, perhaps more important, who she really was. In this one, he's found the answer to question one and is still at work on question two.

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book moves quickly. At times I got a little lost but still enjoyable. I like that the books build from the last, providing enough reminders to help with the plot but not so many that it would annoy. I also like that you could just stop at the end of each book (a series that continues one story without cliffhangers) which for me is a plus for the the author. It had a bit of a twist in the end and I like that while Arthur is doing all his searching with his skills and that of Natsumi, a girl he meets in Dead Anyway, he is at a super spy level with his multiple identities and disguises. Pretty awesome.

[Erin Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and wild romp around the globe with unlimited funds, unlimited disguises and unlimited cloak and dagger threats, what's not to like? I enjoyed this book very much. Arthur Carthcart and his girlfriend Natsumi Fitzgerald race around the world trying to break codded messages, hacking bad guys computers and generally trying to stay alive by escaping time and again in last minute ditches. Lots of dry humor thrown in for extra fun. Highly recommended.

[Bill Schubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The middle of what currently is a trilogy, this is a consistently enjoyable story that weaves history and mystery. Two excellent character and a fun story.

[MsEleanorMae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great listen! Brilliantly narrated.

[Jovdb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still as implausible as the first book.

[Emily]

not as good as the first....

[Blood Rose Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read some reviews that have stated that is book could be read as a stand-alone novel, but I completely disagree. I think you need to read Dead Anyways before this book as it sets up everything and more for this book and I feel that a reader would be at a disadvantage if they did not read the first book in the series first. Plus the first one ends in a nice cliff hanger which will bring you to this book anyways. When Arthur Cathcart emerged from a coma, he thought that that only mystery was who killed his wife Florencia and attempted to kill him. But his search for justice has uncovered a whole new mystery that Florencia seemed to be involved in, and what appears almost a whole life that Arthur knew nothing about. Arthur does what he does best, finding out information about people, he just never thought that he would have to do it on his deceased wife and what he would find would start the bullets coming for his head again. As Arthur follows the path around the world to track down who Florencia really was, he soon realizes that he is in a Cat and Mouse game with the USA government and terrorist groups alike. It was a while ago that I read the first book in this series, so it took me a bit to remember what had happened in the first, but Knopf did a good job on going over the main parts of the previous novel in this series. That said I do not think that this book could be read as a standalone book as everything in this book is based upon the first one. This is a book that you cannot just skim over you have to pay attention as there is a lot of information coming to the reader and just missing the tiniest piece will throw you off. This is why I liked this book so much, it is smart, intelligent and you never have the full picture as you are waiting for Arthur to uncover the next piece of the puzzle for you both to put it together. There is no figuring it out beforehand in this book, though you’re welcome to try (I always do). Additionally, I liked that it is not all about thugs and guns and shoot ups (though there are a few in there as well). It is more about the digital age that we live in now, how information is accessed and how easy it is to find information online as well as procuring things online as well. It is amazing what you can do with a little bit of knowhow. What I love about Arthur is that he is not willing to leave the mystery alone; he has this quality in him that he NEEDS to know. He needs to know his who deceased wife Florencia was why she did what she did and who she was involved in. It is not enough to just pull the thread he needs to unravel the entire thing. This just adds to Arthur tenacity to the point that he is willing to put himself and his girlfriend Natsumi in danger. Arthur is really more about his brain than physical ability and the relationships that he has made along the way are who help him out with the brawn that he needs. Arthur is very aware of himself and what he can and cannot do as well as his physical appearance and it is nice to have a character that is very self-aware. The one thing I do not like about Arthur is that he always comparing his old mind to his new one because of the bullet to the head and the coma he suffered. I understand that there is a change in how he thinks but he just really does need to accept it and that his new mind is just a brilliant as the old just in a different way. My only complaint of this book and I think I had the same complaint in the first book was Arthur's reliance on just Google. There are so many other websites out there, Google really only gives you max of 10% of what is on the Internet and that includes going through every page. While you can tell this book is well researched in the art of money laundering, coding and searching for information, I wish that Knopf would have branch out from Google. I like the sophistication that Knopf writes with and the way he takes his main character around the world. You really do need to pay attention as you read this book in order to solve the puzzles that Arthur is trying to compute, so I guess with those words I would not consider this book an easy read that you can just skim through. I will for sure continue on with this series and have found that Knopf has written another one as well that I will be checking out. Enjoy!!!

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[Gloria Feit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a sequel to “Dead Anyway,” published by The Permanent Press in September of 2012, which I absolutely loved. The author has written ten previous mysteries, including two other series and one standalone. Despite my initial hesitation, I thought I’d repeat some of the content of the opening paragraph of my review of that first book in this new series to catch people up on the background. The protagonist is 43-year-old Arthur Cathcart [although he seldom uses that name after the events that kick off the first book]. And “kick” is an appropriate word here, inasmuch as its first chapter describes a scene wherein Arthur [self-described as a “math geek and social misfit”] and his “breathtakingly beautiful and successful” Chilean wife, Florencia, are held at gunpoint in their home in Stamford, Connecticut, by a man they have never seen before, who shortly shoots them both in the head. Florencia is killed instantly; Arthur is grievously wounded and left for dead. After falling in and out of a coma for months, he is almost literally brought back from the dead, and makes a decision not to let the world in on that fact, convincing his physician sister, who has been caring for him, to fake his death. The earlier book ended with Arthur deciding to use the skills of his profession - - he holds a Masters in Applied Mathematics, doing freelance market research (a field in which “we take a complete lack of results as a sign of encouragement” - - to find out who brutally murdered his adored wife and left him for dead.

Things immediately become more complicated when Cathcart discovers that his wife had a secret bank account in the Cayman Islands, and manages to move most of the millions therein contained, but accessing the safe deposit box requires that he and his significant other, beautiful and brilliant Natsumi Fitzgerald (a former blackjack dealer, “a small, slim person, barely a hundred pounds soaking wet)), to travel to the bank, from which they successfully retrieve the contents, leading only to more questions and more international travel: from the southern coast of France to London, Madrid, Italy, Switzerland, and ultimately Manhattan and Connecticut. As their search continues, Cathcart increasingly realizes just how little he knew Florencia.

Natsumi queries: “Was there ever a more curious person?” Which elicits the response: “Or paranoid?” Both necessary attributes, and there is much proof of both in these pages. Cathcart makes the observation: “It was rarely a failure of knowledge, but rather imagination. It was an affliction of the age - - too much information, not enough wisdom to make sense of it.” But he has the skills, and the imagination. Both Cathcart and Natsumi are equally proficient at disguises and subterfuge, despite which they find themselves “a pair of fugitives from forces known and unknown.” The title derives from this line in the book: “In the face of so much darkness, what else can a person do but bear witness, and pray he can sleep through all the cries of the lost?” Not wanting to give away any spoilers, suffice it to say that the book delivers on the promise of “Dead Anyway,” and this novel is highly recommended.

[Luke Sherwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an amazingly fun spy caper without any spies. I was at a disadvantage not having read the prequel, but it was nothing crippling, because Cries of the Lost stands really well on its own. Dead Anyway (2012) was a finalist for the 2013 Nero Award, named for Rex Stout’s clever detective, Nero Wolf. Cries of the Lost follows the adventures of Arthur and Natsumi after the death of Arthur’s wife at the hands of a person or persons unknown, and combines enough elements of a mystery and those of a thriller, to be really excellent escapist fare. Throw in the wisecracking protagonist duo, and you have quite a delightful confection.

Arthur Cathcart cannot leave a mystery alone, and he constantly puts himself and his girlfriend Natsumi in harm’s way and back out in the nick of time. Behind it all is a somewhat confusing feud between onetime antagonists in the Basque separatist movement. The FBI and possibly the NSA think Arthur is a member of a Basque terrorist group, when all he wants to do bring an end to the conflict and an end to the mortal danger to himself and Natsumi. It’s all done at a mile a minute, as the pair duck and weave their way from Grand Cayman to the Côte d’Azur, to Aix-en-Provence and New York City. Throw in a crooked high-ranking FBI agent, and you start to get the idea.

The deepest theme you’ll find here is the corrosive nature of ancient enmity, and a hatred the principals won’t let go. Our central couple is quite endearing, cute really, in their devotion, to each other, and electronic gizmos and hi-tech cloak-and-dagger methods are front and center.

This is a fine romp, which will divert you in ways that are well worth your time. I’m sorry I missed the first in the series. I’m not sure what follows, but the plot ends with all sorts of potential for further fun storytelling. Judging from this single entry, you can depend on this author to deliver the goods.

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[Wisteria Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his much awaited sequel, CRIES OF THE LOST, Chris Knopf takes the reader on the quest to find out “who was Florencia?” Arthur Cathcart teams up with companion Natsumi Fitzgerald and together assume multiple disguises to elude discovery. All Arthur really knows about his wife is that she came from Chile. As the story begins the two are headed to the Cayman Islands to attempt the retrieval of whatever was left in her safety deposit box. Although he successfully obtained her assets from her secret account at the First Australia Bank electronically, the box from her account, required his appearance.

Chris Knopf is an inventor of complex intrigue in a digital age. The journey Arthur begins, leads him and Natsumi on a daring escapade as if they are on a global scavenger hunt. Each revelation uncovered, presents another question to chase. The two manage to stay one step ahead of the killer, and one step ahead of the law. The action is swift with a continuous “in the nick of time” drama, mystery and. The author balances the danger and unknown with the humorous witty banter, delivered in a natural cadence between Arthur and Natsumi.

CRIES OF THE LOST is an engrossing novel that will challenge your cognition as you attempt to solve and unravel the plot. Chris Knopf’s has a gifted imagination that promises spectacular and unexpected adventure to engage readers. With the successful pairing of Arthur and Natsumi, a third book would be welcomed. CRIES OF THE LOST will undoubtedly be a 2013 Best Pick.



DISCLOSURE: I received an advance copy of this novel from The Permanent Press.

September 5, 2013
Wisteria Leigh

[Gin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The time period is contemporary and the setting is a variety of locations around the globe, including the United States and Mediterranean Europe. Subject themes include murder, grief, revenge, code-breaking, technology, and false identities. It is the second title in the Arthur Cathcart Mysteries series. The pace of this novel is rapid and action-packed with a cryptic and intriguing plot. The language is sometimes technical and occasionally violent, but the first person narrative and conversational dialogue add humor and wit. The quirky personalities and relationship of the two main characters are endearing and the supporting characters add structure to the plot.

Book Summary:
Arthur Cathcart is a market researcher who didn’t know much about his widow before her murder, so he sets out to discover who she really was and why she led a secret life. After faking his own death and assuming a false identity, Arthur tracks down her safe-deposit box and the adventure begins. Joined by his new girlfriend and armed with high-tech gadgets and an ability to crack codes they find themselves on a deadly scavenger hunt throughout Europe. The search is complicated when they realize they are being chased by FBI agents and international terrorists.

1-3 Annotation:
In this sequel to Dead Anyway, Arthur Carthcart and his new girlfriend find themselves chased throughout Europe while trying to solve the puzzle of his widow’s mysterious financial secrets. They must use technology and espionage to crack the code she used to protect her secrets while trying to determine who is trying to stop them, and why.

[Sinead · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.

When I found I had won an early edition of the book, I immediately read the first one, "Dead Anyway." That was an enjoyable, quick read and left me wanting more. I couldn't wait to start "Cries of the Lost." While the story is a quick read, there is a lot more details in this book and more of a whirlwind adventure.

In this book, Arthur/Alex, along with his partner, Natsumi Fitzgerald, is trying to find out why his wife Florencia was killed. They set out on an adventure from the Cayman Islands, Spain, France, New York, and back to Connecticut where the story all begins. I found myself having to reread a lot of the pages because there were so many new names. I think the plot was a lot clearer in the first book. While I was intrigued with this one, I felt that the first book had a lot more going for it.

The end of the book was pretty good and something I did not see coming. Then again, I was always confused who was who. I loved when Little Boy came back in the story. He was one of my favorites from the first book.

Overall an enjoyable, quick easy read. Its not as good as "Dead Anyway" but definitely worth checking out.

[CarolineFromConcord · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery is the sequel to "Dead Anyway," in which Arthur Cathcart convinces the world he is dead so that he can investigate the murder of his wife Florencia -- with the help of Natsumi Fitzgerald, a girl he meets in the course of his investigation. In that novel, he discovers a scam that Florencia's insurance company had carried on for years, so even when her murder is solved at the end of the book, he wants to know why she was siphoning money off from her own company.

Curiosity takes him and Natsumi to a safe-deposit box in the Cayman Islands and thence to mysterious "safe houses" scattered around Europe. He had known Florencia was from Chile but not that her parents were Basque activists originally from Spain (and, as Beyond the Fringe might say, "all that that entails").

The radical right and radical left and radical FBI criminals get mighty confusing, but our hero stays ahead of the game by frequently changing his identity, buying new technology equipment, and searching through everyone's private emails and databases from afar.

This book felt a little more sure-footed than the last one. It also reminded me of my current favorite series, about Fiona Griffiths, but as quirky as Arthur is, he doesn't come close to Fiona quirkiness.

[MisterLiberry Head · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an impulse download to Kindle during a long wait in an airport. I didn’t much like the first “Arthur Cathcart” novel, but gave No#2 a try, anyway. Chris Knopf tries his best to craft an international thriller out of Cathcart’s quest to understand the secretly larcenous life of his much-beloved and murdered wife. Think THE BOURNE IDENTITY, only Bourne is a hacker with a “dissociative identity disorder.” Cathcart’s distinguishing characteristic is that he has “a very hard time sharing the same planet with an unanswered question.” The unanswered questions in this specific case don’t seem worth the trouble and danger involved in sussing them out. Besides, Cathcart is sitting on $8 million in legitimate, legally-acquired loot, is legally dead, and he undeservedly has a sweet-natured much younger girlfriend, the wonderfully named Natsumi Fitzgerald. Better all of the way around--and, consequently, sparring us a tedious third Cathcart adventure--if Arthur & Natsumi just skip the globe-trotting trouble-making and, like Jason Bourne, anonymously retire to that seaside paradise.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this Advance Reader Copy through Librarything.
This is the sequel to "Dead Anyway", and since I haven't read it, I was concerned; do I need to read book one first? The simple answer is no, enough information is given at the beginning of the book to make "Cries of the Lost" a stand-alone.
I liked this book a lot. It's my first time reading this author, and in my opinion, once his books are discovered, he will become a bigger name, and sell more books. His writing style grabbed me, and I wish I could be his shadow for a day while he is doing research for his next book, his research is extensive; the knowledge the reader receives through the author's books is vast and will become an "expert" in the subject.
Overall, I recommend this book to any fan of the mystery/thriller genre, and if he or she is from Connecticut, an added plus.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to Dead Anyway. If you enjoyed the first book you will love this one as well. I could not put the book down after I started reading it. It continues the story of Arthur and Natsumi. In the first book Arthur finds out who killed his wife, Florencia, and why. Spoiler Alert! If you have not read the first book do not read the rest of this. This book focuses on who Florencia really was and why was she had she set up such an elaborate fraud and embezzlement scheme. Arthur and Natsumi follow clues left in a safe deposit box in the Grand Caymans all over the world. Their lives are in constant danger as they are chased two groups involved in international terrorism.

Disclosure: I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.

[Vicki Elia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook Review 3 1/2 stars

Although this is a non-stop, action/thriller, so much of it is so far-fetched that it was like watching a B TV crime series. Arthur, an actuary and researcher who suffers from brain damage manages to be a master of disguise and have honed spy-esque skills. His girlfriend Natsumi is so affable that she defies the reactions of any normal woman. It was a fun read, especially after having just read a number of intense dark novels and series. So I appreciated the humor and levity. However, I am immediately pulling all of my investments and stuffing the money in my mattress.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. It was compelling from the first page. I have not read any other books by this author - but I will be changing that immediately. This was the second in a series but easily read as a stand alone. Arthur and Natsumi, the two main characters, are quite a pair. They compliment each other wonderfully and Natsumi's demeanor is a constant and needed calm in the middle of a very active, fast moving story. Could not put it down and finished it in about 24 hours. Now I need to go read the first one - fast!

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

When researcher Arthur Cathcart emerged from his coma, he set out to find his wife’s killer. In “Cries of the Lost,” Chris Knopf’s Nero award-nominated mystery, Arthur discovers that his wife Florencia had hidden secrets, including an insurance fraud scheme and offshore bank accounts. Arthur teams up with casino worker Natsumi Fitzgerald and the two of them embark on a chase for clues, while eluding the FBI and Basque terrorists groups. A combination thriller and caper novel, it is the second book to feature Cathcart and Fitzgerald.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cries of the Lost by Chris Knopf is the follow up book to Dead Anyway, a book I did not read, however I quickly picked up on the storyline. The book begins with Arthur emerging from a coma and determined to discover who killed his wife, Florencia. With a cloak and dagger atmosphere, Arthur and Natsumi travel the globe in search of answers. Cries of the Lost has it all, conspiracy, terrorism, mystery, intrigue, and betrayal. I truly enjoyed Cries of the lost and plan to read Dead Anyway and be on the look out for further books by Chris Knopf.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially it seemed to me to be an average/mediocre sequel, but Arthur's quest to discover his wife's past and connection to the heinous crime that opened the previous book became progressively more engaging for me. I found the connections to long term feuds or grievances in Spain and Chile added relevance and resonance with my meager knowledge of Spanish and Latin American history. The complexity and exposition garnered 4 stars from me when it started with 3. I look forward to reading the third book in the series.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and exciting read Cries of the Lost by Chris Knopf is. Travelling the world, with the latest equipment and technology for spying and research, Arthur and Natsumi try to figure out who the bad guys are and who and what, Arthur’s late wife, Florencia, realy was.

I am anxious to go back and read Dead Anyway and look forward to the next installment of the adventures of Arthur and Natsumi.