The Clause

by Brian M. Wiprud

Facing international gangsters in deadly shootouts and high-speed chases, Gill Underwood's fate rests on his mastery of The Art of War...and on his thirst for vengeance.

Gill Underwood and his jewel-heisting partner Trudy Elwell have been set up, and Trudy has paid the ultimate price. Now Underwood, a former naval intelligence officer, is holding $150 million worth of hot sparks, running from ruthless gangs of Serbians, Chinese, Israelis, and Cubans—and the Feds are closing in. With speed, technology, brains, and brawn, Underwood must turn the tables in a heart-pounding game of cat and mouse that leads to the most deadly enemy of all.

of Jon Jordan's (Crimespree) most memorable books of 2012!

"Abundant action, comic confrontations, and clever deceits make for a fun-filled read. The final twist is not to be missed."—Library Journal(starred review)

"The fast-paced action builds to a devilishly complex solution."—Publishers Weekly

"Wiprud excels at creating a sense of place; readers will feel like they're right there with Gill on New Jersey's Gold Coast and throughout the Big Apple and beyond."—RT Book Reviews

"Wickedly clever and meticulously engaging crime fiction by a master of the genre."—Fresh Fiction

"The Clause will appeal to readers who look for Bourne Identity style thrillers. The book is carefully plotted, slowly revealing the schemes and the identity of the anti-hero Gill, who is not what he seems to be, while at the same time keeping him breathlessly on the run from three flavors of bad guy and the law."—Night Owl Reviews

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

A New York City writer, Brian Wiprud is the award-winning and multiply nominated author of fifteen novels. His current series features the adventures of Boone Linsenbigler, dashing and jinxed pitchman for a multinational beverage company.

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jewel thieves, CIA conspiracies, Serbian and Cuban mobs. This book has a little of everything. Unfortunately, the dialogue is wooden and the author has a tendency to veer into tangents that don't really serve any useful purpose. Also, for somebody who is so smart that he buys multiples of burner phones so that he can't be traced, why does he then continue to use Phone #2? It all gets explained at the end, but by then I didn't care anymore.

[Duncan Comrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darker than his previous several titles and with the humour toned down, but still jam packed with his terrific trademark characterisation and plot twists.

The story focuses on Gill Underwood a jewel thief who unknowingly steals $150M of diamonds from the Serbian mob and his improvised plan to try an extract himself from his predicament and remain alive. As he progresses the list of enemies increases…

This is a fast read, contains constant twists and intertwining characters. I am a huge fan of his style and technique, his work is just so much fun to read.

[Rick Skwiot · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining and gritty page-turner, without the Damon Runyonesque humor and Brooklyn patois that marked the three or four other Wiprud novels I've read. Depictions of the ruthless international criminal underworld highlight the effort.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing interesting about this book- a caper gone wrong - there is the Serbian mob, the Cuban mob, the CIA, the FBI - all that was missing was the kitchen sink...I won't even remember what this was about in a month from now.

[Martha Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by this book - it's so much more than a caper. Interesting characters with multiple layers and a surprising conclusion. I found myself still thinking about it days later.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good crime novel, with some humor

[Charles Thibos · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story, lots of twists