Everything to Lose

by Andrew Gross

A determined, (down on her luck, ) mother caring for her handicapped son becomes entangled in a murderous conspiracy to keep a twenty year old secret buried in this blistering thriller, set during the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, from Andrew Gross, the New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds and No Way Back.

While driving along a suburban back road, Hilary Blum, who's just lost her job and whose deadbeat husband has left her alone to care for her son with Asperger's, witnesses a freakish accident. A car ahead of her careens down a hill and slams into a tree. Stopping to help, she discovers the driver dead--and a satchel stuffed with a half a million dollars.

That money could prevent her family's ruin and keep her special needs son in school. In an instant, this honest, achieving woman who has always done the responsible thing makes a decision that puts her in the center of maelstrom of dark consequences and life-threatening recriminations--a terrifying scheme involving a twenty-year-old murder, an old woman who's life has been washed out to sea, and a powerful figure bent to keep the secret that can destroy him hidden.

With everything to lose, everything she loves, Hilary connects to a determined cop from Staten Island, reeling from the disaster of Sandy, to bring down an enemy who will stop at nothing to keep what that money was meant to silence, still buried.

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

419 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2014

About the author

Howard Andrew Gross was an American author of thriller novels, including four New York Times bestsellers. He is best known for his collaborations with suspense writer James Patterson. Gross's books feature close family bonds, relationships characterized by loss or betrayal, and a large degree of emotional resonance which generally leads to wider crimes and cover-ups. The books have all been published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ New York
Publication date ~ April 22, 2014
Est Page Count ~ 325 (p+ 69 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 50 minutes
Narrator ~ Tavia Gilbert
POV ~ single 1st, present tense, multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ theft, dog death coaxed into a freezer and left to die

Hilary witnesses an accident, finds the driver dead and takes a bag of loot. It’s a ton of money that could really help for her sons care, so she doesn’t really think twice about it.

Patrick's father was the victim of the car crash and when Hilary reaches out to him they work together. Obviously someone is going to be looking for the money.

There are a few other POV's that move the story along, including Mrs. O'B, Shelia O'Byrne, who lost her husband in Hurricane Sandy, and Frank Landry. How do they fit into the story?

Overall, there were some suspenseful moments that kept me engaged. Some things a bit OTT, but I enjoyed it despite that spoiler. Why do authors have to do this?

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.

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[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the divorce, Hilary Cantor’s sole focus was caring for her son Brandon; he had been diagnosed with a severe form of Aspergers syndrome and it wasn’t until Hilary found a special school for Brandon that she found more hope for him. Jim had deserted them but she had Elena who cared for Brandon when Hilary was at work – picking him up from school, taking him to appointments; she was a godsend. But when Hilary was put off from her job; Jim had stopped paying for school fees long ago and she was months behind; the mortgage was crippling her – she had no idea what she was going to do. Begging Jim for money didn’t help either…

While driving one night on a dangerous stretch of road out of town, Hilary was witness to the car in front of her as it swerved to avoid a deer, careened off the road, through the trees and crashed down a steep embankment before it came to a standstill. As she clambered down to try to help the driver, another car stopped. Yelling at him to call 911, Hilary quickly realized she couldn’t help the driver, but it was what she found in the car and the split second decision she made that changed her life forever.

Never realizing that she had set in motion a series of devastating events which would involve a psychopathic killer, blackmail and murder - plus secrets that had been buried for twenty years, and a person in the public eye who would do anything to keep those secrets hidden forever, she began to fear deeply for herself and Brandon. What would happen to them? Who could help her stop the terrifying evil that was taking over her life?

Absolutely brilliant! Gripping, intense, terrifying – a thriller with bite! An old cliché but I could not put this one down! I highly recommend Everything to Lose to all thriller lovers.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for Everything to Lose (audiobook) by Andrew Gross read by Tavia Gilbert.

This was kind of disappointing. The novel is packed full of action but the story is so convoluted and implausible I just couldn’t wait till it was over.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Gross can't start his latest book, "Everything to Lose" (William Morrow 2014) any more depressingly than what's he's done: Hilary Blum, beleaguered single mom of an autistic child, loses her job. When she asks the boy's father for help, he's too busy taking his new family on vacation to pay attention to the desperation of a son he appears to consider 'broken' (I might be reading into that, though--I was pretty angry with Dad by then). Hilary tries everything she can come up with to save her small family. As I watched her analyze this dilemma, I couldn't help but feel she did everything I would have. Without a doubt, I could feel her trauma, her need to protect her child, and her hopelessness. When a windfall falls into her lap, albeit a morally challenged and legally-dangerous one, she struggles with whether she should take it. She comes to the conclusion she didn't want to make, that she has nothing to lose because she's about to lose everything, so she takes it, hoping it will work out.

I suppose it does work out, but that's the story--how it all works out.

I've read several of Gross' other books--enjoyed them all--and I continue to be impressed by his strong, authentic voice and unerring ability to pace a story while building to an unbeatable climax. His main characters are believable, with both good and bad characteristics that make their flawed choices understandable as they try to solve their problems, ultimately, causing themselves as much trouble as they cure

It's interesting to note that Hurricane Sandy is a recurring theme throughout the story. At first, I thought it would be simply a backdrop for the story, but Gross made it much more.

Overall, another excellent story from this author. It's no wonder he was selected to co-author "Eyes Wide Open" with James Patterson.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilary Cantor is faced with a choice. Through a mix of circumstances that involve a car accident, Hilary can do something she knows is wrong to try and keep her son Brandon who has Aspergers at his expensive school where they seem to be helping him, keep her home and pay off her debts. But what will it mean for her and those around her if she makes this choice? Sure, she could go to Jim, her ex and Brandon‘s father and ask for help. But if he refuses to help what then? And with his new wife and family, he is more than a little lax in providing for Brandon. The choice Hilary makes get her deeper into trouble and spell danger for those close to her.
This is an action packed read involving blackmail, murders and those who will do anything to keep the past hidden. It is a book that keeps you turning the pages. However I did query how Hilary could make the decision she did, especially when she had a 4 carat diamond ring that would have been some start in providing money needed plus and expensive home. There were also a couple of mistakes in the novel on page 341, the villain tells Hilary to be there at 2am. On page 355 when she arrives at the designated place ‘the clock read 2.58’ yet she was not late, so obviously a typo. There was another similar incident around the time of a doctor’s appointment.
This is not my usual reading fare. I am sure many will enjoy it. While I found it kept my interest for the most part I didn’t like at times being in the mind of the evil character. Given the type of people Hilary was dealing with, there was quite a bit of the f word but then even normal characters seemed to use it as well. I know some authors seem to think everyone uses it but we all don’t.

[Best Crime Books & More · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled over the rating of this book. I am a huge Andrew Gross fan and was dithering between 3/5 and 4/5. Sadly after thinking about it, this latest release just didn’t cut it for me. Although, having said that, this is entirely a personal choice and is also based upon his previous work. Hilary Cantor is the lead character in this book and her life seems to be literally falling apart at the seams. Her son has Aspergers Syndrome and she has been left to deal with that and her mounting debts by her ex.

She is involved in a car accident and as a subsequence ends up making a very costly mistake with somebody else’s money. The fact that Hillary finds and decides to keep the half a million dollars is the start of a pretty obvious story, being that the original recipients want it back. What follows is Hillary’s fight to keep both her and her son alive. The first thing I think I struggled with was the character of Hilary as I just didn’t particularly like her. There are other elements to this story following the major Storm, which involves people losing their homes, and a subsequent plot weave involving gangsters and shady politicians.

The writing is as sharp as ever but for me the key elements were missing. The fact that I didn’t like the lead character is always a negative for me. Add on to that the fact that the story was too far fetched (even by my standards) dropped my opinion even more. I am actually a huge Andrew Gross fan and normally love his books, but this one just wasn’t up to par.

It’s pretty obvious that the book is most certainly readable (I read it in just under a day and a half) and for some they will really love this. For me, I still miss the Ty Hauck books (Andrew Gross series of books), and this just wasn’t as good as some of his other stand alone books. I can only hope that this was just not a good fit for me and his next book is as awesome as some of his others.

[Mark Rubinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything to Lose is a blistering thriller. Hilary Cantor comes upon an accident and finds a dead man in a car with a satchel containing half a million dollars in cold, hard cash. What to do? The novel begins with the line, "Every life is the story of a single mistake and what happens afterwards."

And what happens afterwards is a pulse-pounding story of a woman's struggle with right and wrong, her need to survive, to help and even save her child, and to find a new direction in her life. A well-deserved five stars!

Mark Rubinstein
Author of Mad Dog House, Love Gone Mad and The Foot Soldier

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly I was expecting much more from this book than what I was given.

The premise was great, I really loved the idea. There was so much potential, with so many possibilities of where the story would head. What would she do with the money? How would it come back to bite her? Who, and what, would be behind the cash? So many questions even before you pick up the book. Due to this I was expecting a fast paced thriller, keeping me interested from the get-go.

Alas, such was not the case. Things failed to move at a speed I was happy with. If the truth is to be known, I feel as though far too much time was spent listening to Hilary going back and forth about what she was to do. In truth, she seemed like a very whiny character to me. Not that such a thing added much to her character… which was rather lacking in general. In fact, most of the characters seemed to be lacking. Certain events too, if I’m honest; things simply failed to have the emotional impact which was intended.

It was interesting the way in which events joined together, but overall I failed to enjoy the book. The style wasn’t really what I enjoy and things failed to reach the mark in a number of places.

At least I can say I have picked up a Gross book, even if I didn’t really enjoy it all that much.

[Christa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this wasn't my kind of book. From the synopsis, it seemed like something I'd definitely be interested in, but I think maybe it was the style that I found a little lacking.

I liked the premise--a cash-strapped woman finds a half million dollars, and decides to take it so she can provide for her special needs child. But of course, $500,000 doesn't just appear for no reason, and people are usually pretty upset when that kind of money disappears on them. So the woman, Hilary, finds herself in a cat-and-mouse chase with some criminal bigwigs who want their money back and the threat eliminated.

My main problem, I think, is that the book jumped around a lot, and didn't really do a good job of showing how things were related. The connections were a little convoluted, and besides that, not all that believable. Another thing I found really implausible? Normal non-life-of-crimer Hilary, after just escaping from a murder attempt on her life, and unable to reach her son by phone, is content making googly eyes and little smiles at the guy helping her "solve" the mystery. Very annoying.

The characters didn't really grow on me, or develop all that much, so I wasn't as invested as I could have been. And I don't think the mystery part was strong enough to make up for that.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilary Cantor is a good person, but like all good people, she has seen her share of hardship. A single mother of a son with Asperger’s syndrome, she has been working hard to maintain a quality life for herself and her son. Despite her best efforts, her world has begun to drop out from under her. Her deadbeat ex-husband is waning in his financial and emotional support, her bills have begun to stack up, and she has recently become a victim of the recession when she loses her job. Facing bankruptcy for herself and the possibility of losing the ability to properly care for her son, she makes a final trek to beg for her ex’s assistance.

On her way through the country to try and right her upended life, a miracle occurs. When Hilary witnesses a freak car accident and stops to help, she finds what seems to be a godsend… a bag containing $500,000. In the split second before someone else arrives on scene, Hilary makes the decision to keep the money. With the money, Hilary begins to fix her life; she pays off her debts and even makes sure that the money is not missed.

However, no miracle comes without a price, and for anyone to make money, someone else has to lose it. When another person associated with the crash is found dead it becomes apparent that the money is missed, and the owner is determined to get it back. Pursued by a ruthless hired gun, Hilary must work with the son of the crash victim and trace the origin of the money through death, desolation and 20 years of history before it’s too late for her and her son.

Andrew Gross produces a thrilling journey in Everything To Lose. The main protagonist is relatable and well rounded. Further, Hilary is filled with a sense of morality that closely mirrors what would be expected of anyone else facing her situation. The writing is typical of the genre and kept me engaged throughout my reading. Despite the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I couldn’t help but compare the plot to that of No Country for Old Men. While the books did not share an atmosphere, setting or writing style, I continuously drew connections to characters and plot points from the earlier novel. However, this did not detract from my enjoyment, and I am now excited to read more of Gross’s work. I would highly recommend this as a fast-paced, plot-driven thriller that could easily consume a weekend.

Review by Brett Schneider

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything to Lose by Andrew Gross
4.5 Stars

From The Book:
While driving along a suburban back road, Hilary Cantor, who's just lost her job and whose deadbeat husband has left her to care for her son who has Asperger's, witnesses a freakish accident when a deer suddenly darts in front of the car ahead of her. The driver careens down a hill and slams into a tree. Rushing to help, she discovers the car smoking, the driver dead—and a satchel on the floor stuffed with a half million dollars.

That money could prevent her family's ruin and keep her son in school. In an instant, this honest, achieving woman who has always done the responsible thing makes a decision that puts her in the center of a maelstrom of unforeseeable consequences and life-threatening recriminations. It isn't long before someone comes looking for the money, and as they get closer and closer to Hilary, she is pulled into a terrifying scheme involving a twenty-year-old murder, an old woman whose entire life has been washed out to sea by the storm, and a powerful figure determined to maintain the secret that can destroy him.

With everything to lose and putting everything she loves at risk, Hilary joins up with a dogged police official from Staten Island who has his own connections to the money and is dealing with his family's tragic struggles in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Together they must fight to bring down an enemy who will stop at nothing to keep buried what that money was meant to silence.

My Thoughts:
What Hillary did was wrong...but you just can't help hoping that she'll get away with it. I found myself completely wrapped up in the story and the characters. Andrew Gross has managed to put an ordinary, everyday person into a breathtakingly suspenseful and dangerous situation and works his magic with the twists and turns that will keep the reader turning the pages to see how it all turns out. All the time you have to ask yourself... "In Hillary's situation would I have done the same thing to protect my family?"

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great novel by Andrew Gross. I got into him when he wrote under the James Patterson writing factory and instantly liked his work. Since then I have read most of his books and rarely am I disappointed. It is a fairly simple story but nevertheless keeps you gripped and entertained as the novel twists and turns.

[Erna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story moves along quickly but I didn't like any of the characters. The author seems to think that because the protagonist has a "special needs" son the reader will excuse her behavior that puts others in harm’s way. I didn’t find her a sympathetic character at all.

[Herald Birchfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but not great. Predictable. There were some good action sequences but the whole story just wasn't believable. Too many questionable little details.

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everything to Lose" features a flawed, but fascinating, heroine with a compelling character's voice. Author Andrew Gross fleshes out his leading lady, Hilary Blum, as a woman devoted to the care of her son, Brandon, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. Hilary's ex-husband, Jim, is an absentee father whose emotional and financial support is an increasingly diminishing commodity. Remarried to woman of means with two sons of her own from a previous marriage, Jim's own loss of his construction business makes him even more dependent upon his wife's finances. When Hilary loses her own job, she knows that it will be impossible to pay living expenses and keep Brandon in his special school. Driving to Jim's home one night to ask him for much-needed funds, Hilary witnesses an auto accident which takes the life of the elderly driver. Finding the man dead in his vehicle, Hilary makes a startling discovery--a leather satchel filled with fortune in cash. What would anyone do in the same situation--that's the question that has Hilary in emotional turmoil. She hides the satchel in the woods near the accident scene, but when Jim is unable to provide the money she needs, she later retrieves the satchel. Devising ways to filter the money into usability, Hilary begins to gain some confidence that she has pulled it off successfully--until the apparent suicide of the only other person to stop at the accident scene sets off a harrowing chain of events. Set in New York in the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, "Everything to Lose" will take its heroine and those around her on a terrifying journey which ties secrets from the past to events of the present and changes their future forever. An involving thriller from the talented Andrew Gross.

Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine

[Jo Dervan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mother stops on a dark Westchester road to aid an accident victim. She discovers that he is dead but she sees a satchel filled with cash in the damaged car. Her first impulse is to take the money and hide it nearby. She is convinced the money will solve the grave financial problems that she and her autistic son have had recently.
However when she retrieves the money and begins to use it to pay her mortgage, taxes and son's tuition in a school for special children, she gets involved in a tangled web of murder and deceit and political ambition.
This is a fast paced story that takes place in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. It shows what desperate measures a single parent with an autistic child will take once she loses her job, has no way to support her son and no other available resources. The consequences of taking the money are very serious and show how one small action can seriously impact many lives.

[Scott Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I want to thank the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Andrew Gross' new novel.

This was a thrilling ride that makes me want to read Gross' other books. You really get caught up in the story and cannot put the book down. I read it in 3 sittings. The main character Hilary was a person most people can relate to, and sympathize with even when she was doing illegal things. If there was one thing I didn't like about the story was how tidy the ending was. Everyone "lived happily ever" was a little hard to believe after all that occurs in Hilary and her son's life. But all in all, a great ripping read.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your life is in a financial toilet. On the drive over to hit up your ex for some financial help you witness a car accident. Stopping to help you find the driver dead, and a satchel full of cash in the car. So, what do you do? Great premise for a story that keeps the tension wound up pretty tight right to the very end. And another great thing about this book is that it is a stand alone. Seems as if everyone is writing a series these days and has forgotten that a book can be just that, a book. With no others following it. So if your looking for a good novel to spend some time with pick this one up and give it a whirl.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a lucky winner of an advanced reader's edition of this book here on Goodreads.com. The story line has excellent twists & turns in it that keep you on your toes & makes it hard to put down. I highly recommend this book to anybody that loves a great mystery/thriller.

I am so glad that I did win this book, as I have discovered another author that I will be reading more books from in the very near future.

[Sharon Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

The second Andrew Gross book I've tried to read and abandoned. I seem to get about a quarter of the way through before giving up - I just find his books boring and while I'm reading I'm wondering what else I could be reading instead. I have 2 more of his books sitting on the bookshelf - all 4 will be off to the op-shop shortly :(

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in 2014 and somehow did not mark it as read in Goodreads. Excellent!

[Steph Ollman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting premise and a real page turner.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting read. Goss has written another winner

[Kristi Priestley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Gross kept me gripped throughout. A mother, struggling to make ends meet, is suddenly presented with the opportunity to solve all her money problems...the only problem is that she is pretty sure it's illegal. In making such a decision, she entangles herself in a web of conspiracy and crime that she can't get out of, without someone getting hurt.

[Dlmrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Terri Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always annoyed when bad guys have a millions dollars (or $500,000 in this case), there is an accident or some other event, and some nice deserving person- in this case divorced mom Hilary Cantor- finds it at a time of desperate need but winds up dodging evil guys only for the government to rob her of the money, put her in jail, and then demand restitution for money that wasn't the government's money in the first place. For once, I would love to see the person just get to keep it!

Hilary Cantor is a mom who once enjoyed the good life with husband Jim and their son Brandon who has Asperger's autism. As the mother of an Aspie myself, Hilary has my sympathy. She has tried to hold things together with little interest or help from Jim who has married a well-off woman named Janice who has two healthy sports-loving boys he prefers. Suddenly, Hilary is in a hole. She had not been able to keep up the house payments but couldn't sell because of the economy making few people able to buy a nice house that now had more owed on it than it is worth while Brandon's private school tuition was behind and this was the first school that has worked for him. Now, due to the economy, Hilary has lost her job.

In desperation, Hilary decides to drive out to the McMansion where Jim and Janice and the boys live. On the way out there, the car in front of her is driving too fast for the dark curving road and when a deer suddenly runs into the road, the car swerves to miss it and runs off the road and down into the ravine. It is too late when Hilary stops and runs down the hill to help. The old man is dead and there is a satchel with $500,000 beside him. Though another car has stopped to help, Hilary calls up for the man to call 911 while she hides the satchel in a thicket. She leaves the man behind to wait for police and races off after giving him a phony name and saying her son is waiting for her to pick him up from a ball game.

She goes on to see Jim and Janice but deadbeat dad Jim (he who drives a porsche and is leaving with the family for a skiing vacation in Colorado) pleads poverty, saying his business has shut down and that his current wife had to take a job. Hilary goes home furious and tries to figure out what to do but with no money, she finally goes and gets the satchel and starts laundering the money to provide for her child. I am totally fine with this. The government grabs money to fund wars and other crap so the idea of her using it for a special needs child doesn't bother me at all. In fact, the source of the cash is a sociopath/psychopath in a position of power who is a murderer and has creepy associates.

Hilary can't resist finding out about the dead man and this leads her to his police officer son who had seen his old neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Sandy and there is a LOT about how the government let people down. Frankly, I think people need to think twice about living on a coastline (though I have been guilty of this myself) but you do go in knowing you damn well better get flood insurance and first consider what can happen just as you know if you move to a place prone to earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic activity, tornadoes, or tsunamis you might lose it all.

The evil men are on the lookout for the money and the poor sap Hilary left there with the dead guy to talk to the police is murdered (it is made to look like a suicide) and this is the beginning of Hilary's REAL problems.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars this time. I'm a fan of this author, but have mixed feelings about this one. I found it gripping, and unlike other reviewers, I did like the protagonist, Hilary. She is a single (divorced) mother with an autistic son (Asperger's syndrome) who at times has violent fantasies. She was gutsy, with the mother-bear instinct about her son, loving him unconditionally. I could see why she was tempted to keep the money she found, based on her circumstances. She did try hard to get help from her ex but realized it would cost her money and time to prosecute him for it, neither of which she had. Anyone who's ever been in desperate need could relate to the decision she made, and good fiction is what made for the rest of the story.

However, I did find this a bit disjointed. It opens with a scene written in italics, which is like a prologue, but isn't labeled as such, yet presents itself as one. Then it goes onto chapter 1, titled "Hilary" and proceeds to tell us about her current financial straits. A few chapters later, we are reading again about this woman dealing with her disturbed son, and some of the awful things that he has done, including a near drowning in a bathtub scene, and we assume this is still Hilary... talking about this same son with Asperger's syndrome, but it took me several more chapters to figure out that it's not ~~ it is another mother ~~ at another time, way in the past. I didn't notice the italics, which should have been my clue. When you're reading late at night, like I always do, those things can get by you. The chapter was not titled with anyone's name, like some of the others were, which is quite helpful. In all fairness, I should mention my copy is an ARC, so it may differ in format from the final published version.

The action got pretty convoluted, I must admit. Good people dying, twists and turns. One thing perplexed me, at the end, and I'll chose my words carefully so as not to add a spoiler (I don't say who the bad guy is) but when Hilary tore up those pages and threw them in the ocean, one asks yourself, "weren't they needed as evidence to prove what the bad guy had done? Surely people wondered what happened to him, didn't they? What explanation did they get for what happened ~~ and why weren't we privy to all that?"

As an added thought, because the phrase "The Other Side of the Road" was used in this novel at appropriate times, this might have been a good title for this work. Thanks again to Amazon for providing me with an pre-release copy of this work for my honest, unbiased review.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Everything to Lose” by Andrew Gross, published by William Morrow.

Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – March 01, 2014

What would you do?????

Hilary Cantor is in dire straits. She is divorced and has a child who is in need of special care. Her ex-husband’s business has failed and he has remarried and has two children. Hilary is now faced with being the sole support with trying to pay a large mortgage on her house, paying for he son’s education and care. All of this, and she has just been told that her job has been eliminated.

Hilary witnesses an accident late at night and determines the driver of the car is dead. She also discovers a satchel with a half million dollars in it. This could be the answer to all her problems. Her thought processes the fact that no one knows her and she can hardly image that someone would be inquiring about a half million dollars of probably ill gotten monies. However, she fails to realize how determined these people can be and her life takes a turn for the worse. Hilary seeks help from the dead driver’s son, Patrick Kelty, who is a member of the NYPD. The only problem is that Patrick has a hidden secret that has him involved with the Ukrainian Mob. In addition of all of this it is quite possible that Patrick’s father may have been involved in a blackmail scheme that goes back years.

Patrick and Hilary must band together to unravel themselves from a situation that has put their lives in jeopardy.

A mystery that will keep the reader engaged over the course of the book with several turns and unexpected outcomes. If you like this book I highly recommend another book that presents this same problem, “Good People” by Marcus Sakey.

[Dawnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely hooked after the first page! "Everything to Lose," is INTENSE! The beginning of the book starts with a young couple who are getting ready to experience a change in their relationship, but a surprise happens. The story then begins to evolve into the life of Hilary Cantor. Author Andrew Gross, takes you into each scene and you become one with Hilary who has a son, Brandon, with Asperger's. She's in debt and her ex husband is not helping out. She witnesses a car accident in which the driver dies. She finds a satchel full of money. Hilary is then faced with the biggest moral dilemma of her life...She has no one to count on to help pay for Brandon's special needs school, she has issues at work, she can't pay her bills...Will anyone miss this money? She makes a hard decision and this decision leads her into a world of terrifying consequences. Hilary meets Patrick who is a police official and has his own connections with the money. Patrick is trying to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Hilary and Patrick form a bond as they are forced to try to outwit some very dangerous people. You are pulled into the action and as always, the author delivers some unexpected surprises that will simply take your breath away. I found the ending to be emotional and eloquent with all the loose strings tied up perfectly. You will love this book and ponder over it. My pick for the summer! Enjoy!

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you found a half million dollars, hid the money, laundered the money, and then found out that it was money that someone would kill for to get it back?

Hilary was being a good Samaritan when she stopped to help at the scene of an accident, but what she didn't know was that the accident victim had a satchel of money in the car that didn't belong to him and that definitely didn't belong to her. The money would really help Hilary pay her bills, though, since she was spending her last dollar this month, but what she didn't know was that same money would get her involved with dangerous people.

EVERYTHING TO LOSE pulls you in and won't let you go. You will feel the terror of every descriptive scene. The characters ​include lovable Brandon, no-conscience, evil Charlie, and believable Hilary because of her situation.

If you enjoy intrigue, edge-of-your-seat action, scary decisions, murder, long-time grudges, and terrifying characters you won't want to miss EVERYTHING TO LOSE. It is a thriller at its best.

This is the first Andrew Gross book I have read, and I wasn't disappointed. EVERYTHING TO LOSE was full of suspense until the very last word. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.